Job Title:  Inventory Analyst

Job Purpose

The Inventory Analyst supports inventory accuracy, valuation, reporting, controls, and working capital performance across manufacturing, warehouse, and distribution operations. The role partners with Finance, Supply Chain, Operations, Procurement, Manufacturing, Planning, and Logistics to improve inventory visibility, identify risk, resolve discrepancies, and strengthen data-driven decision making. The ideal candidate combines strong analytical capability, attention to detail, ERP and reporting knowledge, and an understanding of inventory management and accounting processes. This individual demonstrates ownership, disciplined follow-through, and a continuous improvement mindset.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Inventory Reporting: Monitor and analyze raw material, work-in-process, finished goods, and inventory-in-transit balances. Prepare timely weekly and monthly inventory reporting, dashboards, and performance commentary.
• Inventory Accuracy: Analyze book-to-physical differences, transaction errors, negative inventory, location discrepancies, and other exceptions. Coordinate root-cause analysis and track corrective actions through completion.
• Cycle Counts & Physical Inventory: Monitor and audit cycle count and physical inventory activities to ensure compliance with company policies, inventory control procedures, and SOX requirements. Review count variances, identify control gaps, support corrective actions, and provide reporting and analysis to management.
• Aging, Excess & Obsolete Inventory: Prepare inventory aging and slow-moving analyses. Support the identification, review, and disposition of excess and obsolete inventory and maintain documentation supporting reserve recommendations.
• Working Capital: Partner with Supply Chain and Operations to improve inventory turns, reduce aged and excess inventory, and track inventory reduction actions and financial benefits.
• Inventory Accounting: Support month-end close, inventory reconciliations, reserve calculations, inventory valuation reviews, and analysis of inventory-related balance sheet and income statement activity.
• Standard Cost & Variance Analysis: Support standard cost maintenance and annual cost-roll activities. Analyze purchase price, usage, production, scrap, yield, and overhead-related inventory variances as assigned.
• Controls & Compliance: Execute and document inventory controls in accordance with company policy, SOX requirements, stock count procedures, and audit expectations. Support internal and external audit requests.
• Data, ERP & EDW: Maintain and validate inventory and operational master data. Identify data-quality issues and support ERP, EDW, reporting, and process-integration improvements.
• Business Partnership: Collaborate with Finance, Supply Chain, Operations, Procurement, Manufacturing, Planning, Logistics, and IT to resolve inventory issues and improve end-to-end processes.
• Process Improvement: Standardize reporting, automate recurring analyses, document procedures, and recommend practical improvements that strengthen accuracy, visibility, control, and accountability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Supply Chain, Operations Management, Business Analytics, or a related field.
• 3+ years of experience in inventory analysis, supply chain analytics, cost accounting, manufacturing finance, operations, or a related discipline.
• Experience in a manufacturing, warehouse, or distribution environment preferred.
• Working knowledge of inventory accounting, inventory controls, cycle counts, physical inventories, reconciliations, and reserve concepts.
• Experience with ERP systems; SAP experience preferred.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills; experience with Power Query, Power BI, or similar reporting tools preferred.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver accurate, timely work with limited supervision.
• Travel requirement of approximately 10% annually.

Key Skills and Competencies

•  Inventory analysis, valuation, controls, and reconciliation
•  Advanced data analysis and reporting
•  ERP, master data, and data-governance discipline
•  Root-cause analysis and structured problem solving
•  Working capital and operational business acumen
•  Cross-functional collaboration and communication
•  Attention to detail, ownership, and accountability
•  Continuous improvement and process standardization

Success Measures (Outcomes)

•  Improved book-to-physical inventory accuracy
•  Timely completion and resolution of cycle count and physical inventory variances
•  Reduced aged, excess, obsolete, and slow-moving inventory exposure
•  Accurate and timely inventory reporting, reconciliations, and reserve support
•  Improved inventory turns and working capital visibility
•  Stronger ERP, EDW, and inventory master-data integrity
•  Fewer recurring transaction errors and control exceptions
•  Documented, standardized, and increasingly automated inventory processes

General Job Requirements