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Inventory Specialist Job Description: Top Duties and Qualifications

An Inventory Specialist, or Stock Control Specialist, monitors all inventory tasks within an organisation. Their primary duties include ordering and receiving inventory, making future inventory projections and finding ways to save money and improve efficiency.

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Inventory Specialist duties and responsibilities

An Inventory Specialist main responsibilities include:

  • Creating an effective space plan and storage area within the warehouse
  • Training inventory staff on how to work safely and prevent product loss
  • Maintaining and reviewing an accurate recording of stock records
  • Ordering additional supplies when needed
  • Negotiating with vendors to ensure the best deal is reached for the company
  • Remaining up-to-date with industry trends
  • Notifying company management regarding product shortages and discrepancies
  • Overseeing stock rotation procedures
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What does an Inventory Specialist do?

An Inventory Specialist oversees the inventory of products in a company. They look for ways to avoid factors that may lose the company money like contamination or expiry dates while evaluating new methods and techniques that will improve efficiency. Through analysing inventory trends for the company they are able to predict future needs and deficits the company may face in the future.

Inventory Specialist skills and qualifications

A successful Inventory Specialist will have various prerequisite skills and qualifications that typically include:

  • Strong maths and accounting skills
  • Creative problem-solving abilities
  • The ability to multi-task and manage many projects at once
  • The ability to work under pressure and under time constraints
  • Strong organisational skills
  • The ability to work in different weather conditions
  • Effective time-management skills
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Inventory Specialist experience requirements

All applicants should have some experience in an inventory, management or retail field. Look for candidates who have previously held positions such as Inventory Clerk or Store Manager and are familiar with the trends within the industry. Warehouse experience is also preferred, as employees must be prepared to work in extreme weather conditions.

Inventory Specialist education and training requirements

Employers usually hire candidates that have completed some GCSEs and an apprenticeship. They will need five GCSEs in English and maths at grades 9 to 4 in order to obtain a warehouse operative advanced apprenticeship. If the applicant didn’t complete an apprenticeship, most companies will accept some previous experience working in a lower-level position in a warehouse, or distribution depot and gaining more experience through internal promotion.

Inventory Specialist salary expectations

According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for an Inventory Specialist in the UK, is £36,011 per year. Salary is usually dependent on experience, location and company.

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Inventory Specialist job description FAQs

What is the difference between an Inventory Specialist and an Inventory Clerk?

Both positions are similar in that they both require the employee to interact with the inventory. A Stock Clerk is a lower position, they take inventory and record inventory in the public database and note down any minor discrepancies. An Inventory Specialist is a higher position and in some companies may be the direct manager of a Stock Clerk. An Inventory Specialist does more than just record inventory, they evaluate the entire inventory process to see where improvements can be made.

Who reports to an Inventory Specialist?

An Inventory Specialist will lead a team of Inventory Clerks and other warehouse employees. Depending on the size of the company, the team may be quite large and require specific managerial skills from the Inventory Specialist. The Inventory Specialist may also train new Inventory Clerks on how to do inventory efficiently and safely within the warehouse.

Do Inventory Specialists have different responsibilities in different industries?

An Inventory Specialist’s main role is tracking and monitoring a company’s inventory process. However, the specific industry in which the company works will affect the type of inventory and therefore how the inventory is tracked and treated. An Inventory Specialist who works for a large supermarket chain will be more focused on the issue of stock perishing and how to prevent it from expiring. An Inventory Specialist working in construction will be working with heavy products and will be less concerned with their shelf-life. An applicant must know as much about the industry they will be working in as they do about the position itself.

How can you make your Inventory Specialist job description stand out?

Focus on what makes the industry and the company an interesting place to work, and also the benefits that come along with it for example, a company that manages stock for a solar energy company may attract candidates who want to make a difference in the environment and learn more about innovative technology. Also, highlight benefits that set the company apart from others including competitive salary, pension scheme, product discounts, additional training and anything else that will make the company more appealing to candidates.

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