Inventory Control Specialist

Inventory Control Specialist Seeking an Inventory Control Specialist to join its operations team. This is a hands-on role responsible for maintaining accurate inventory, supporting production flow, and ensuring materials are properly received, tracked, allocated, and available when needed. The ideal candidate will have experience in a manufacturing, metal fabrication, steel fabrication, or job-shop environment and understand how inventory accuracy directly impacts production schedules, costs, and customer delivery. This is an excellent opportunity for a detail-oriented, analytical professional who enjoys solving problems, working cross-functionally, and being actively involved in day-to-day manufacturing operations. Key Responsibilities Inventory Management Maintain accurate inventory levels of raw materials, work-in-process, finished goods, and consumables. Track material movements including receiving, issuing, transfers, and returns. Ensure proper material identification, tagging, storage, and traceability. Monitor material availability and help prevent shortages and production delays. Cycle Counting & Inventory Accuracy Perform routine cycle counts and periodic physical inventories. Investigate inventory discrepancies and determine root causes. Implement corrective actions to improve inventory accuracy. Maintain inventory accuracy targets and communicate variances to leadership. Support regular audits of materials and inventory records. Production & Operations Support Work closely with production, scheduling, and purchasing to ensure materials are available when needed. Coordinate material flow throughout the production process. Help prioritize material allocation based on production schedules and job requirements. Ensure materials are delivered to the appropriate work centers in a timely manner. Receiving & Material Control Verify incoming materials against purchase orders, specifications, and requirements. Check materials for accuracy, damage, and compliance. Ensure materials are properly identified and assigned to the appropriate jobs. Coordinate proper storage and staging of materials for production. ERP/MRP & Reporting Maintain accurate inventory transactions and material information within the ERP/MRP system. Generate inventory reports and analyze usage and inventory trends. Identify potential shortages, excess inventory, and replenishment needs. Support purchasing with material forecasting and demand planning. Process Improvement Identify inefficiencies in material flow, storage, and inventory tracking. Recommend and implement improvements to inventory-control processes. Support lean manufacturing and continuous-improvement initiatives. Help reduce waste, excess inventory, downtime, and material-related production issues. Qualifications 3+ years of inventory control, materials management, or related experience in a manufacturing environment. Experience in steel fabrication, metal fabrication, machining, or a job-shop environment preferred. Strong understanding of manufacturing raw materials; experience with steel plate, sheet, tubing, or structural materials is highly desirable. Experience using ERP/MRP systems; job-shop manufacturing systems are a plus. Knowledge of inventory control, cycle counting, reconciliation, and material flow. Ability to read and understand purchase orders, material specifications, job travelers, work orders, BOMs, or similar manufacturing documentation. Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills. High attention to detail and accuracy. Ability to identify discrepancies, investigate root causes, and follow through on corrective actions. Strong communication skills and ability to work effectively with production, purchasing, scheduling, warehouse, and leadership teams. Comfortable working in a manufacturing/shop-floor environment. Strong sense of ownership, accountability, and follow-through.