| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Retail and Showroom |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Regional Loss Prevention Manager |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | 3 to 5 years in retail loss prevention, audit or store operations |
Loss Prevention Executive 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: Loss Prevention Executive
Department: Retail and Showroom
Reports to: Regional Loss Prevention Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Loss Prevention Executive protects a store or a cluster of stores from shrinkage. The person runs stock audits, reviews CCTV, investigates theft and billing fraud, checks process gaps at the till and the back door, and trains staff on honest practice. In Indian retail this covers internal pilferage, vendor short-supply, refund fraud and shoplifting. A good executive brings shrinkage down with evidence and fair process, not guesswork, and keeps recoveries and cases properly documented.
Key responsibilities
- Run cycle counts and surprise stock audits, reconcile physical stock with the system and investigate every gap.
- Review CCTV footage against till logs to spot billing fraud, refund abuse and skipped scans at the counter.
- Investigate suspected theft and process breaches, gather evidence and record statements with a fair, consistent method.
- Check high-risk points such as the cash till, back door, staff exit and stockroom for control weaknesses.
- Audit refunds, exchanges, discounts and manual overrides to confirm each follows store policy.
- Verify inward goods against invoices and challans to catch vendor short-supply and wrong receipts.
- Track shrinkage by category and store, and report causes and corrective actions to the manager.
- Train store staff on tagging, cash handling and honest billing, and refresh them after any incident.
- Coordinate with the store team and, where needed, police for serious theft, following company escalation rules.
- Maintain the case register with evidence, recovery amount and outcome for audit and disciplinary use.
Requirements
- Graduate in any stream
- Training in loss prevention, audit or security an advantage
- Working knowledge of retail operations
- 3 to 5 years in retail loss prevention, audit or store operations
KRAs and KPIs for a Loss Prevention Executive
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 |
|---|---|
| Shrinkage control | Stock shrinkage held below the target percentage of sales for the assigned stores each quarter |
| Audit coverage | All planned cycle counts and store audits completed on schedule every month |
| Case closure | Investigations closed with evidence and outcome within the agreed timeline |
| Recovery | Recoverable losses recovered or documented within the policy window each case |
| Process compliance | Refund, discount and inward-goods checks show no repeat control gaps at the next audit |
| Staff awareness | Every store team completes loss-prevention refresher training on the planned cycle |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: CCTV and DVR systems, POS and ERP reports, MS Excel, Stock audit checklist, EAS tag system.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Loss Prevention Manager, Regional LP Manager, Retail Audit Head
Interview questions for a Loss Prevention Executive
- How do you investigate a stock gap without accusing an innocent employee?
- Walk me through how you would audit refunds and exchanges for fraud.
- You suspect a cashier is skipping scans. What evidence do you gather before acting?
- How do you bring shrinkage down across several stores with limited time?
- Tell me about a difficult theft case you handled and how you closed it.
- What controls would you put at the staff exit and back door of a store?
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What does a loss prevention executive do in retail?
A loss prevention executive works to reduce shrinkage in a store or group of stores. They audit stock, review CCTV against till data, investigate theft and billing fraud, tighten controls at the cash counter and back door, and train staff on honest practice. Their job is fewer losses backed by clear evidence and fair process.
What is the difference between a loss prevention executive and a security guard?
A security guard controls physical access, patrols and watches for intruders. A loss prevention executive focuses on internal and process losses: stock gaps, refund fraud, till manipulation and vendor short-supply. The guard protects the premises, while the loss prevention executive protects the margin through audit, CCTV review and investigation.
What skills does a loss prevention executive need?
Strong stock audit and reconciliation skills, an eye for CCTV and till patterns, and clean investigation and report writing. Integrity is essential because the role handles evidence and discipline. Add firm but fair conduct, retail process knowledge and the patience to build a case before acting on suspicion.