Inventory and Logistics Manager

The Suter Company, Inc • Sycamore, IL

1d • $95,000 - $115,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Inventory and Logistics Manager is responsible for leading the company's inventory control, logistics strategy, and third-party warehouse relationships. This role ensures materials and finished goods are stored, controlled, and moved efficiently while maintaining high inventory accuracy, customer service levels, and cost effectiveness.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree
• Five (5) - ten (10) years of progressive supply chain experience or; 3–5+ years in inventory management, warehouse operations, transportation/logistics coordination, team leadership or supervision
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to develop positive working relationships with internal and external customers
• Excellent computer skills with competency in Microsoft Office programs, company database, internet and email
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with people at all levels of the organization and external contacts.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities/meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Attentive to detail and strong organizational skills.
• Ability to shift from various projects and manage frequent interruptions.
• Negotiating and solid decision-making skills.
• Time Management – Ability to plan work hours to most efficiently and accurately complete job responsibilities.
• Reasoning – Interpret instructions; solve practical problems by applying general rules to produce answers that make sense.
• Mathematical – Arithmetic calculations involving fractions, decimals and percentages.
• Language Development – Ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand; evaluate technical data; have increased contact with people.
• Professional – Ability to use judgment to consider the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Physical Effort – Sedentary work: exert negligible amount of force frequently and up to 10 pounds of force occasionally to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects.
• Vision – Far, near and mid-range vision, depth perception, color identification and field of vision.
• Activity – Regularly required to hear, talk, walk, use finger dexterity, and repetitive motion; occasionally required to climb and reach with hands and arms.

Responsibilities

• Maintain accurate inventory records across all facilities and third-party locations.
• Lead inventory reconciliation activities and root cause analysis for inventory discrepancies.
• Oversee inventory transfers between warehouses, manufacturing locations, and external partners.
• Implement and maintain inventory management processes for non-quantity-bearing items, including temperature monitoring devices and operational supplies.
• Partner with Finance to support period-end inventory reporting requirements.
• Monitor FIFO and FEFO inventory management practices where applicable.
• Coordinate warehouse capacity planning and inventory placement strategies.
• Maintain warehouse location systems for ingredients, packaging, WIP, and finished goods.
• Support warehouse efficiency and productivity improvement initiatives.
• Contribute to the future-state design and continuous improvement of warehouse operations and material flow.
• Establish and maintain standardized processes for receiving, put-away, storage, transfers, and shipping activities.
• Ensure inventory handling practices support product quality, food safety, traceability, and regulatory requirements.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for all third-party warehouse relationships, including identification, negotiation, implementation, and ongoing management of partnership agreements.
• Develop, execute, and maintain inbound and outbound freight strategies that support customer requirements, service expectations, and profitable growth.
• Ensure all freight agreements and transportation activities meet company, customer, and regulatory requirements.
• Support successful execution of customer requirements related to ASNs (Advanced Shipping Notices).
• Routinely analyze warehouse, freight costs and transportation performance to identify savings opportunities and improve service levels.
• Review warehouse and freight invoices and resolve escalated billing discrepancies.
• Analyze and determine root causes of detention fees, fuel surcharges, accessorial charges, and other transportation-related expenses.
• Develop and maintain a claims process that provides full visibility from initiation through resolution.
• Develop reporting and dashboards to monitor inventory, logistics, freight, and warehouse performance.
• Support ERP enhancements, implementations, and process improvement initiatives.
• Drive data accuracy and governance related to inventory, logistics, transportation, and warehouse master data.
• Lead, coach, and develop logistics, inventory, shipping, and receiving personnel.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with carriers, brokers, freight service providers, and third-party warehouse (3PW/3PL) partners.
• Establish departmental goals, KPIs, and performance expectations.
• Develop and maintain SOPs, work instructions, training materials, and process documentation.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on inventory accuracy, logistics efficiency, warehouse performance, service levels, and cost reduction.
• Lead root-cause analysis activities for recurring inventory, warehouse, transportation, and service issues.
• Champion company culture and values while fostering a collaborative, accountable, and continuous improvement mindset across the organization.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager