What does an inventory control manager do?
An inventory control manager is an individual who is responsible for directing all tasks related to inventory management of a company. They manage the allocation of materials, supplies, and finished goods as well as design strategies to minimize the cost or time to move goods. They are required to lead a team of storage or warehouse personnel to help them with the actual inventory count. Inventory control managers must also develop a business relationship with their suppliers or vendors.
Inventory control manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real inventory control manager resumes:
- Manage day-to-day logistics operations of shipping agricultural herbicides/pesticides.
- Develop new reporting techniques to improve inventory accuracy, KPI's, and root cause analysis.
- Develop company training program to certify all hazmat employees to 49 CFR, IATA, & IMDG regulations.
- Maintain inventory accuracy above customer KPI target.
- Experience handling Hazmat materials and following/training protocols.
- Monitor adjustments between perpetual inventory and WMS inventory.
- Train and operate computerize RF scanner inventory control system.
- Analyze general ledger accounts and highlight items for re-classification.
- Utilize WMS generate audit trails to resolve potential inventory discrepancies.
- Perform on-site inventory audits to ensure procedural adherence to ISO guidelines.
- Maintain a joint coordinate weekly/monthly/annual inventory with internal and require ISO acceptable programs.
- Select and evaluate ERP inventory and accounting software, audit transactions and customer/vendor information.
- Establish and maintain operational procedures, including RF scanning and safety for warehouse activities.
- Play integral crisis-management role in successfully designing and implementing a rollback plan following an abort ERP conversion.
- Develop forecasting experience using computer aid MRP software and later implement a new computer base MRP system.
Inventory control manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 11% of Inventory Control Managers are proficient in Inventory Control Procedures, Sales Floor, and Customer Service. They’re also known for soft skills such as Negotiating skills, Customer-service skills, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Inventory Control Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Inventory Control Procedures, 11%
Managed all aspects of inventory control including development, implementation and monitoring of all new and existing inventory control procedures.
- Sales Floor, 11%
Conducted oversight of main sales floor during increased customer activity.
- Customer Service, 10%
Established and implemented efficient, streamlined standard operating procedures, customer service guidelines, and inventory control systems at corporate warehouses.
- Team Work, 8%
Excelled in a team working environment and was highly praised for being flexible based on the freight flow and demand.
- Logistics, 7%
Managed day-to-day logistics operations of shipping agricultural herbicides/pesticides.
- Continuous Improvement, 4%
Evaluated process effectiveness to drive continuous improvement and increase productivity; resulting in improved loading accuracy and on-time delivery.
Common skills that an inventory control manager uses to do their job include "inventory control procedures," "sales floor," and "customer service." You can find details on the most important inventory control manager responsibilities below.
Customer-service skills. Another essential skill to perform inventory control manager duties is customer-service skills. Inventory control managers responsibilities require that "material recording clerks may interact with customers in order to respond to problems or complaints." Inventory control managers also use customer-service skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "monitored daily omit reports, min/max maintenance, product expiration dates, fda product recalls, and processed customer/vendor returns. "
Detail oriented. This is an important skill for inventory control managers to perform their duties. For an example of how inventory control manager responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "material and product inspecting clerks must pay attention to detail when checking items for defects, some of which are small and difficult to spot." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an inventory control manager: "designed and maintained detailed and summary inventory reporting for all levels of management. ".
Math skills. A big part of what inventory control managers do relies on "math skills." You can see how essential it is to inventory control manager responsibilities because "material recording clerks may need to calculate shipping costs or take measurements." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical inventory control manager tasks: "transformed a growing and cumbersome customer repair system into a customer service tool that has quantitatively boosted sales metrics. "
Communication skills. Another common skill required for inventory control manager responsibilities is "communication skills." This skill comes up in the duties of inventory control managers all the time, as "material recording clerks are frequently in contact with suppliers, vendors, or managers and need to convey their company’s needs effectively." An excerpt from a real inventory control manager resume shows how this skill is central to what an inventory control manager does: "conduct physical inventories investigate and reconcile inventory discrepancies and inaccuracies communication of ongoing issues to senior management"
The three companies that hire the most inventory control managers are:
- Sysco16 inventory control managers jobs
- Dollar General9 inventory control managers jobs
- Colony Hardware6 inventory control managers jobs
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Compare different inventory control managers
Inventory control manager vs. Materials supervisor
The job of a materials supervisor is to oversee the shipping, receiving, handling, and warehousing of materials. You will supervise the transport of materials and ensure that the material needs of an organization are met. Typical job duties include overseeing the daily business operations of the group, ensuring best practices in safety, productivity, housekeeping. The supervisors ensure that attendance is being followed and monitoring routine operations in materials management, including logistics and planning. As a materials supervisor, you are also expected to mentor team members for professional and personal development.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, inventory control manager responsibilities require skills like "inventory control procedures," "sales floor," "customer service," and "team work." Meanwhile a typical materials supervisor has skills in areas such as "safety procedures," "inventory control," "shipping receiving," and "lean manufacturing." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Materials supervisors earn the highest salaries when working in the manufacturing industry, with an average yearly salary of $71,036. On the other hand, inventory control managers are paid more in the retail industry with an average salary of $59,685.The education levels that materials supervisors earn slightly differ from inventory control managers. In particular, materials supervisors are 2.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an inventory control manager. Additionally, they're 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Inventory control manager vs. Supply chain coordinator
A supply chain coordinator is an individual who is responsible for managing inventory and supply sources to support a company's manufacturing and anticipated demand. Supply chain coordinators must assist in the purchase of materials and services and follow-up with vendors to ensure that the purchase orders have the correct price, freight charge, and delivery date. They coordinate with the quality assurance (QA) inspectors to ensure the quality of the purchased parts and services. Under the directive orders from the logistics manager, supply chain coordinators must also perform inventory cycle counts.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that inventory control manager responsibilities requires skills like "inventory control procedures," "sales floor," "team work," and "warehouse inventory." But a supply chain coordinator might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "supply chain," "chain management," "project management," and "data entry."
On average, supply chain coordinators earn a lower salary than inventory control managers. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, supply chain coordinators earn the most pay in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $57,806. Whereas inventory control managers have higher pay in the retail industry, with an average salary of $59,685.supply chain coordinators earn similar levels of education than inventory control managers in general. They're 3.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Inventory control manager vs. Supply chain specialist
It is the responsibility of the supply chain specialist to procure materials to manufacture and ship products. The supply chain specialist determines and orders the proper quantities and negotiates pricing and their shipment terms. They oversee the delivery of necessary materials for the fulfillment of orders made by customers. The specialists need to develop strong skills in project management, business ethics, problem-solving, understanding of financial statements, communication skills, and cost accounting skills.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, an inventory control manager is likely to be skilled in "inventory control procedures," "sales floor," "team work," and "warehouse inventory," while a typical supply chain specialist is skilled in "supply chain," "chain management," "lean six sigma," and "supplier performance."
Supply chain specialists make a very good living in the energy industry with an average annual salary of $92,301. On the other hand, inventory control managers are paid the highest salary in the retail industry, with average annual pay of $59,685.supply chain specialists typically earn similar educational levels compared to inventory control managers. Specifically, they're 4.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Inventory control manager vs. Supply chain director
A supply chain director is primarily in charge of the overall supply chain operations in a company. Their responsibilities revolve around devising strategies to improve processes, creating business plans and sales forecasts, delegating tasks, coordinating and selecting suppliers and vendors, creating new supply chain policies when necessary, and spearheading the inventory and delivery processes. There are also instances when a supply chain director must report to higher-ranking officials, produce progress reports, and craft presentations. Furthermore, as a director, it is essential to lead the workforce while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Types of inventory control manager
Updated January 8, 2025
