Senior Specialist DC Operations Inventory and Inbound - EM South

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organisation

• Responsible and accountable for the end-to-end Inventory Control, Inbound Operations Governance, and B2B Returns Management within the South Africa Distribution Centre.
• The role ensures inventory accuracy, system integrity, stock visibility, control compliance, and operational efficiency across all warehouse activities. The incumbent acts as the custodian of inventory accuracy and operational controls, ensuring alignment between physical inventory, 3PL WMS, and SAP S/4HANA systems.
• The role is responsible for driving inventory governance through robust inventory controls, system integration monitoring, reconciliation activities, audits, compliance reporting, stakeholder alignment, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• In addition, the incumbent oversees inbound receiving performance and B2B returns processes to ensure service level compliance, timely stock availability, accurate system updates, effective stakeholder communication, and cost-efficient warehouse operations.
• The position serves as a key liaison between the DC, 3PL partner, Finance, Customer Service, IT, Internal Controls, Supply Chain stakeholders, and commercial teams to ensure end-to-end stock integrity and business continuity.

Role emphasis and accountability split

• Primary accountability: Inventory control, inventory accuracy, system integrity, integrations, controls, governance, audits, and stock visibility. Secondary accountability:
• Inbound receiving governance and B2B returns management, with clear SLA, query, reporting, and integration responsibilities. Expected operating posture: Proactive control
• owner who leads cross-functional alignment, holds stakeholders accountable, and drives continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

Inventory Management & Control Primary Responsibility

Inventory Accuracy & Integrity

• Own and drive overall inventory accuracy across the Distribution Centre, maintaining physical-to-system accuracy of greater than 99%.
• Ensure all system interfaces and integrations between the 3PL WMS and SAP S/4HANA are monitored and validated regularly.
• Perform formal system-to-system stock match checks at least twice per week and document reasons for all mismatches.
• Lead all inventory reconciliation activities and investigate variances to determine root causes, owners, and corrective actions.
• Monitor inventory movements and ensure all transactions are accurately and timeously reflected in the relevant systems.
• Provide documented root cause analysis, corrective actions, owners, and timelines for stock mismatches and integration failures.
• Drive action plans that correct recurring inventory mismatches and improve end-to-end system accuracy.
• Conduct regular inventory health reviews to identify risks impacting stock accuracy, availability, customer service, or financial control.
• Coordinate with IT, Supply Chain Systems, 3PL, and operational teams to ensure failed transactions are corrected and prevented from recurring.

Inventory Governance, Controls & Compliance

• Own and maintain inventory control processes to ensure compliance with company policies, internal control requirements, audit standards, and operational SOPs.
• Ensure adherence to all inventory control checks and provide monthly reporting on control execution, exceptions, and closure status.
• Lead monthly inventory control review sessions with relevant stakeholders to discuss control performance, risks, gaps, and corrective actions.
• Hold the DC and relevant operational stakeholders accountable for process misalignment, unresolved variances, and non-compliance.
• Drive closure of all identified control gaps, audit findings, and inventory-related process deviations within agreed timelines.

Inventory Audits

• Lead and coordinate all inventory-related audits, including preparation, evidence gathering, stakeholder alignment, and audit closure.
• Maintain full audit readiness by ensuring inventory records, approvals, reports, and supporting documentation are accurate and accessible.
• Ensure timely implementation of corrective and preventative actions arising from audit findings or control reviews.

Cross-Functional Stakeholder Management

• Chair inventory review, discrepancy resolution, control review, and system alignment meetings.
• Collaborate with Finance, Internal Controls, Customer Service, Planning, IT, 3PL, Inbound, Outbound, Returns, and Operations teams to resolve inventory risks.
• Escalate unresolved stock integrity risks proactively and provide management with clear status, impact, root cause, and recovery actions.

Inventory Reporting & Analytics

• Produce and distribute daily, weekly, and monthly inventory performance reports covering accuracy, reconciliations, controls, variances, ageing, blocked stock, and audit status.
• Analyze inventory trends, recurring issues, and operational risks to identify opportunities for sustainable improvement.
• Present insights, risks, and corrective actions to DC leadership and relevant stakeholders as required.

Inbound Operations Governance

Inbound Capacity, Cost & Resource Management

• Ensure sufficient warehouse receiving capacity is available to support inbound demand and business requirements.
• Collaborate with Inbound Customs, 3PL, and Operations teams to manage inbound workload, labour planning, dock capacity, and resource requirements.
• Drive cost-effective inbound operations by monitoring receiving productivity, resource utilization, overtime risk, and operational efficiencies.

Inbound SLA Management

• Ensure all inbound stock is physically received and system processed within 24 hours of arrival.
• Monitor inbound receiving performance against agreed service levels and escalate risks before SLA failure occurs.
• Implement recovery plans where inbound capacity, system issues, or operational delays place service levels at risk.

Inbound Queries, Exceptions & Floor Walks

• Ensure all inbound-related queries, discrepancies, and exceptions are investigated and closed within 24 hours.
• Maintain accurate records of inbound issues, owners, root causes, and actions taken.
• Conduct regular inbound floor walks to review open PILs, discrepancies, queries, and unresolved receiving matters on the warehouse floor.
• Drive permanent corrective actions to prevent recurring inbound issues.
• Perform regular integration checks to validate that received stock in the 3PL WMS is correctly reflected in SAP S/4HANA.
• Investigate and resolve interface failures impacting inbound stock visibility, availability, or downstream inventory accuracy.

B2B Returns Management

Returns Processing Governance

• Own and manage the end-to-end B2B returns process from physical receipt through system update, reporting, query resolution, and stakeholder communication.
• Ensure all B2B returns are received, processed, and system updated within 48 hours of receipt, in line with the agreed SLA.
• Monitor returns processing performance and escalate risk where SLA achievement, stock visibility, or ageing returns are at risk.

Returns Reporting, Tracker & Stakeholder Communication

• Maintain and update the B2B Returns Tracker, ensuring all returns statuses, actions, and owners are accurately reflected.
• Prepare and share returns reports with relevant stakeholders, highlighting processed returns, pending returns, ageing items, queries, and risks.
• Lead or facilitate cross-functional returns sessions to review returns performance, open queries, recurring issues, and improvement actions.
• Ensure all B2B returns-related queries are investigated and resolved within 48 hours or within a reasonable agreed timeframe where dependency exists outside the DC.
• Perform regular integration checks between 3PL systems and SAP S/4HANA to ensure all returned stock received in the warehouse is accurately reflected in inventory systems.
• Coordinate resolution activities across Warehouse Operation