Inventory Control Manager
Responsible for stock availability, inventory records and product movement across warehouses: demand forecasting, purchasing, replenishment and expiry control for dietary supplements and health products.
What a Inventory Control Manager does
The Inventory Control Manager makes sure the right products are in stock, in the right quantities and in saleable condition. In nutra projects this matters a great deal: supplements and health products have expiry dates, batch tracking, storage requirements and documents for every batch. An error in inventory records can mean ads pointing to products that are not in stock, or write-offs of expensive goods.
The role is needed by companies that sell physical products through their own warehouses, fulfillment providers or marketplaces and scale their ad campaigns. The faster traffic grows, the higher the cost of a forecasting mistake: purchases fall behind, stock runs out, and when volumes are too high, working capital gets frozen and the risk of expiry rises. The inventory manager balances these risks.
The position usually reports to the head of operations or the logistics director and manages a team of buyers, warehouse specialists or an inventory analyst. It works closely with marketing, which shares launch and scaling plans, with finance on working capital, and with legal and quality teams on certificates and documents.
Responsibilities
- Build demand forecasts by SKU and warehouse based on advertising data, seasonality and launch plans.
- Prepare the purchasing plan and supplier orders, and monitor delivery lead times and deviations.
- Set safety stock levels and reorder points for each SKU.
- Maintain batch records, expiry dates and product movement between warehouses and sales channels.
- Organize regular stock counts and resolve discrepancies between the system and physical stock.
- Monitor write-offs, slow-moving and returned stock, and propose clearance or disposal solutions.
- Coordinate batch documents with quality and legal teams: certificates, declarations and labeling.
- Coordinate with fulfillment and 3PL warehouses on receiving, shipping and storage.
- Prepare reports on inventory turnover, stock levels and frozen capital for finance and management.
- Hold out-of-stock meetings and agree priorities with marketing when the ad plan changes.
Skills
- Demand forecasting and working with seasonality
- Understanding SKU unit economics including cost price, logistics and margin
- Working with suppliers and delivery terms (lead times, MOQ, payment deferrals)
- Batch and expiry date management, FEFO principle
- Data analysis in spreadsheets and BI tools
- Managing conflicting interests between marketing, finance and the warehouse
- Knowledge of storage requirements and documentation for supplements and health products
- Prioritization and handling a large number of SKUs
- Clear communication and regular reporting
Tools
- ERP or accounting system (for example, 1C)
- WMS or the warehouse module of an OMS
- Excel / Google Sheets
- BI dashboards (Looker Studio, Power BI)
- Purchasing and supplier management systems
- Messengers and task trackers for coordination with 3PL
How performance is measured
- Share of out-of-stock events for key SKUs
- Inventory turnover in days
- Share of write-offs and slow-moving stock in turnover
- Demand forecast accuracy (deviation of actual from plan)
- Inventory count discrepancies
- Working capital frozen in stock
- Lead time from order to stock availability in the warehouse
By vertical
Nutra
In nutra projects, inventory is constrained by expiry dates, batch tracking and documentation requirements. The role depends heavily on FEFO, certificate control for every batch and fast decisions when ad campaigns change, because product demand can shift sharply.
Levels
Management
At the management level, the role owns the entire inventory system: replenishment strategy, working capital budget, warehouse solutions and supplier relationships. It leads the team, aligns plans with leadership and is accountable for the final results on product availability and frozen capital.
How to get there
Most people enter the profession from warehouse logistics, purchasing, supply planning or analytics in retail and e-commerce. Experience working with stock, supply and sales data is important, as is an understanding of how inventory is recorded in a warehouse. Experience in high-risk verticals is not required but is valued, since nutra adds requirements for expiry dates and documents.
To get started, learn the core concepts: inventory turnover, safety stock, ABC/XYZ analysis, FEFO and SKU unit economics. Practically, learn to build forecasts in spreadsheets, maintain batch records and resolve discrepancies found during stock counts. If possible, work with real warehouse reports and advertising plans.
Growth usually goes from inventory specialist or analyst to inventory manager, where responsibility for a group of SKUs and supplier relationships appears. Next comes managing the entire inventory system and the working capital budget. The more projects and warehouses in scope, the higher the level of the position.
Next steps: Supply Chain Manager, Head of Operations, Procurement Manager, Warehouse Operations Manager, Head of Logistics
FAQ
How is an inventory control manager different from a warehouse keeper?
A warehouse keeper handles the physical movement of goods: receiving, storage and shipping. An inventory manager makes decisions about how much and when to buy, which safety stock to hold, what to write off and how to allocate goods across channels. The role works with data and plans, not only with specific shelves.
Do I need to know nutra or e-commerce to get this job?
Basic experience in e-commerce or retail is usually sufficient, and knowledge of nutra specifics helps you get up to speed faster. It is especially important to understand expiry dates, batch tracking and why documents for each batch affect whether a product can be sold.
What determines the salary level for this position?
Pay depends on the scale of inventory and turnover, the number of SKUs and warehouses in scope, how complex the supply chain is and the level of management responsibility. Work region and employment format also matter.
Which metrics most often define success in this role?
The main indicators are the share of out-of-stock events for key products, inventory turnover, the share of write-offs and forecast accuracy. For the business, it is critical that ad campaigns are not held back by missing stock and that money is not tied up in slow-moving inventory.
Which tools should I learn first?
Start with Excel or Google Sheets for forecasting and records, then learn your accounting system or ERP and basic BI analytics. Understanding WMS and how to work with a 3PL warehouse is a plus, since most product movement happens there.
Looking for a job in the industry?
Post an anonymous resume in our bot — recruiters from iGaming, payments and crypto search it every day.