Position Overview
The Inventory Control Manager is responsible for leading inventory accuracy, reverse logistics, and reconciliation programs across a multi-location retail and telecommunications environment. This role owns the design and enforcement of SOPs, audit protocols, and reporting standards that protect company assets, reduce shrinkage and write-offs, and ensure inventory data integrity across all store locations. The position requires a detail-oriented, analytical leader who can manage a team, partner cross-functionally with Business Operations, Loss Prevention, and Supply Chain, and translate inventory data into actionable process improvements.
Key Responsibilities
1. Inventory Accuracy & Reconciliation
- Own end-to-end inventory accuracy across all assigned retail locations, including cycle counts, reconciliation, and variance resolution.
- Design and enforce SOPs governing inventory intake, transfers, returns, and disposal.
- Partner with store and regional leadership to close reconciliation gaps and maintain system-of-record accuracy.
2. Reverse Logistics & Returns Management
- Manage reverse logistics (RLO) and returns workflows to minimize device and product write-offs.
- Identify bottlenecks in return and refurbishment cycles and implement process improvements to accelerate turnaround times.
- Monitor write-off trends and report root causes and corrective actions to leadership.
3. Shrinkage Reduction & Audit Readiness
- Develop and administer audit protocols to identify and reduce shrinkage across all locations.
- Conduct routine and surprise inventory audits, ensuring compliance with company and carrier (AT&T) audit standards.
- Partner with Loss Prevention on investigations tied to inventory discrepancies.
4. Reporting & Systems
- Maintain and analyze inventory data using AT&T systems (OPUS, ARMD, RLO) and internal reporting tools.
- Build dashboards and recurring reports that give leadership visibility into inventory KPIs, shrink trends, and reconciliation status.
- Identify opportunities for automation and self-service reporting to reduce manual reconciliation work.
5. Team Leadership
- Lead, train, and develop an inventory control team, setting clear performance expectations and accountability standards.
- Foster a culture of accuracy, integrity, and continuous improvement across the team.
- Partner with Business Operations leadership on staffing, workload prioritization, and process rollouts.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain, Operations, or related field preferred.
- 3-5 years of progressive experience in inventory management, supply chain, or retail operations.
- Experience in multi-location retail or telecommunications environments strongly preferred.
Preferred Skills
- Hands-on experience with AT&T systems (OPUS, ARMD, RLO) or comparable retail inventory platforms.
- Track record of reducing shrinkage or write-offs through audit protocol design.
- Experience developing SOPs and governance frameworks for multi-site operations.
- Prior leadership or team management experience.
- Strong analytical skills with experience building reporting dashboards or KPI tracking tools.