Inventory Specialist

Walgreens•Fridley, MN

About The Position

The Inventory Specialist executes, monitors, and trains store-wide inventory best practices and standard operating procedures across the front end and pharmacy. The role supports pharmacy inventory management and oversees receiving, counting, ordering, pricing, returns, on-shelf availability, planogram accuracy, inventory reports and system applications, and asset protection. It also files claims for warehouse and vendor overages, shortages, order errors, and damaged goods, including prescription drugs. In designated stores, the specialist may open or close the store in the absence of store management and serve as leader on duty. The role engages customers, models customer-service best practices, and may resolve customer issues when serving as leader on duty. It executes and coaches team members on inventory workflows, verifies pharmacy shipments and postings under the pharmacist-in-charge’s supervision, maintains accurate inventory counts and records, completes pricing and returns activities, and supports physical inventory, package delivery, pickup, and point-of-sale functions as applicable. The specialist attends company training and e-learning, maintains any pharmacy license or certification required by the state, and communicates with management and team members about inventory systems, assigned tasks, and operational issues. Additional activities and tasks may be assigned.

Requirements

Internal candidates must have six months of prior Walgreens work experience; external candidates must have one year of prior retail work experience.
Fluency in reading, writing, and speaking English, except in Puerto Rico.
Willingness to work a flexible schedule, including evenings and weekends.
Internal candidates must have an “Achieving expectations” rating on their last performance review and no written disciplinary actions in the previous 12 months.
Demonstrated attention to detail and ability to multitask and manage execution.
Experience identifying operational issues and recommending and implementing strategies to resolve problems.
Obtain and maintain a valid pharmacy license or certification if required by the state.

Nice To Haves

Previous experience as a shift lead, pharmacy technician, designated hitter, or customer service associate.
Prior Walgreens work experience, with an evaluation on file.

Responsibilities

Execute, monitor, and train store-wide inventory best practices and standard operating procedures for front-end and pharmacy operations.
Support pharmacy inventory activities, including receiving, counting, ordering, and returns.
Receive, count, price, and process returns, and carry out in-store inventory processes; champion On-Shelf Availability and validate planogram accuracy.
Review and coordinate the use of reports and system applications affecting inventory on-hand balances and pricing.
Execute and maintain front-end and pharmacy asset-protection practices; file claims for overages, shortages, order errors, and damaged goods, including prescription drugs.
In designated stores, open or close the store in the absence of store management, complete required system start-ups and cash handling, perform cashier duties, and prepare the floor and stockroom for the business day.
Greet customers, offer assistance, model customer-service best practices, and, when serving as leader on duty, resolve customer issues and answer questions.
Execute and coach team members on warehouse and vendor inventory processes, including creating, reviewing, receiving, and scanning orders and deliveries while vendors are still in the store.
Take appropriate action on delivery discrepancies, contact vendors about past undelivered scheduled receipts, and open tickets to correct inaccurate orders.
Under the pharmacist-in-charge’s supervision, verify and complete pharmacy shipment and order postings, audit totes as needed, and report shortages or damaged products.
Complete the On-Shelf Availability process for planogrammed departments, including disposals, call-ins, vendor returns before expiration, and scan outs and scan-out returns for subscribed departments and pharmacy.
Under the pharmacist-in-charge’s supervision, complete pharmacy recalls, vendor returns, damaged salvage returns, and applicable excess inventory returns or interstore transfers.
Verify posting of pharmacy and prescription claims; complete price changes, markdowns, markdown deletes, and other pricing tasks, maintaining accurate prices and signage.
Support front-end and pharmacy ordering by ordering expense items, monitoring pharmacy manual orders for excess, and maintaining consigned inventory as required.
Update on-hands and place designated pull-and-quarantine items in the holding area; maintain accurate counts and on-hand quantities in departments, stockroom, overstock locations, and pharmacy, including pharmacy smart counts under pharmacist-in-charge supervision.
Ensure compliance with state and local inventory laws for regulated products, such as alcoholic beverages and tobacco products.
Maintain inventory records and systems; organize and retain invoices, receipts, and return authorizations.
Help prepare for physical inventory and support inventory-day activities, including preparing the sales floor, stockroom, and pharmacy and auditing the third-party team.
Keep counters and shelves clean and well merchandised; learn store systems and equipment.
Assist and coach the store team on package-delivery activities, including package scanning, daily inventory functions, and returns; support the Pickup Program.
In designated stores, when serving as leader on duty, register sales on the assigned POS system and handle scanning errors, price verifications, items not on file, price modifications, voids, returns, refunds, cash drops, and change requests.
Comply with company policies and procedures and maintain respectful relationships with coworkers.
Attend company training and complete e-learning modules, including safety training; obtain and maintain any state-required pharmacy license or certification.
Coach and develop team members’ capabilities with inventory systems; when serving as leader on duty, communicate assigned tasks and report disciplinary issues and customer complaints to management.
Complete additional activities and other tasks as assigned.