Inventory Control Manager

ABOUT ALBERT USTER IMPORTS

Albert Uster Imports, Inc. ("AUI") is a privately held gourmet food company headquartered in the Washington, DC area (Gaithersburg, MD) with warehouse locations in Kansas City, Las Vegas, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Gurnee and Gaithersburg. AUI falls under the Vestar Capital Partners portfolio with affiliate organization, Roland Foods, LLC.

Founded in 1968, the company offers over 1,400 products from around the world. We serve leading hotels, restaurants, casinos, cruise lines, airlines, and manufacturers with innovative, high quality products and solutions to their most demanding culinary challenges. We operate a network of distribution centers across the U.S. and serve select international markets as well. AUI has a national direct selling organization of over 60 sales professionals and a staff of culinary experts (chefs and food scientists) adept at custom product solutions.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Inventory Control Manager at AUI is responsible for leading the overall function of inventory management, assuring inventory accuracy, analytics, and risk management across the supply chain. This role serves as the central point of investigation for discrepancies, shelf-life risk, and accuracy issues, driving timely resolution. The Inventory Manager partners closely with Finance, QA, Operations, warehouses, and Sales to detect issues early, identify root causes, and drive corrective actions.

This role is highly analytical, detail-oriented, and investigative-ideal for someone who enjoys auditing, problem-solving with cross-functional team, and turning complex inventory data into clear business decisions that drive continuous process improvement.

RESPONSIBLITIES

Inventory Accuracy & Discrepancy Management

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.

Inventory Analytics & Reporting

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.

Delivering 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.

Shelf-Life, Lot & Quality Coordination

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 (reviews may take full-day deep dives).

Investigate bad lots, FEFO deviations, mis-rotations, and lot master errors. Manage and 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.

Risk Assessment & Decision Support

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.

Systems, Tools & Continuous Improvement

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.

Core Competencies

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.

QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

Required

3-5 years of experience in inventory management, supply chain analytics, or data analysis; food manufacturing or distribution strongly preferred.

Strong Excel skills (pivot tables, lookups, complex formulas, trend analysis; Power Query/Power Pivot a plus).

Experience working with WMS and ERP systems.

Proven ability to deliver inventory and cost analysis to Finance and Operations.

Preferred

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business Analytics, Finance, or related field (preferred).

Knowledge of FEFO, shelf-life management, and food regulatory standards.

Experience investigating lot variances or QA deviations.

Dashboard and automation experience (Excel, Power BI, or similar).

Continuous improvement mindset with strong ownership mentality.

SALARY RANGE

Albert Uster Imports hires exceptional people to perform a wide variety of important functions that contribute to the success of the Company. One of the ways AUI does that is through a competitive compensation package. The base salary for this role will be $75,000 - $85,000.

This role will be bonus eligible.

Based on your qualifications, previous experience, and transferrable skills, the Company will determine at its sole discretion, the salary offered.

Founded by immigrants, AUI & Roland Foods knows that diversity is the spice of life. We believe in the power of food to open minds, spark adventure, and bring diverse people together. All are welcome at our table! We know the transformative value of food in individual lives and communities. Because of this, we insist on obtaining the highest-quality ingredients and talent!

AUI is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or any employment decision based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. AUI considers qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. AUI is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at .

Please read Albert Uster Import's California Job Applicant Privacy Policy here.