What are the responsibilities and job description for the INVENTORY CONTROL & WAREHOUSE MANAGER position at Buck Knives?
Overview
The Warehouse & Inventory Manager is responsible for overseeing all warehouse operations and inventory management activities within a manufacturing environment. This role ensures inventory accuracy, optimized material flow, and efficient warehouse processes that support production and customer fulfillment.
This position plays a critical role in developing and monitoring inventory metrics and operational KPIs, evaluating current-state processes, and implementing future-state improvements that increase efficiency, reduce waste, and improve service levels. The Warehouse & Inventory Manager will lead continuous improvement initiatives across inventory control, material handling, and warehouse operations to support operational excellence and scalable growth.
Key Responsibilities
Warehouse Operations Management
- Manage day-to-day warehouse operations including receiving, storage, inventory control, picking, and material movement to support manufacturing production schedules.
- Ensure efficient warehouse layout, slotting strategy, and material flow to support high productivity and safe operations.
- Oversee inbound logistics processes and ensure timely material availability for production.
- Lead and develop warehouse personnel.
Inventory Management & Control
- Own end-to-end inventory management processes including cycle counting, reconciliation, and inventory adjustments.
- Ensure high levels of inventory accuracy through disciplined inventory control procedures and root cause analysis of discrepancies.
- Develop and maintain inventory policies and material staging processes.
- Collaborate with Production Planning, Purchasing, and Operations team to support inventory levels with production schedules.
Metrics, KPIs & Performance Management
- Develop, track, and report key warehouse and inventory performance metrics, including but not limited to:
- Inventory accuracy
- Cycle count accuracy and completion rate
- Warehouse productivity metrics
- Material availability to production
- Receiving and put-away efficiency
- Inventory variance and shrinkage
Responsibilities include:
- Building dashboards and reporting tools to monitor performance.
- Establishing KPI targets aligned with operational and financial goals.
- Identifying trends and improvement opportunities through data analysis.
Process Improvement & Operational Excellence
- Evaluate current-state warehouse and inventory processes to identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and waste.
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on improving material flow, reducing handling, and optimizing storage utilization.
- Implement lean methodologies such as 5S, visual management, and standard work to improve operational consistency.
- Partner cross-functionally with production, supply chain, and engineering teams to design improved future-state processes.
- Support implementation and optimization of ERP/WMS systems and warehouse automation where applicable.
Strategic Planning & Future-State Development
- Develop long-term strategies to improve warehouse scalability and inventory management capabilities.
- Conduct capacity planning for warehouse space, labor, and material flow requirements.
- Lead warehouse layout optimization and material flow redesign initiatives.
- Support capital planning initiatives related to warehouse infrastructure, storage systems, and material handling equipment.
Qualifications Required
- 5 years of warehouse or inventory control experience in a manufacturing environment.
- 2 years of supervisor or manager experience.
- Strong knowledge of manufacturing material flow, BOMs, WIP tracking, and inventory control methods.
- Demonstrated experience managing inventory control processes and warehouse operations.
- Proven success implementing KPI-driven operational improvements.
- Experience using ERP/MRP systems.
- Forklift certification or ability to become certified.
- Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
- Ability to analyze data, solve problems, and implement process improvements.
- On-site manufacturing and warehouse setting.
- May require occasional overtime or support during inventory counts, shutdowns, or peak production periods.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to handle or feel parts; reach with hands and arms. The employee must lift and/or move up to 40 pounds as needed.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The work environment will include office areas, manufacturing areas and warehouse/shipping areas.
This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers and filing cabinets. The noise level in the office environment is usually quiet. While performing job duties on the production floor, the employee is regularly exposed to moving mechanical parts, fumes or airborne particles. Hearing and eye protection is required while working on the production floor.