Supply Chain Inbound Manager

Lewis Bakeries • Murfreesboro, TN

44d • Onsite

About The Position

The Supply Chain Inbound Manager is responsible for accurate, timely, and food-safe receipt of all inbound materials at the Murfreesboro facility, including ingredients, packaging, MRO, and indirect goods. The role connects physical receipts with transactional records in the company ERP system to maintain accurate, auditable inventory balances, product costs, and supplier payables. The manager leads the receiving team, drives inventory accuracy and cycle-count performance, holds suppliers and carriers accountable, and ensures shipments meet food safety, traceability, and regulatory standards before release to production. The position works closely with Production, Quality Assurance, Maintenance, Accounts Payable, and corporate Purchasing to protect production continuity and inventory integrity. It reports directly to the Plant Manager, with a dotted-line reporting relationship to the Vice President of Purchasing.

This is a full-time, exempt, on-site role in a food manufacturing, warehouse, and dock environment. The manager oversees receiving operations and ERP inventory transactions, food safety and regulatory compliance, supplier and carrier performance, and the development and performance of the receiving team. The role also supports continuous improvement, ERP-related projects, and audit readiness. Travel is generally less than 10%.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, business, operations, logistics, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience.
• At least 5 years of progressive receiving, warehouse, inventory control, or materials management experience in a manufacturing environment.
• At least 2 years of direct supervisory experience leading an hourly workforce.
• Hands-on ERP experience in a receiving, inventory, or materials role, including purchase order receipts, inventory transactions, lot control, cycle counting, and receipt-to-invoice matching.
• Working knowledge of GMPs, HACCP prerequisite programs, and food safety requirements applicable to receiving and warehousing.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including building and analyzing inventory and performance reports from ERP data extracts.
• Powered industrial truck certification, or ability to obtain it upon hire.
• Ability to work in a plant, warehouse, and dock environment with varying temperatures, including refrigerated or freezer areas and outdoor dock conditions, and exposure to noise, dust, flour, and food allergens.
• Ability to stand, walk, bend, reach, and climb in and out of trailers and on and off equipment for extended periods, and occasionally lift up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to wear designated personal protective equipment and comply with GMP requirements, including hairnets, beard nets, hearing protection, and safety footwear.
• Flexibility to support off-shift, weekend, and holiday receiving activity as business needs require.
• Successful completion of a background check, drug test, and reference check.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in commercial bakery, food, beverage, or other regulated food manufacturing.
• Experience in a facility operating under a GFSI-recognized scheme such as SQF, BRCGS, or FSSC 22000, with direct participation in third-party or customer audits.
• Experience supporting an ERP implementation, upgrade, or migration affecting receiving, warehousing, or inventory.
• Experience in a unionized manufacturing environment and administering a collective bargaining agreement.
• Experience with barcode scanning, mobile receiving, warehouse management systems, EDI, or supplier portals.
• APICS/ASCM certification (CPIM, CSCP, or CLTD), Lean or Six Sigma credential, or HACCP certification.

Responsibilities

• Direct inbound receiving activity across assigned shifts, including dock scheduling, trailer sequencing, unloading priorities, and staging to production.
• Verify shipments against purchase orders, bills of lading, and packing lists, confirming quantities, units of measure, lot and date coding, and product condition.
• Enforce same-day receipt transactions before materials enter inventory or production.
• Manage disposition of over, short, and damaged shipments, including documentation, supplier notification, carrier claims, and returns.
• Coordinate put-away and warehouse location assignment to support FIFO/FEFO rotation and efficient material flow.
• Maintain dock readiness, receiving equipment, and receiving-area housekeeping in audit-ready condition.
• Serve as the facility subject matter expert for receiving and inventory transactions in the ERP system, including purchase order receipts, lot creation, unit conversions, transfers, adjustments, and returns.
• Ensure receiving transactions support three-way matching of purchase orders, receipts, and invoices; partner with Accounts Payable and Purchasing to resolve discrepancies.
• Own perpetual inventory accuracy for received materials; administer cycle counts, analyze variances, and implement corrective actions.
• Lead physical inventory events for raw materials and packaging, including count planning, reconciliation, and variance reporting.
• Maintain ERP master data related to receiving, including item records, units of measure, conversion factors, vendor records, shelf-life parameters, and warehouse locations.
• Build and report receiving metrics, including open purchase order aging, receipt-to-invoice exceptions, supplier on-time delivery, inventory accuracy, and dock-to-stock cycle time.
• Support ERP upgrades, testing, and implementation activities affecting receiving, warehousing, and inventory; document procedures and team training.
• Identify opportunities to reduce manual handling through barcode scanning, mobile receiving, EDI, advance shipment notices, and supplier portals.
• Execute receiving-related food safety plan requirements, including GMP, HACCP prerequisite programs, SQF/BRC, and FSMA Preventive Controls and Sanitary Transportation requirements.
• Verify carrier and trailer condition, seal integrity, temperature records, and sanitary transport compliance; reject non-conforming loads according to procedure.
• Confirm required supplier documentation, including certificates of analysis and conformance, letters of guarantee, and specification compliance; escalate gaps.
• Maintain lot-level traceability for received materials to support mock recalls, traceability exercises, and audits.
• Manage ERP quality-hold, quarantine, and release status so held materials cannot be consumed; coordinate disposition with Quality Assurance.
• Enforce allergen segregation, product protection, and pest prevention in receiving and warehouse areas.
• Represent receiving during internal, customer, regulatory, and third-party certification audits, and lead closure of receiving-related findings.
• Track supplier on-time, in-full performance and quality defects at receipt, and provide Purchasing evidence for scorecards and corrective action requests.
• Escalate recurring supplier and carrier issues to the Vice President of Purchasing with recommended remedies.
• Support Purchasing with supplier reviews, new material qualification trials, and first-article receipt inspections.
• Manage dock detention, unloading, and accessorial issues; document exposure to support freight cost recovery.
• Select, train, schedule, and develop the receiving team, setting expectations for accuracy, timeliness, safety, and documentation.
• Conduct performance evaluations, coach employees, and administer corrective action with Human Resources.
• Administer applicable collective bargaining agreement provisions for represented receiving employees in partnership with Human Resources.
• Build cross-training and coverage plans for receiving operations.
• Communicate daily with Production, Scheduling, Quality Assurance, and Maintenance about inbound material status and risks to production continuity.
• Promote safe dock and warehouse practices, including powered industrial truck safety, trailer restraint procedures, PPE, and safe material handling.
• Control receiving labor cost and overtime against budget, and reduce inventory write-offs from expired, damaged, or obsolete materials.
• Support off-shift, weekend, and holiday receiving activity as business needs require.
• Travel, generally less than 10%, for supplier visits, sister-plant alignment, or system training.

Benefits

• Medical coverage with weekly premiums as low as $10 and a low-deductible plan design.
• Comprehensive dental coverage, including orthodontic benefits for dependent children.
• Company-funded pension plan.
• 401(k) with company matching contributions.
• Company-paid short-term and long-term disability insurance.
• Paid vacation time.
• Paid holidays.
• Relocation assistance for qualified candidates.
• Professional development opportunities and long-term career growth.

What This Job Offers

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