Manufacturing Inventory & Data Analyst

United Dairy Farmers•Norwood, OH

7h•Onsite

About The Position

The Inventory and Data Analyst is responsible for managing the accuracy, reporting, and reconciliation of all plant inventory and production data. This role is critical in ensuring the integrity of our ERP system (SAGE), tracking co-packing production activities, and providing timely analytics to drive operational excellence. The Analyst will serve as a key liaison between Production, Receiving, Scheduling, Warehousing, Procurement, and Accounting to ensure data integrity and timely reporting.

Requirements

High School diploma or GED equivalent
3+ years of experience in a manufacturing or food production environment preferred
3-5 years’ experience in an Analyst role preferably in a food production environment
Fundamental understanding of key manufacturing, ingredient and supply chain KPIs / metrics
An aptitude for effectively translating data findings to tell a story that can be easily understood by all kinds of personnel in various areas of the business.
Have strong statistical, analytical, and manufacturing business acumen and a passion around utilizing analytics to solve business problems.
Possess deep knowledge and understanding of our data sets and domain
Self-starter, strong drive, highly motivated to make change and bring about fact driven decisions.
Strong analytical skills. Ability to derive insights from data and recommend actions to the business
Ability to operate in a complex, rapidly changing environment while adhering to tight schedules and multiple priorities.
Demonstrated project management skills and proven ability to balance multiple projects in varying degrees of implementation.
Strong organizational, problem-solving and attention to detail skills are required.
Must be well-organized and able to coordinate multiple tasks and requests.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, and possess the ability to present information to external and internal groups
Proficient in MS Word, Excel, Power Point, MS BI
Expert-level Excel skills (pivot tables, complex formulas, dashboards, macros)
Advanced understanding of SAGE ERP or similar systems
Proficient in leveraging AI to improve analytical models, methodologies and outputs
Must be able to perform physical inventory counts and work in freezer/cooler environments as needed

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business Analytics, or related field preferred
Experience supporting SQF, FDA, or USDA compliance preferred

Responsibilities

Manage day-to-day material transactions within SAGE ERP for all raw, WIP, and finished goods
Ensure all production entries are accurate, complete, and posted within 24 hours
Validate batch yields and finished good output against planned production runs
Perform routine audits on production paperwork vs. system entries and resolve discrepancies
Maintain master data settings for materials and finished goods within the ERP system
Partner with IT and Accounting to support ERP upgrades and inventory module enhancements
Provide clerical support for management team.
Lead month-end inventory processes for all departments including warehouse, production, and QA-controlled materials (i.e. swabs, supplies, test kits, etc.).
Coordinate weekly cycle counts and spot audits; reconcile and document variances
Maintain par levels and reorder thresholds based on historical usage and forecasted needs (safety stocks on all raw materials- SAGE)
Identify slow-moving and obsolete inventory and facilitate appropriate disposition
Oversee all inventory movements, including interdepartmental transfers and BOM consumption
Work closely with inventory management at Erlanger to reconcile their inventory on a weekly or monthly basis.
Act as the single point of contact for all co-packing inventory and data tracking needs
Monitor finished goods inventory levels by customer using SAGE to ensure visibility of production output and transfers to the external warehouse.
Prepare customer-specific reconciliation reports and host monthly review calls
Manage contract pack-out documentation and production accountability by lot
Flag and report any over/under usage trends or co-packing efficiency concerns
Develop real-time dashboards for inventory levels, production status, material shrink, and customer balances
Deliver daily, weekly, and monthly production and inventory performance reports
Build predictive tools in Excel to support material planning and variance analysis – or in SAGE
Analyze downtime, loss reports, and raw material trends to support continuous improvement
Support operations leadership with custom data requests and ad hoc reports
Collaborate with Receiving to ensure accurate PO receipts and lot tracking
Partner with QA to ensure accurate material release dates and status changes in the system
Work with QA to reduce out of code raw materials and help track while using FEFO/FIFO principles
Assist Scheduling with inventory availability snapshots and material readiness reports
Work with Shipping to validate inventory allocations, finished goods readiness, and outbound load accuracy
Actively participate in SQF, FDA, customer, and internal audits, providing supporting documentation and traceability reports
Document SOPs and training guides for all tasks related to inventory and data workflows
Maintain compliance with company inventory control policies and procedures
Train and support other departments in proper inventory handling and ERP usage
Conduct quarterly review of BOM accuracy and participate in standard cost reviews with Accounting
Create CAPA action plans for recurring inventory or data integrity issues
Support capital project analysis with data modeling and material flow mapping
Conduct year-end physical inventory coordination, preparation, and system closure