Purchasing Inventory Control Manager Jobs in Sycamore, IL

This position is for local residents only.

We are Bernina of America, a recognized leader in our industry for over 100 years. We have an outstanding opportunity for a skilled Inventory Control Supervisor to join our warehouse team. This is a full time role working onsite at our Aurora, IL facility. We offer competitive pay with extensive benefits.

Join us as an Inventory Control Supervisor to drive operational excellence through innovative process improvements while leveraging your technical expertise in supply chain analytics!

Job Summary

This is a hands-on supervisory role responsible for inventory control throughout our Aurora warehouse. The position oversees inventory control staff and coordinates with receiving, put-away, returns and technical operations to maintain accurate inventory records and location integrity. The position prioritizes and distributes workload, analyzes discrepancies, leads corrective action and aligns labor to support daily fulfillment goals. Strong leadership, computer, analytical and mathematical skills, sound judgment and a thorough understanding of warehouse operations are required. May be required to open or close the warehouse outside normal working hours. This position reports to and works directly with the Operations Manager and serves as the warehouse subject-matter expert for inventory accuracy and control.

Responsibilities:

• Supervise daily warehouse distribution activities, ensuring inventory accuracy and timely stock replenishment.
• Utilize warehouse management systems (WMS) and ERP platforms such as AS400 and SAP to monitor inventory levels, perform data mining, and generate reports.
• Conduct root cause analysis on discrepancies, stock shortages, or excesses to identify process improvements and prevent recurrence.
• Collaborate with procurement teams on sourcing strategies, pricing negotiations, and contract management to optimize inventory costs.
• Lead category management initiatives by analyzing sales trends, demand planning data, and merchandising insights using Power BI, Tableau, and Nielsen data.
• Manage logistics inventory processes including shipping & receiving, order fulfillment, and materials handling to ensure seamless operations.
• Develop dashboards and data visualization tools for senior management using Excel data analysis, SQL queries, and supply chain analytics to support decision-making.

Skills:

• Extensive experience in warehouse distribution, warehouse management systems (WMS), and inventory control software.
• Strong negotiation skills with proven ability to manage supplier relationships and contracts effectively.
• Proficiency in data analytics tools such as Power BI, Tableau, SQL, Excel (including spreadsheets), and data visualization techniques.
• Knowledge of procurement processes, sourcing strategies, and pricing models within a supply chain context.
• Technical proficiency with ERP systems like AS400 or SAP for inventory tracking and process automation.
• Expertise in logistics operations including shipping & receiving, materials handling, 3PL coordination, and heavy lifting procedures.
• Analytical mindset with the ability to perform financial analysis, root cause analysis, demand planning, and financial modeling.
• Excellent cross-functional communication skills to collaborate with merchandising teams, production planning, and retail management.
• Familiarity with materials management practices such as MRPs (Material Requirements Planning), production planning, and stock stocking strategies.

Leader Responsibilities:

• Direct and balance staff workload across locations 01 and 09 to ensure timely completion of inventory-control priorities.
• Establish clear expectations and hold employees accountable for inventory accuracy, productivity, attendance, safety and process compliance.
• Provide onboarding, cross-training, coaching, corrective feedback and performance evaluations.
• Coordinate resources and escalate inventory risks, operational barriers and recurring discrepancies to warehouse leadership.
• Lead by example and promote teamwork, ownership and continuous improvement throughout the warehouse.
• Maintain reasonable after-hours accessibility as operational needs require.

Expected Hours of Work:

This is a full-time position. Based on a 40-hour workweek, Monday through Friday. The workday begins between 6:00 and 9:00 AM and ends between 2:30 and 5:30 PM, with individual schedules set by management. Overtime may be required.

Travel:
Occasional travel may be required for this position.

Work Authorization:
Must be authorized to work in the United States.

Other Duties:
Please note that this job description is not designed to provide a comprehensive list of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Required Education and Experience:

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• Two to five years of supervisory experience in a warehouse or distribution environment, including responsibility for inventory control, cycle counting, discrepancy research and high-volume order fulfillment.
• Demonstrated experience using an ERP or warehouse management system and Microsoft Excel to analyze and report inventory information.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Associate degree or more than five years of supervisory experience in a high-volume warehouse or distribution fulfillment center.
• Experience with serialized inventory, inventory audits, root-cause analysis and process improvement.