Manager, Inventory (Trade Shows & Events)

Manager, Inventory (Trade Shows & Events) Addison, Illinois, United States; Dayton, New Jersey, United States; North Las Vegas, Nevada, United States; Oakville, Ontario, Canada Experience Without Limits Come shape the future of brand experience. At Jack Morton, we design and build head-turning, smile-inducing, impact-driving brand experiences that redefine what experiential marketing can achieve. We help our clients unlock the full value of experiences by turning bold ideas into meaningful connections. That takes a team that's bold, curious, and acts as one. We build on each other's ideas, challenge conventions, and show up for one another every day. Here, you'll do your best work, grow quickly, and partner across clients, disciplines, and global teams to bring new ideas to life. This is a place where curiosity drives what’s next, boldness raises the bar, and every win is shared. Where ownership is expected, egos are left at the door, and the work reflects the passion and talent of the people behind it. Experience without limits—in your work, your growth, and your impact. Love bringing trade shows, exhibits, and experiential brand activations to life behind the scenes? Join our team and help shape the inventory strategy, systems, and asset management practices that support some of the world's most recognizable live experiences. We're looking for a Manager, Inventory to lead inventory strategy and operations across Jack Morton's fabrication facilities and inventory locations. This role is ideal for an experienced inventory leader who enjoys building scalable processes, implementing systems, developing teams, and partnering across Operations, Finance, Technology, Production, and Client Service to improve asset visibility, utilization, accountability, and service. What You'll Do Serve as the business owner for the Online Inventory Module and future inventory platforms, defining requirements, workflows, data standards, priorities, and the enhancement roadmap. Lead the design, testing, data cleansing, migration, implementation, rollout, stabilization, and ongoing optimization of the inventory system across facilities. Establish and continuously improve inventory strategy, policies, governance, workflows, controls, SOPs, service levels, and accountability standards across fabrication facilities and inventory locations. Define consistent processes for asset intake, cataloging, labeling, location control, reservation, check-out, transfer, return-to-stock, repair, retirement, disposal, and reconciliation. Establish standards for managing Jack Morton rental properties, client-owned assets, serialized assets, reusable components, and consumable materials. Provide direction on warehouse layout, storage methodologies, asset lifecycle management, space utilization, and material handling practices. Lead physical inventory, cycle counts, audits, variance investigations, corrective actions, and related compliance efforts across facilities. Drive system adoption and process compliance through training, user support, communications, change management, and clear accountability. Create and maintain KPI dashboards and reporting for inventory accuracy, utilization, system adoption, cycle counts, return-to-stock time, loss, variance, aging, and process compliance. Partner with Finance on inventory valuation, capitalization, depreciation support, reconciliation, audits, budgeting, financial controls, and capital planning. Use inventory, utilization, availability, and demand data to support rental strategy, capital investment decisions, cost avoidance, reuse, and storage efficiency. Build strong cross-functional partnerships with Fabrication Operations, Production, Project Management, Engineering, Rental Services, Creative Services, Finance, Systems & Technology, Client Service, and external partners. Lead and develop approximately 2-8 employees across Shop Administration and inventory functions, including hiring, onboarding, training, work planning, coaching, performance management, and problem solving. Support client-owned inventory programs through accurate reporting, asset stewardship, transparent communication, and clearly defined service expectations. What You Bring 5-10 years of progressive experience in inventory management, supply chain, warehouse operations, asset management, rental inventory, or logistics, including leadership responsibility; bachelor’s degree in a related field preferred or equivalent experience. Experience in tradeshow, experiential marketing, exhibit fabrication, live events, custom fabrication, rental equipment, or a similar project-based, deadline-driven industry strongly preferred. Demonstrated experience establishing inventory processes, controls, SOPs, governance, and performance measures across one or more locations. Proven experience leading an inventory management system implementation, enterprise software rollout, major system enhancement, data migration, user training, and organizational change. Strong knowledge of inventory control, warehouse operations, cycle counting, physical inventory, asset tracking, data governance, storage optimization, and return-to-stock practices. Working knowledge of inventory management systems, ERP platforms, barcode/RFID technologies, reporting tools, and systems integration; Microsoft Dynamics or comparable ERP experience preferred. Strong analytical and financial acumen, including experience with KPIs, dashboards, budgets, forecasts, inventory valuation, utilization, capitalization, cost avoidance, and audit controls. Proven ability to lead through influence and build alignment across Operations, Finance, Technology, Production, Engineering, Client Service, and executive stakeholders. Strong communication, problem-solving, prioritization, facilitation, coaching, change management, and business judgment skills. Ability to travel between the United States and Canada up to 50% based on business needs. What Success Looks Like Inventory processes, controls, and operating standards are consistent, scalable, and followed across locations. Inventory data is accurate, complete, and reliable, providing clear visibility into company-owned and client-owned assets. The inventory platform is successfully adopted, supported, and continuously improved to meet operational needs. Physical inventory, cycle counts, reconciliations, and audits are completed accurately with variances identified and resolved. Inventory utilization and reuse improve while duplicate purchases, unnecessary rentals, loss, storage, and handling costs are reduced. Cross-functional teams have clear processes, accountability, and reliable inventory information to support successful project and client delivery. Team members receive clear direction, development, accountability, and support across inventory functions. Physical & Work Environment This role works across office, warehouse, and fabrication environments and requires regular interaction with employees, equipment, materials, and active production operations. The employee may be required to sit, stand, walk, use hands, reach, and regularly lift or move up to 50 pounds to perform the essential functions of the role. The work environment may include moderate noise and other conditions typical of active production and warehouse facilities. Travel between U.S. and Canadian locations may be required up to 50% to support implementations, audits, training, and operational improvement. Why Join Us? Help shape the inventory strategy and systems that support award-winning trade show exhibits, live events, and immersive brand experiences for some of the world’s leading brands. Lead a highly visible function with impact across fabrication operations, asset utilization, financial performance, and client service. Work cross-functionally with teams across Operations, Production, Finance, Technology, Engineering, and Client Service. Build scalable processes and a strong inventory organization that supports continued growth across multiple facilities. Last but not least, we believe in diversity, equity and inclusion. Jack Morton is an equal opportunity employer; we strongly value diversity at our companies. We do not discriminate on race, religion, color, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by law. #J-18808-Ljbffr Jack Morton Worldwide