Inventory Control Lead
Reports to: Warehouse Manager
Employment type: Full-time
Work environment: Food production and distribution facility (refrigerated, and freezer areas)
Position Summary
The Inventory Control Lead is responsible for maintaining accurate, real-time inventory records across raw materials, fresh-finished, and frozen-finished products. The role requires strict First-In-First-Out (FIFO) rotation to protect product quality, food safety, and Customer satisfaction. Reduction in rework and scrap (improving the overall yield), and cycle-count accuracy will be two of the KPI's associated with the success of this position.
Key Responsibilities
- Maintain inventory accuracy for materials and products through cycle counts, physical counts, and system reconciliation.
- Enforce and monitor FIFO rotation across all product categories to minimize spoilage, expiration, and waste, and to ensure the oldest eligible stock is used or shipped first.
- Use Schweid's inventory systems to understand material / product movement and adherence to scanning expectations from receiving, through production and shipment.
- Manage and verify product locations, ensuring items are stored in the correct locations, and that the physical warehouse matches the data in the system.
- Monitor lot codes, production dates, and expiration/code dates, flagging aging or at-risk inventory for prompt action including working with Quality and Planning to assign aging product codes to current orders.
- Work with Operations and Warehouse to investigate and resolve inventory discrepancies. Collaborate to identify root causes and recommend corrective actions.
- Uphold cold-chain integrity and temperature-controlled handling standards for frozen and fresh product.
- Follow all food safety, sanitation, and quality requirements (e.g., HACCP, GMPs, and applicable FDA/USDA guidelines) and maintain accurate related records.
- Communicate inventory status, validate shortages, and provide feedback to Scheduling and Operations.
- Assist with periodic reporting on dry inventory levels and reconcile with usage to identify shrinkage / waste.
- It is expected that this role will collaborate with other departments and influence (without authority) the behaviors of those making inventory moves.