Inventory Manager

The Inventory Manager is responsible for overseeing all inventory activities to ensure the accurate, timely, and efficient flow of raw materials, components, work-in-process (WIP), and finished goods throughout the manufacturing operation. This role is critical to supporting production schedules, maintaining inventory accuracy, minimizing material shortages, and controlling inventory costs. Working in a contract manufacturing environment specializing in die cutting, laminating, and injection molding, the Inventory Manager will coordinate closely with Production, Purchasing, Quality, Engineering, Customer Service, and Shipping to ensure materials are available when needed and inventory records accurately reflect physical stock. The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, analytical, and experienced in managing inventory within a fast-paced manufacturing environment with multiple customers, product configurations, and production requirements. Essential Duties and Responsibilities 1. Inventory Control and Accuracy Manage and maintain accurate inventory records for raw materials, purchased components, work-in-process, finished goods, tooling-related inventory, and packaging supplies. Establish and maintain effective inventory control procedures, including cycle counting, physical inventories, inventory adjustments, and discrepancy investigations. Monitor inventory transactions to ensure timely and accurate recording of material receipts, production issues, transfers, scrap, returns, and finished goods. Maintain inventory accuracy within established company targets and implement corrective actions to address recurring discrepancies. Investigate inventory variances and identify root causes related to receiving, production reporting, material handling, scrap, or transaction errors. Establish appropriate inventory locations, labeling, identification, and storage practices. 2. Production and Material Planning Support Coordinate with Production Planning and Purchasing to ensure raw materials and components are available to support production schedules and customer delivery commitments. Monitor material requirements for die cutting, laminating, and injection molding processes, identifying potential shortages or excess inventory before they affect production. Track work-in-process and material movement between production departments, outside processors, warehouses, and finished goods locations. Ensure materials are issued to the correct jobs, work orders, customers, and production processes. Communicate inventory risks, shortages, and material availability concerns to the appropriate departments. Support production scheduling by providing accurate inventory balances and material availability information. 3. Raw Material and Customer-Specific Inventory Management Manage inventory of materials commonly used in manufacturing operations, including plastics, resins, films, foams, adhesives, tapes, metals, molded components, and other customer-specified materials, as applicable. Maintain lot, batch, and material traceability in accordance with customer requirements and quality system procedures. Monitor shelf-life, expiration dates, storage conditions, and material handling requirements for applicable adhesives, resins, films, and other controlled materials. Ensure customer-owned inventory, consigned materials, and company-owned materials are properly identified, segregated, and accounted for. Monitor slow-moving, obsolete, excess, and at-risk inventory and coordinate disposition plans with Purchasing, Sales, Quality, and Operations. Support material substitutions and approved changes in coordination with Engineering and Quality to prevent unauthorized material use. 4. ERP System and Inventory Reporting Maintain accurate inventory data within the company's ERP or inventory management system. Ensure inventory transactions are completed in a timely manner and follow established procedures. Review inventory reports to identify discre…

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