Inventory & Parts Specialist

The Inventory & Parts Specialist is responsible for managing the maintenance parts room and supporting equipment reliability initiatives in a USDA/FDA regulated food manufacturing environment. This role ensures accurate inventory control, timely availability of critical spare parts, and effective use of the CMMS to support preventive maintenance, predictive maintenance, and reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) strategies. The position plays a key role in compliance, audit readiness, and continuous improvement by maintaining accurate records, administering training, and supporting maintenance and reliability best practices.

Key Responsibilities

Parts Room & Inventory Management (Reliability-Focused)

• Maintain an organized, secure, and audit-ready maintenance parts room in compliance with USDA, FDA, GMP, and food safety requirements.
• Ensure critical spare parts are identified, properly stocked, and aligned with asset criticality and reliability strategies.
• Receive, inspect, label, and store parts to prevent contamination, damage, or obsolescence.
• Issue parts against CMMS work orders to ensure accurate maintenance history and cost tracking.
• Maintain min/max inventory levels based on equipment reliability data, usage trends, and lead times.

CMMS Administration & Data Integrity

• Utilize the CMMS to manage parts inventory, transactions, locations, and bills of material (BOMs).
• Ensure accurate linkage between assets, spare parts, and maintenance work orders.
• Support preventive and predictive maintenance programs by ensuring required parts are available and correctly staged.
• Maintain accurate records to support maintenance KPls such as inventory turns, stockouts, and maintenance costs.
• Assist in CMMS data cleanup, standardization, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Ordering & Vendor Management

• Procure maintenance parts, tools, and supplies in accordance with approved vendor lists and food safety requirements.
• Coordinate with vendors to confirm specifications, lead times, and food-grade compliance where applicable.
• Track purchase orders, receipts, discrepancies, and backorders within the CMMS or ERP system.
• Support cost-control initiatives through part standardization, repair vs. replace analysis, and vendor consolidation.

Inventory Audits & Compliance

• Conduct routine cycle counts and scheduled physical inventory audits.
• Investigate and resolve inventory variances using root cause analysis.
• Maintain documentation required for USDA/FDA inspections, internal audits, and third-party audits.
• Ensure traceability and proper documentation for food-contact and food-grade materials.

Training & Standardization

• Administer training for maintenance personnel on parts room procedures, CMMS usage, and inventory best practices.
• Develop, update, and maintain SOPs related to parts management, inventory control, and CMMS transactions.
• Support onboarding and ongoing training related to reliability and maintenance support processes.

Safety, Quality & Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure compliance with USDA, FDA, GMP, HACCP, OSHA, and company safety standards.
• Properly store, label, and manage lubricants, chemicals, and food-grade materials.
• Support audit readiness and corrective actions related to maintenance inventory and documentation.
• Promote a culture of safety, reliability, and continuous improvement.

Continuous Improvement & Reliability Support

• Identify opportunities to reduce downtime through improved spare parts availability and inventory accuracy.
• Support reliability initiatives such as asset criticality analysis, spare parts optimization, and failure reduction.
• Assist with obsolescence management and lifecycle planning for maintenance parts.
• Collaborate with maintenance, engineering, and operations teams to improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).

Required

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Experience in maintenance parts room operations, inventory control, or reliability support.
• Working knowledge of CMMS systems and inventory management processes.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Basic mechanical aptitude and understanding of industrial maintenance parts.

Preferred

• Experience in USDA/FDA-regulated food manufacturing or similar regulated environments.
• Knowledge of GMPs, HACCP, and food safety requirements.
• Experience supporting reliability or preventive maintenance programs.
• Familiarity with asset BOMs, critical spare parts, and inventory optimization.
• Forklift or material-handling certification (or ability to obtain).

Skills & Competencies

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage data accuracy and documentation in regulated environments.
• Effective communication and training skills.
• Ability to work independently and cross-functionally.
• Commitment to reliability, safety, quality, and continuous improvement.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift, carry, push, or pull up to 50 lbs.
• Ability to stand, walk, bend, and reach for extended periods.
• Ability to work in a manufacturing environment with temperature variation, noise, and food safety controls.