Operations Specialist - Inventory Control / Planning

Job Description

Job Description

Position Summary

The Operations Specialist – Materials & Inventory Control is a hybrid operations and analytical role responsible for ensuring the right materials are available, accurately accounted for, and staged at the right time to support the production schedule.

This position is intentionally split between hands-on activity within the warehouse and production environment and analytical work at a desk . The Operations Specialist is expected to spend meaningful time on the floor understanding material flow, verifying inventory, coordinating staging, working directly with Production and Warehouse personnel, and identifying potential issues before they impact the schedule. The position will then use ERP/MRP data, production schedules, inventory reports, usage history, and other operational information to analyze those issues and develop solutions.

This position serves as a critical link between Operations, Supply Chain, Planning, Warehouse, and Production. The Operations Specialist will monitor inventory levels, coordinate material requirements against the production schedule, stage materials for upcoming production, maintain inventory accuracy, analyze material requirements, and proactively communicate potential shortages or replenishment requirements.

The position reports directly to the Director of Operations and works closely with the Supply Chain Manager to ensure material availability supports production requirements and overall operational objectives.

The ideal candidate is someone who enjoys being out on the floor as much as they enjoy working with data . They should be comfortable walking the warehouse, talking with production personnel, physically verifying material, investigating discrepancies, and then returning to their workstation to analyze inventory, production requirements, and trends.

Floor Operations & Material Flow

• Maintain a regular presence on the warehouse and production floor to monitor material flow and production readiness.
• Physically verify material availability, quantities, locations, and identification when necessary.
• Coordinate and oversee the staging of materials for upcoming production orders.
• Ensure materials are staged accurately, completely, and in accordance with the production schedule.
• Work directly with Warehouse and Production personnel to resolve material availability issues.
• Identify bottlenecks, material-flow issues, poor storage practices, and other operational inefficiencies.
• Ensure material is organized and readily accessible to support production.
• Respond to changing production priorities, schedule changes, rush orders, and material requirements.
• Maintain awareness of what is physically happening on the floor rather than relying solely on ERP/MRP system information.

Inventory Control

• Maintain accurate inventory records for raw materials, packaging, WIP, and production supplies.
• Monitor inventory levels and identify discrepancies between physical inventory and ERP/MRP system records.
• Perform and coordinate cycle counts and investigate inventory variances.
• Physically investigate discrepancies and determine root causes rather than simply correcting system quantities.
• Ensure proper material identification, labeling, location control, and inventory transaction accuracy.
• Monitor inventory movement throughout the facility.
• Identify obsolete, excess, slow-moving, or at-risk inventory and communicate concerns to the Director of Operations and Supply Chain Manager.

Planning

• Review the production schedule and coordinate material requirements for upcoming production orders.
• Determine whether required materials are available and production-ready.
• Identify shortages or potential shortages before they affect production.
• Coordinate material staging based on production priorities and schedule requirements.
• Track shortages, backorders, material constraints, and other issues that could affect production.
• Work directly with Production to understand changing requirements and priorities.
• Maintain visibility of material readiness for upcoming production orders.
• Support schedule changes, rush orders, and priority production requirements.
• Issue Work Orders from ERP system
• Maintain Planning workbooks through excel 
• Review Batch Records from Production