Inventory Control Manager

Korpack is a Chicago-area packaging partner that supplies packaging materials, contract packaging and kitting, machinery and systems integration to consumer packaged goods brands, from startups to national names. Founded in 2015, we operate a 145,000 sq ft SQF-certified, USDA-approved facility in Bloomingdale, IL and a 65,000 sq ft warehouse in Carol Stream, IL. Our mission is to disrupt packaging with speed, technology and trust, and our team lives by our DISRUPT values: Determined, Innovative, Smile, Responsive, Understanding, Proactive and Teamwork.

Position summary

The Inventory Control Manager owns the accuracy, visibility and flow of all inventory across Korpack's Bloomingdale and Carol Stream sites. This includes raw packaging materials, customer-owned components, work-in-process for kitting and co-packing runs, and finished goods. The role keeps system counts matching the floor, keeps production lines supplied, and gives customers real-time, trustworthy inventory data. Success means high inventory accuracy, low shrink and write-offs, on-time material availability for every scheduled run, and audit-ready lot traceability.

Key responsibilities

Inventory accuracy and control

• Own inventory accuracy across both facilities; design and run the cycle count program and annual or periodic physical counts.
• Investigate and resolve variances, find root causes, and put corrective actions in place.
• Set and enforce procedures for receiving, put-away, location control, picking, transfers and adjustments.
• Approve and document all inventory adjustments and write-offs.

Customer-owned and production materials

• Manage customer-owned inventory (components, film, cartons, displays, finished goods) with clear ownership and reporting by customer.
• Work with Production Planning and Customer Service so materials are received, staged and available before each kitting and co-packing run.
• Reconcile material usage, yield and scrap against work orders after each run; report overages and shortages to customers.
• Monitor stock levels, reorder points and slow-moving or obsolete stock for Korpack-owned packaging materials.

Systems, data and reporting

• Act as the business owner of inventory data in the WMS/ERP; keep item masters, units of measure and locations clean.
• Support Korpack's real-time customer dashboards and inventory tracking tools; make sure the data behind them is accurate.
• Produce weekly KPIs: inventory accuracy, variance value, shrink, dock-to-stock time and on-hand by customer.
• Deliver month-end inventory reconciliation and valuation support to Finance.

Quality, food safety and compliance

• Maintain lot and date-code traceability that supports SQF certification and USDA facility requirements.
• Manage holds, quarantine, FIFO/FEFO rotation and expired or damaged material.
• Support mock recalls, customer audits and third-party audits.

Leadership

• Hire, train, schedule and coach inventory control staff; train temporary and warehouse associates on inventory procedures.
• Promote safe work practices and a clean, organized warehouse.
• Lead continuous-improvement projects (slotting, labeling, scanning, 5S) that raise accuracy and speed.

Qualifications

Required

• 5+ years of inventory control or warehouse operations experience, including 2+ years supervising a team.
• Experience in contract packaging, co-manufacturing, 3PL or distribution, ideally with customer-owned inventory.
• Hands-on experience with a WMS or ERP system (for example NetSuite, SAP, Fishbowl or similar) and RF/barcode scanning.
• Strong Excel skills (pivot tables, lookups) and comfort working with inventory data.
• Working knowledge of lot control, FIFO/FEFO and traceability in a food, beverage or consumer goods environment.

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain, operations, business or a related field.
• APICS/ASCM certification (CPIM or CSCP).
• Experience in an SQF, GMP or USDA-regulated facility.
• Experience implementing a WMS, cycle counting program or scanning system.
• Forklift certification, or willingness to obtain it.

Skills and competencies

• Accuracy mindset: treats every variance as a problem to solve, not a number to adjust.
• Analytical: finds patterns in count data and turns them into process fixes.
• Responsive: works at Korpack's pace when customer demand or run schedules change quickly.
• Clear communicator: explains inventory status to operators, planners, customers and Finance.
• Hands-on leader: comfortable on the warehouse floor as well as at a desk.
• Organized: manages many customers, SKUs and deadlines at once.

Physical requirements and work environment

• Work is split between the warehouse floor and an office, across two shifts; some early, late or weekend hours are needed for counts and peak periods.
• Regular travel between the Bloomingdale and Carol Stream facilities.
• Able to stand and walk for long periods, climb ladders, and lift up to 50 lbs.
• Exposure to forklift traffic, varying warehouse temperatures and noise; required PPE is provided.
• Must follow GMP, food safety and site safety rules at all times.