| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Supply Chain |
| Level | Manager |
| Reports to | General Manager Supply Chain |
| Direct reports | Inventory Analyst, Inventory Controller |
| Experience | 6 to 10 years in inventory or materials management |
Inventory Manager job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Inventory Manager
Department: Supply Chain
Reports to: General Manager Supply Chain
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
An Inventory Manager owns how much stock a company holds and how accurate it is. They set inventory policy and norms, control stock levels across locations, keep records accurate, reduce aged and excess stock, and free up working capital tied in inventory. The role sits in supply chain and leads inventory analysts and controllers. A good one keeps stock accurate and available without overstocking, cuts aged and dead stock, keeps the right service level with less inventory, and gives the business trustworthy stock data to plan and sell from.
Key responsibilities
- Set inventory policy, norms and safety stock levels across products and locations.
- Control stock levels to balance availability against holding cost and working capital.
- Keep inventory records accurate through cycle counts and reconciliation.
- Identify and reduce aged, slow-moving, excess and dead stock.
- Set and maintain reorder points and stocking parameters in the system.
- Analyse inventory turns, coverage and accuracy, and act on issues.
- Coordinate with planning, procurement and warehousing on stock decisions.
- Manage stock across the network and support redistribution between locations.
- Lead inventory analysts and controllers and set counting standards.
- Report inventory value, health and accuracy to leadership every month.
Requirements
- Degree in supply chain, commerce, engineering or a related field
- Experience in inventory or materials management
- An MBA or supply chain qualification is an advantage
- 6 to 10 years in inventory or materials management
KRAs and KPIs for a Inventory Manager
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Inventory accuracy | Stock record accuracy above the agreed level on cycle counts |
| Inventory value | Inventory value and working capital kept within targets |
| Aged stock | Aged, excess and dead stock reduced towards target |
| Availability | Service level and availability maintained with optimised stock |
| Inventory turns | Inventory turns improved towards the annual target |
| Team performance | Analysts and controllers deliver counts and analysis to standard |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: ERP such as SAP, Warehouse management system, MS Excel, Inventory analytics tools, Barcode and scanning systems.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: General Manager Supply Chain, Materials Manager
Interview questions for a Inventory Manager
- How would you reduce excess and dead stock without causing stock-outs?
- How do you keep inventory records accurate across many locations?
- How do you set safety stock and reorder points?
- How do you free up working capital tied in inventory?
- How do you decide when to run cycle counts versus a full stock take?
- How do you balance availability against the cost of holding stock?
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What does an inventory manager do?
An inventory manager owns how much stock a company holds and how accurate it is. They set inventory policy and norms, control stock levels across locations, keep records accurate, reduce aged and excess stock, and free up working capital tied in inventory. They keep stock accurate and available without overstocking, and lead inventory analysts and controllers.
What is the difference between an inventory and a materials manager?
An inventory manager focuses on stock levels, accuracy and working capital across all inventory. A materials manager focuses on procuring and supplying materials for production, ensuring the plant never runs short. Inventory management is about how much to hold and keeping it accurate; materials management is about buying and supplying it. The roles overlap in manufacturing.
What skills does an inventory manager need?
An inventory manager needs inventory control, cycle counting, and safety stock and reorder point skills, plus working capital management and strong data analysis. ERP knowledge is essential, since stock is managed in systems like SAP. Attention to detail and leadership matter, because accurate counts and a disciplined team keep the whole plan reliable.