Senior Manager, Inventory

Noble Corporation; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Noble Drilling in Houston seeks a Senior Inventory Manager to lead a world‑class program for 33+ drill ships globally. You will manage a multinational team across operations, finance, supply chain, and engineering to optimize inventory and asset repair lifecycle.

Responsibilities include developing policies, forecasting demand, optimizing stock, and measuring KPIs such as turns and service levels. Travel to regional offices and rigs is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; 10+ years in oil and gas or heavy industrial sectors.
• Progressive experience in inventory management and ERP customization.
• Experience with cycle counting, asset repair programs, and cost control.
• Strong communication and leadership in multinational environments.
• Active professional membership (APICS/ASCM) valued.

Responsibilities

• Build and mentor a global inventory management team.
• Define and monitor ERP workflows for requisitioning, receiving, issuing, and reconciliation.
• Lead Asset Repair Program governance across equipment lifecycle.
• Develop KPI dashboards covering service levels, turns, and costs.

Skills

ERP systems

Stochastic modeling

Inventory optimization

Leadership

Forecasting

KPI management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

MBA or MS preferred

Tools

SAP

Job description

The Senior Inventory Manager is a leadership role responsible for the development, implementation, and on-going administration of a world-class inventory management program supporting a fleet of more than 33 drill ships operating across all major offshore regions globally. The Manager leads a team of inventory management and asset repair professionals. This role sits at the intersection of operations, finance, supply chain, and engineering, and demands both analytical rigor and the leadership presence to drive alignment across a complex, multinational organization. The role also provides governance and leadership for the Asset Repair Program and condition-managed equipment lifecycle; including rotation, defect handling, overhaul execution, traceability, and cost control.

RESPONSIBILITIES/DUTIES

Team Development: Build, Lead, and mentor a team of inventory management and asset repair professionals distributed across global locations. Recruit and retain top talent; foster a high-performance culture grounded in analytical thinking, accountability, and continuous improvement. Build and implement a comprehensive inventory management program and centralized policies. Establish and enforce inventory policies, practices, and governance frameworks that balance operational reliability, risk management, and financial discipline. Apply stochastic modeling techniques — including demand forecasting, probabilistic safety stock calculations, and trend analysis — to optimize inventory levels across the fleet. Balance inventory investment against operational risk and reliability requirements; quantify the cost-benefit tradeoffs of stocking decisions for stakeholder communication. Identify and implement opportunities to reduce excess and obsolete inventory while protecting operational uptime. Define and monitor ERP-based workflows for requisitioning, receiving, issuing, and reconciliation to understand and adjust for impacts to inventory. Own the governance, execution, and continuous improvement of the Asset Repair Program and condition-managed inventory across the equipment lifecycle. Establish global standards and controls for rotating and defect equipment, including condition status, equipment rotation, ownership transfer, work order closure, and logistics flows. Design and manage a cycle counting program across all rig locations and shore-based warehouses. Establish and maintain internal controls that satisfy audit requirements and support accurate financial reporting. Define, track, and report on a comprehensive set of inventory KPIs covering service levels, fill rates, inventory turns, days on hand, excess and obsolete balances, and total cost of inventory. Define and monitor asset repair KPIs, including timely ownership transfers, equipment rotation cycle time, work order and purchase order closure, repair cost, supplier performance, and equipment availability. Build and maintain strong working relationships with Operations, Engineering, Reliability, Maintenance, Procurement, and Finance to ensure inventory strategies support broader business objectives. Drive the organization to adopt data driven purchasing decisions that improve inventory utilization and avoid rig non-productive time.

REQUIREMENTS/QUALIFICATIONS

Required Bachelor's degree required Minimum 10 years’ experience in Oil & Gas or other heavy industrial sectors Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in inventory management, supply chain, or materials management Demonstrated experience configuring and adapting ERP inventory management modules to specific business processes and operational contexts. Expertise in stochastic modeling techniques applied to inventory management, including safety stock optimization, demand distribution modeling, service level analysis, and the creation and enhancement of quantitative inventory models. Strong command of inventory metrics and KPI frameworks; demonstrated ability to use data to set targets, drive accountability, and deliver measurable results. Track record of building and leading an inventory management organization — including establishing policies, practices, and governance structures — in a complex, operationally intensive environment. Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate quantitative analysis into clear, compelling narratives for both technical and non-technical audiences. Preferred Bachelor's degree in Operations Management, Applied Mathematics, Supply Chain Management, Industrial Engineering, or closely related quantitative discipline. Advanced degree (MBA, MS) preferred. Proven experience designing and managing cycle counting programs, conducting inventory reconciliation, and coordinating with Finance to support accurate financial reporting and audit compliance. Demonstrated leadership of asset repair or condition-managed equipment programs, including rotating and defect equipment, overhaul coordination, lifecycle traceability, and repair cost control. Active membership in a relevant professional or technical organization (e.g., APICS/ASCM, Institute for Supply Management, Society of Petroleum Engineers) is valued. Certifications such as CPIM, CSCP, or equivalent supply chain credentials are a strong plus.

Working Conditions

Work is largely performed in an office environment. Visits to warehouses, storage yards, and offshore drilling rigs will take place. Travel is required to regional offices, supply bases, and rig locations worldwide. Offshore travel will be required periodically. Noble is a leading offshore drilling contractor. We own and operate one of the most modern and technically advanced fleets. Noble has been engaged in the contract drilling of oil and gas wells since 1921. Noble performs, through its subsidiaries, contract drilling services with a fleet of offshore drilling units focused largely on ultra-deepwater and high specification jackup drilling opportunities in both established and emerging regions worldwide. Our vision is to be the leading offshore driller by being first choice for employees, customers, and investors. Our mission is drilling to power the world responsibly. Noble is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on an applicant’s or employee’s race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, citizenship status, physical or mental disability of an otherwise qualified individual, genetic information, membership or application for membership in a uniformed service, engaging in legally protected activity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Attention

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