Operations Manager; Order Desk, Inventory & ERP

Company Description

Water, Inc. is a leading provider of high-quality drinking water systems and the premier representative for these solutions across the Western United States. We offer eco-friendly, advanced water filtration systems that help reduce plastic waste while delivering safe, filtered water. Water, Inc. provides a comprehensive range of products that filter, heat, brew, chill, soften, and dispense water for residential and commercial customers.

The organization is supported by knowledgeable sales professionals and specialized programs. Applicants can expect to join a company focused on sustainability, innovation, and customer service.

The Operations Manager position is a full-time, on-site role based in Los Angeles, CA. This role oversees end-to-end order flow, ensuring accurate and timely processing from order entry through fulfillment and post-sales support. The manager coordinates purchasing activities, manages vendor relationships, and monitors inventory levels to maintain optimal stock and cost efficiency. Day-to-day responsibilities include analyzing operational data, improving processes, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to enhance system performance and business workflows.

The role also involves managing operational programs, supporting budgeting and cost control efforts, and implementing systems and tools that improve visibility, efficiency, and customer experience.

• Demonstrated expertise in Business Operations and Operations Management to oversee order flow, purchasing, and system processes.
• Strong Analytical Skills to interpret data, identify trends, and recommend process improvements.
• Experience in Program Management to coordinate operational initiatives and cross-functional projects.
• Working knowledge of Finance to support budgeting, cost analysis, and vendor pricing evaluations.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations Management, Supply Chain, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Proficiency with ERP or order management systems, and strong Excel or data analysis skills.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and stakeholder management abilities, with attention to detail and follow-through.
• Experience in consumer products, water treatment, or related industries is beneficial, as is familiarity with inventory and logistics best practices.

Orders come in, primarily through B2B customers. Product gets bought, stocked, picked, and shipped. Customers call when something isn't right. You're the person who owns the space between them, and you're the person who makes sure things run properly.

You'll sit between the order desk and the warehouse, handle our purchasing, and make sure work actually gets finished. Not by watching a dashboard. By knowing how an order should move through this company, noticing when it doesn't, and fixing the thing that caused it.

You'll also be our internal owner of the ERP system. You'll report to the President and work with him directly. There's a lot of room here to change how a 49-year-old company operates.

Order flow, end to end. Every order that comes in, from entry through purchase, allocation, shipment, and invoice. You own the accuracy and the turnaround. When an order stalls, you're the one who knows where it is and why. We have a great warehouse manager, and you won't be on the floor.

The ERP system. You'll be the internal expert: order entry, inventory, pricing, purchasing, customer and vendor records, reports. Understanding how it's set up, where it's set up wrong, and how to fix that. We run Prophet
21. We're also bringing in new tools, including AI-assisted document processing that reads incoming POs and quotes, and we want someone who's interested in using that well rather than nervous about it.

Purchasing. You will help manage and execute what we buy and when. Reorder points, lead times, vendor relationships, expediting when a customer order depends on it. You'll help create a process for this as a function of this job.

Inventory. Keeping item and pricing data clean, running and reconciling counts, and staying ahead of stockouts on the products that matter instead of reacting to them. You will occasionally run inventory audits.

Clean data for our accounting firm. Our accounting is handled by an outside firm. You are not doing the books, the close, or the reconciliations. You are the person who makes sure what they're closing is real, that data entered into P21 from orders is correct:…