Lead Inventory Analyst

Lead Inventory Analyst Gaydon | Manufacturing Operations | Supply Chain & Logistics | Permanent | Competitive Salary & Benefits Manpower is recruiting on behalf of a leading luxury automotive manufacturer for a Lead Inventory Analyst based in Gaydon. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced inventory, logistics, or supply chain professional to take ownership of inventory governance, stock accuracy, data analysis, and inventory optimisation across a complex manufacturing operation.

Working within the Logistics Operations team, you will play a key role in ensuring inventory performance supports uninterrupted production while driving continuous improvement, reducing risk, and improving operational efficiency across multiple manufacturing sites. This position would suit candidates with experience as an Inventory Analyst, Senior Inventory Analyst, Inventory Controller, Supply Chain Analyst, Logistics Analyst, Materials Planner, Inventory Manager, Production Planner, or Supply Chain Planning Analyst.

The Role Reporting to the Risk & Inventory Manager, you will be responsible for managing inventory control activities, driving data integrity, and delivering meaningful reporting and analysis to support business decision-making. You will oversee inventory performance across multiple locations, ensuring accurate reporting of stock levels, inventory value, stock ageing, storage utilisation, and inventory accuracy. Working closely with supply chain, logistics, warehousing, manufacturing, and third-party logistics providers, you will investigate and resolve inventory discrepancies, support cycle counting activities, and ensure robust inventory governance processes are maintained.

A key element of the role will involve analysing inventory trends, supply and demand patterns, and stock movements to optimise inventory levels, improve working capital performance, and maintain material availability for production. You will transform complex data into clear business insight, providing reports, presentations, recommendations, and performance updates to operational and senior leadership teams. You will also support continuous improvement initiatives, create and maintain process documentation and standard operating procedures, ensure audit readiness, and contribute to the ongoing development of inventory management best practices across the business.

About You To be successful in this role, you will have proven experience in inventory control, inventory management, supply chain planning, logistics operations, materials planning, or a related discipline within a manufacturing or distribution environment. You will have experience using ERP and MRP systems such as SAP, Infor LN, Oracle, or equivalent platforms and be comfortable managing large data sets to identify trends, risks, and opportunities.

Strong analytical skills and advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel are essential, along with the ability to communicate complex information clearly to a range of stakeholders. You will be experienced in managing inventory-related KPIs, including stock accuracy, inventory performance, transactional compliance, and inventory reporting. A structured approach to problem solving using methodologies such as 8D, 5 Why, Root Cause Analysis, and Ishikawa diagrams will also be highly beneficial.

The ideal candidate will be highly organised, detail-focused, and capable of building strong relationships with internal stakeholders, operational teams, and external logistics partners.

Desirable Experience

Experience with in automotive manufacturing, engineering, warehousing, logistics, or a high-volume production environment would be advantageous. Knowledge of inventory optimisation, forecasting, safety stock planning,…