Senior PO & Inventory Specialist

Senior PO & Inventory Specialist

As a Senior PO & Inventory Specialist, you will take ownership of the financial and operational integrity of the purchase order lifecycle. This position combines day-to-day transactional execution with detailed inventory tracking, financial analysis, and process oversight.

You will lead three-way matching processes, investigate complex receiving and invoicing discrepancies, audit inventory valuation for specialized field assets, and help minimize supply chain financial exposure. This role serves as a key connection between Purchasing, Branch Operations, Receiving, and Accounts Payable, ensuring process compliance, protecting company margins, and supporting effective working capital management.

Primary Responsibilities

• Manage a high volume of purchase order invoices using three-way matching procedures and ensure accurate General Ledger (GL) coding.
• Research and resolve complex variances involving purchase orders, branch receiving records, pricing, quantity discrepancies, and freight costs.
• Monitor unmatched receipts, open purchase orders, and Goods Received/Invoices Received (GR/IR) clearing accounts to support accurate month-end accruals.
• Analyze inventory valuation, identify slow-moving and obsolete inventory, and lead physical-to-book inventory research and reconciliations.
• Partner with Corporate Accounting on month-end close activities, journal entries, reconciliations, and internal audit requirements related to branch receiving and inventory.
• Work closely with branch managers, Purchasing, Accounts Payable, Receiving, and external vendors to resolve issues and improve the procure-to-pay process.
• Identify opportunities to improve transaction accuracy, reduce financial exposure, improve cash flow, and optimize inventory management.
• Monitor key inventory metrics, including inventory turns, carrying costs, and aging, and provide recommendations for improvement.

Required Qualifications

• 35+ years of progressive experience in Accounts Payable within a high-volume purchase order environment, purchase order management, receiving, inventory management, financial analysis, inventory control, cost accounting, or a related field.
• Advanced proficiency with Excel, including PivotTables, XLOOKUPs, data modeling, reconciliation, and troubleshooting.
• Experience working with the Accounts Payable and Materials Management modules of a major ERP system.
• Strong understanding of the purchase order lifecycle, including purchase order creation and management, receiving, three-way matching, and fundamental GAAP principles related to inventory valuation and liabilities.
• Ability to independently research complex data issues, identify root causes, and develop effective solutions.
• Ability to communicate financial and operational information clearly and effectively with employees at all levels, from branch and warehouse personnel to corporate leadership.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage high-volume transactions while maintaining accuracy and meeting deadlines.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Accounting, Supply Chain Management, or a related field preferred.
• Experience with Sage 100 and/or NetSuite preferred.
• Experience working in a multi-branch or decentralized operational environment.
• Experience with inventory-intensive businesses, field assets, or equipment-related inventory.
• Experience supporting month-end close and internal or external audits.
• Experience identifying and implementing process improvements within procurement, inventory, or Accounts Payable functions.