Inventory Control Lead

Location: Arcola Starting Pay: $23 - $26 / hour Indianapolis-based Herff Jones is the leading provider of graduation and educational products and services designed to inspire achievement and create memorable experiences for students. Herff Jones’ products include class rings and jewelry, caps and gowns, diplomas and announcements as well as motivation and recognition programs. Focused on building long-term relationships through a nationwide network of over 1,400 employees and sales partners, the professionals at Herff Jones have been helping elevate the student experience throughout the lifelong journey of education for more than 100 years. For more information about Herff Jones, please visit What You’ll Be Doing on a Daily Basis Drive inventory accuracy through cycle counts, audits, and reconciliation processes. Lead daily inventory control operations including receiving, put-away, and stock tracking. Investigate and resolve inventory discrepancies, root cause issues, and implement corrective actions. Maintain and optimize systems to ensure accurate and real‑time inventory data. Collaborate with warehouse, procurement, and production teams to ensure proper material flow. Develop and track KPIs (inventory accuracy, shrinkage, stockouts, inventory turns) Train and mentor team members on inventory processes, best practices, and compliance standards. What You’ll Bring to the Table 3–5+ years of inventory control, warehouse operations, logistics, or supply chain experience, with at least 1–2 years in a lead or supervisory role preferred. Strong knowledge of inventory management principles, cycle counting, physical inventories, root cause analysis, inventory accuracy, and stock reconciliation. Experience working with ERP, WMS, and inventory management systems (SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics, or similar). Proven ability to analyze inventory discrepancies, identify trends, and implement corrective actions to improve inventory accuracy and operational efficiency. Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel, including PivotTables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, data analysis, and reporting. Strong understanding of warehouse processes, receiving, shipping, material movements, and inventory transactions. Experience leading and training team members, assigning work, monitoring performance, and driving accountability. Excellent problem‑solving, organizational, and time‑management skills with the ability to prioritize multiple tasks in a fast‑paced environment. Strong communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across Operations, Planning, Purchasing, Production, and Logistics teams. Demonstrated commitment to safety, quality, continuous improvement, and process standardization. Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Business, or a related field preferred; equivalent work experience will be considered. Education / Certifications Required Leadership or lead/supervisory experience in warehouse or inventory teams. Experience in manufacturing or high‑volume distribution environments. Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement experience. Familiarity with KPI reporting tools (Power BI, etc.) Experience with multi‑location or complex inventory environments. Physical Requirements Daily activity includes but is not limited to lifting, carrying, sitting, grasping, reaching, standing, kneeling, walking, bending, twisting. Reading, communication, math. Working at a computer for extended periods of time. Ability to regularly lift/move up to 50lbs. Noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to above. Herff Jones, Inc. and its affiliates are equal opportunity employers and maintain affirmative action plans to recruit, retain, develop, and promote qualified individuals without unlawful consideration of race, gender, gender identity, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, citizenship status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Herff Jones strives to maintain a work environment free from unlawful discrimination and harassment, where associates are treated with respect and dignity. Any employment agency, person or entity that submits a résumé into this career site or to a hiring manager does so with the understanding that the applicant's résumé will become the property of Herff Jones. Herff Jones will have the right to hire that applicant at its discretion without any fee owed to the submitting employment agency, person or entity. #J-18808-Ljbffr