Inventory Control & Analytics Manager

Inventory Control & Analytics Manager at AUI Fine Foods

Location:

Gaithersburg, MD

AUI Fine Foods is a privately held gourmet food company headquartered in the Washington, DC area with warehouse locations across the United States. Founded in 1968, the company offers over 1,400 products and serves hotels, restaurants, casinos, cruise lines, airlines, and manufacturers worldwide. AUI operates distribution centers nationwide and employs a direct selling organization and culinary expert staff.

The Inventory Control & Analytics Manager leads overall inventory management, ensuring inventory accuracy, analytics, and risk management across the supply chain. As the central point of investigation for discrepancies, shelf‑life risk, and accuracy issues, the manager partners with Finance, QA, Operations, warehouses, and Sales to detect issues early, identify root causes, and drive corrective actions. This highly analytical, detail‑oriented role is ideal for an individual who enjoys auditing, problem‑solving with cross‑functional teams, and translating complex inventory data into clear business decisions that drive continuous process improvement.

• Act as the escalation point for inventory discrepancies reported from different functions.
• Lead cycle count analysis and reconciliation; determine corrective actions.
• Conduct thorough review of inventory in all status for accuracy, identify discrepancies and potential risks.
• Investigate root causes of variances (transaction errors, mis‑picks, lot issues, timing gaps, system errors).
• Partner with Operations and DC teams to prevent repeat issues and improve inventory discipline.
• Reconcile outside storage and third‑party inventory; lead investigations and resolutions.

• Own and determine final inventory reserve calculation for financial report, prepare valuation, accrual, reserve, and write‑off analysis in collaboration with Finance.
• Analyze inventory trends, aging, and usage to support forecasting and cost management.
• Deliver site‑level valuation and capacity insights.
• Provide early detection of abnormal inventory movements or excess buildup.
• Lead and administer monthly product disposal and donation routines including systemic execution and financial reporting.

• Collaborate with QA to review shelf life, stability data, and expiration trends.
• Review BC/BI and other shelf‑life reports to identify high‑risk or aging inventory (may take full‑day deep dives).
• Investigate bad lots, FEFO deviations, mis‑rotations, and lot master errors; maintain records of inventory subject for claims.
• Track root causes of QA‑identified issues and recommend preventive actions.
• Support shelf‑life extensions, validations, and inventory reserve decisions.

• Conduct risk assessments for inventory projected to expire prior to sale; quantify financial exposure.
• Use forecast models to simulate sell‑off scenarios and identify inventory not supported by demand.
• Identify excess inventory and trigger next steps with Finance, Supply Chain, or Commercial teams.
• Support decisions on rework, repack, transfer, disposal, or inventory redeployment.

• Utilize WMS and ERP systems to track inventory accuracy, lot history, transactions, and cycle count results.
• Build and maintain Excel‑based analytics, trackers, and simulation models.
• Develop dashboards highlighting aging inventory, high‑risk lots, and discrepancies.
• Support enhancements to WMS/ERP processes to improve data integrity, controls, and reporting speed.

• Early detection mindset—identify issues before they become financial or quality risks.
• Strong root‑cause analysis and problem‑solving skills.
• High attention to detail with the ability to audit complex data sets.
• Confidence to “raise a hand,” ask tough questions, and engage the right stakeholders to resolve issues.
• Clear, professional communication with cross‑functional teams and leadership.

• 3-5 years of experience in inventory management, supply chain…