Purchasing And Inventory Control Jobs in Downey, CA

Department: Operations 
Reports To: Director of Operations

$25-$28 an hour, 1st shift and flexibility to work the 2nd shift and OT as needed.

Position Summary

We are looking for an experienced, hands-on Inventory Control Specialist to take full ownership of inventory control within our manufacturing facility.

This is currently a one-person inventory department, so this individual will be responsible for maintaining accurate inventory across raw materials, packaging components, work-in-process, and finished goods. The role will focus heavily on inventory accuracy, cycle counting, aging analysis, inventory cleanup, system accuracy, material movement, and identifying inventory that requires action.

Receiving is managed by a separate department. This position will work closely with Receiving, Manufacturing, Purchasing, Planning, Customer Service, and Shipping to ensure inventory is accurately reflected in the system and physically controlled throughout the facility.

The ideal candidate is an experienced inventory professional who is comfortable working independently, can identify problems and drive them to resolution, and is equally comfortable working in an ERP system and on the warehouse floor. Forklift operation is required.

As the company grows, this position has the potential to develop into a larger inventory/warehouse leadership role.

Key Responsibilities

Inventory Control & Accuracy

• Take full ownership of inventory accuracy across:
• • Raw materials
  • Packaging components
  • Work-in-process
  • Finished goods
  • Samples and miscellaneous inventory
• Maintain accurate inventory records within the ERP/WMS system.
• Ensure all inventory movements, transfers, adjustments, and transactions are completed accurately and timely.
• Maintain accurate inventory locations and storage assignments.
• Ensure inventory is properly labeled, identified, and organized.
• Track lot numbers, batch numbers, expiration dates, and other required product information.
• Investigate inventory discrepancies and determine root causes.
• Make appropriate inventory adjustments with proper authorization and documentation.
• Establish and maintain inventory control procedures.

Cycle Counts & Physical Inventory

• Develop and maintain a structured cycle-count program.
• Perform regular cycle counts across all inventory categories.
• Conduct full physical inventories as required.
• Reconcile physical counts to system inventory.
• Investigate significant variances rather than simply adjusting quantities.
• Identify recurring inventory discrepancies and implement corrective actions.
• Track inventory accuracy and report trends to management.

Inventory Aging & Cleanup

A major responsibility of this position will be actively managing inventory aging and inventory cleanup.

• Generate and maintain regular inventory aging reports.
• Identify slow-moving, excess, obsolete, expired, damaged, or questionable inventory.
• Review inventory that has not moved within established timeframes.
• Identify inventory that is sitting in the system but is no longer physically available.
• Identify physical inventory that is not properly reflected in the ERP.
• Work with Purchasing, Manufacturing, Planning, Quality, Finance, and Operations to determine appropriate disposition.
• Create and maintain action lists for aged inventory.
• Drive inventory cleanup projects through completion.
• Research and resolve old inventory balances and unexplained quantities.
• Identify duplicate, inactive, obsolete, or incorrectly set-up inventory items.
• Ensure inventory adjustments and write-offs are properly documented and approved.
• Track inventory disposition, including:
• • Return to vendor
  • Rework
  • Scrap
  • Use in production
  • Transfer
  • Customer-specific disposition
  • Other approved disposition
• Provide management with visibility into inventory that is tying up cash or warehouse space.

Inventory Reporting

Develop and maintain regular inventory reports, including:

• Inventory aging reports
• Inventory accuracy reports
• Cycle count results
• Slow-moving inventory
• Excess inventory
• Obsolete inventory
• Expired inventory
• Inventory discrepancies
• Inventory adjustments
• Inventory by location
• Inventory by customer/product
• Inventory value
• Inventory that has had no movement for defined periods
• Other reports needed by Operations and Finance

The Inventory Control Specialist should be able to look at the data, identify problems, and recommend actions, not simply produce reports.

Material Movement & Warehouse Control

• Move raw materials, packaging, WIP, and finished goods between locations as required.
• Maintain accurate inventory locations within the facility.
• Ensure materials are stored in logical and accessible locations.
• Maintain FIFO/FEFO practices where applicable.
• Stage materials for production when required.
• Move finished goods into appropriate storage locations.
• Assist with staging materials for shipment.
• Optimize warehouse space and inventory locations.
• Identify opportunities to improve material flow and storage efficiency.

Forklift & Equipment Operation

• Safely operate forklifts and other warehouse equipment.
• Move pallets and materials throughout the facility.
• Assist with loading and unloading activities when required.
• Maintain awareness of warehouse safety requirements.
• Perform daily equipment inspections as required.

Note: Receiving is handled by a separate department. The Inventory Control Specialist will coordinate with Receiving to ensure received materials are properly identified, located, and reflected accurately in inventory.

Production Inventory Control

• Ensure materials issued to Production are properly recorded.
• Track material transfers to and from Production.
• Ensure unused materials are properly returned to inventory.
• Investigate material variances associated with production.
• Coordinate with Manufacturing and Scheduling regarding material availability.
• Identify inventory issues that could impact production schedules.
• Help maintain accurate WIP inventory.
• Assist with reconciliation of production-related inventory transactions.

Finished Goods Inventory

• Maintain accurate finished-goods inventory.
• Ensure completed production is accurately transferred into finished goods inventory.
• Maintain proper storage locations.
• Investigate discrepancies between physical finished goods and system quantities.
• Coordinate with Customer Service and Shipping regarding inventory availability.
• Identify aged finished goods and bring them to management's attention.
• Assist with inventory cleanup related to customer-specific or discontinued products.

Inventory Systems & Process Improvement

• Maintain accurate ERP/WMS inventory data.
• Identify system issues that contribute to inventory inaccuracies.
• Recommend improvements to inventory processes and controls.
• Help improve barcode/scanning processes.
• Support future implementation of RFID or other inventory technologies.
• Develop standardized inventory procedures and work instructions.
• Build processes that can eventually support additional inventory personnel.
• Continuously look for ways to improve inventory accuracy, efficiency, and visibility.

Cross-Functional Responsibilities

Work closely with:

• Manufacturing
• Production Planning / Scheduling
• Purchasing
• Receiving
• Customer Service
• Shipping
• Quality
• Finance / Accounting
• Operations Management

The Inventory Control Specialist is expected to proactively communicate inventory issues that could affect production, purchasing, customer orders, financial reporting, or warehouse capacity.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of inventory control, materials management, warehouse, or manufacturing inventory experience.
• Manufacturing inventory experience strongly preferred.
• Proven experience managing inventory accuracy.
• Experience with cycle counting and physical inventories.
• Experience creating and analyzing inventory reports.
• Experience with inventory aging and inventory cleanup.
• Experience investigating inventory discrepancies and determining root causes.
• Forklift experience required.
• Ability to safely operate a forklift.
• Experience with an ERP, WMS, or inventory management system.
• Strong Excel skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of the inventory function.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in CPG, cosmetics, personal care, chemical, food, pharmaceutical, or other batch manufacturing environments.
• Experience with lot-controlled inventory.
• Experience with expiration-date-controlled inventory.
• Experience with FIFO/FEFO.
• Experience with BOMs and production inventory.
• Experience with inventory valuation.
• Experience working with Finance/Accounting on inventory reconciliation.
• Experience with barcode or RFID systems.
• Experience with ERP/WMS implementation or process improvement.
• Previous warehouse or inventory leadership experience.

Ideal Candidate

The right candidate is a seasoned inventory professional who can own the entire inventory function without needing constant direction.

We need someone who:

• Takes ownership of inventory accuracy.
• Is comfortable being the go-to person for inventory.
• Can work independently and prioritize competing issues.
• Is analytical and understands inventory data.
• Doesn't just report problems—they find the cause and drive the solution.
• Is comfortable cleaning up years of inventory discrepancies and outdated records.
• Can identify aging and obsolete inventory before it becomes a larger financial problem.
• Is disciplined about documentation and system transactions.
• Understands the relationship between physical inventory and ERP inventory.
• Is comfortable working with Finance to reconcile inventory.
• Is willing to get on a forklift and physically move material when necessary.
• Can build structure and processes from the ground up.
• Has the mindset to eventually help build and lead a larger inventory organization.

Key Performance Indicators

Success in this role will be measured by:

• Inventory accuracy
• Cycle-count accuracy
• Reduction in inventory discrepancies
• Timeliness of inventory transactions
• Completion of inventory aging reviews
• Reduction of aged/obsolete inventory
• Completion of inventory cleanup projects
• Reduction in unexplained inventory adjustments
• Accurate inventory locations
• Reduction in production interruptions caused by inventory issues
• Accurate WIP and finished-goods inventory
• Improved inventory visibility for management
• Improved warehouse utilization
• Development and implementation of scalable inventory-control processes

Growth Opportunity

This position is being established as a one-person inventory function, but the role has the potential to grow as the business expands.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to build the inventory-control function, establish systems and procedures, improve inventory accuracy, and potentially grow into a Senior Inventory Control, Inventory Manager, Materials Manager, or Warehouse/Inventory leadership role.