Inventory Analyst

Production/Inventory AnalystBased out of Romeoville, just southwest of Chicago, Great Kitchens has been supplying private label, take & bake pizza since 2005. It was recently acquired by Brynwood Partners in December 2020. We have the unique capability to innovate through recipes, toppings, crust types and baking profiles and our flexible manufacturing lines allow us to provide our customers with a premium pizza product. We pride ourselves on providing the highest quality in every aspect of the pizza process and provide solutions to both retail and foodservice customers. Our pizzas are proudly served in 9 of the top 15 food retailers in North America and 6 of the top 10 global food retailers. We serve all major channels: grocery, supercenter, limited assortment, convenience stores, warehouse clubs, QSR, foodservice and E-commerce. Our flexibility sets us apart from many of our competitors and allows for quick speed to market for new products. Our pizzas have an excellent track record for quality and have been recognized by several of our customers as "Best in Class." We also pride ourselves on safe and sustainable business practices. Both our Romeoville and Chicago Heights plants are BRC GSFS A+ rated and we have a global supply network of top-quality suppliers allowing us to leverage their R&D capabilities for our customers. Our people are our strongest asset, and we proudly employ over 700 employees.Our Company operates a 165,000 sq ft crust facility in Chicago Heights and a 155,000 sq ft toppings facility in Romeoville. Every role is vital to the growth of our organization.Key AccountabilitiesThe Analyst is responsible for maintaining inventory records and controls by meticulously monitoring Production Orders for Finished Products, along with the consumption of the materials required to complete those orders. Additionally being responsible to accurate inventory levels, monitoring movements to and from the production lines from the warehouse. This role is highly visible, and this individual will have direct interaction with management. The Inventory Analyst must be detail oriented, understand process flow and be a proponent of change.ResponsibilitiesDaily review and validation of Production Orders Consuming all raw and packaging materials used to create the previous days finished goods, along with Labor and Overheads applied to those ordersAligning the "Production" locations physically and systematically, researching and troubleshooting variances found in the work order accountingDaily reconciliation of the company's on-hand inventory listing from its ERP system (Microsoft Dynamics D365 – "D365") to the company's owned locations and third-party warehouse operators warehouse management system (WMS) Investigate variances – for variances that are not timing related, collaborate with Great Kitchens users and third-party warehouse partners to reconcile and understand the root cause.Validate transfer receipts and shipments in D365 for all inventory movements Validate the receipt is aligned with the transfer order quantity and lot codes, research and resolve variancesReview warehouse transfers and compare the third-party warehouse receipt detail (item, quantity, etc.) to the receipt data in D365 Research and resolve variancesSupport Senior Cost Accountant with the month-end close process / annual audit through account analysis, inventory reporting and ad hoc requests Work closely with Production, Logistics, and Finance teams to research any materials that were not physically and systematically brought to the lines timely for the daily production runsLead inventory controls process including cycle counts and full physical counts from system and physical manufacturing and warehouse floor perspectives.Work in the warehouse managing & performing cycle counts and working through inventory discrepanciesSkills, Experience & QualificationsAbility to problem solve, set priorities, and work collaboratively toward issue resolutionHighly detail-oriented thinking and proven accuracyInventory management experienceAbility to lead in person inventory controls and count activity in warehouses and on manufacturing floors.Reliable, solid understanding of industry standards, including basic accounting principlesSignificant, first-hand experience operating spreadsheets and accounting software, preferably D365Understanding of Electronic Data Interchange ("EDI") as it pertains to inventory movementsProficiency in MS OfficeMust be able to communicate effectively across functions and build trustExcellent English language skills, both written and verbal.The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.Requires extensive use of computer and telephoneRequires use of general office equipmentThe work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.Office EnvironmentAdditional hours & holiday work as need arisesReport any issues regarding food safety or quality to supervision and/or quality assurance.Report any risks or any evidence of unsafe or out-of-specification product, equipment, packaging or raw materials to a designated manager to enable the resolution of issues requiring immediate attention.The job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.