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Salary: USD 125,000 - 150,000 / annual
MISUMI Americas, a division of MISUMI Group, is a leading provider of standard, configurable, and custom manufacturing solutions. The company integrates a vast catalog of components with a digital manufacturing platform to serve engineers and procurement teams across the Americas, with operations in the San Francisco Bay Area and Chicago.
The Manager, Inventory Management owns the strategy and decision-making of MISUMI Americas' inventory function. This role determines what gets stocked, at what depth, and when to act—setting replenishment strategy, governing make-to-order (MTO) transitions, and leading dead stock reduction programs. Every inventory decision must be traceable to the Broad & Shallow stocking framework and the Distribution Curation & Value Selling Strategy.
Key responsibilities include:
- Owning inventory strategy and decision-making across assigned SKU categories: define replenishment parameters, govern reorder points, monitor excess positions, and determine MTO ↔ Stock mode transitions
- Running the new SKU selection tool, applying Pre-Entry Scoring Gate guidelines, and owning the internal stocking request workflow (Product Information Sheets, approval requests, receipt tracking)
- Analyzing stock turnover, owning the replenishment order list, enforcing the no-replenishment-without-demand rule, and leading the Monthly Inventory Health Review
- Leading dead stock and excess reduction programs across promotion, fire sale/bundling, and physical disposal tracks, coordinating internal stakeholders and external vendors
- Ensuring inventory actions align with the Distribution Curation & Value Selling Strategy; contributing inventory-health data and recommendations to the Product Curation Council
- Leading supplier-facing inventory coordination—MOQ renegotiation, return/rotation agreements, and consignment terms compatible with the Broad & Shallow model
- Maintaining and contributing to the Quality Management System (QMS)
As the primary cross-functional coordinator and escalation point, the Manager translates inventory strategy into clear direction for supporting teams (Procurement, Data Management, IT) and surfaces insights that free the broader organization to focus on value selling and profitability growth. The role requires coordinating cross-functional execution through influence rather than direct authority.
The position is primarily remote but requires travel approximately 10–15% annually, primarily domestic, for supplier meetings, distribution center visits, trade shows, and internal cross-functional collaboration. Occasional on-site work at distribution centers may involve lifting and handling products or stock items for inventory review, sample handling, or disposal coordination.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Industrial Engineering, or equivalent; advanced degree a plus
- 5–8 years of experience in inventory management, supply chain operations, or category management
- Demonstrated ownership of inventory strategy and P&L outcomes: dead stock reduction, working capital improvement, or fill rate performance
- Strong command of inventory planning principles: safety stock, reorder points, MTO/MTS switching, demand forecasting, and SKU lifecycle management
- Skilled at coordinating cross-functional execution (Logistics, Procurement, Finance, Data Management, IT) through influence rather than direct authority
- Proficient in data analysis tools (Excel, Google Sheets); experience with ERP or inventory planning systems (SAP or equivalent) and analytical tools such as Python and Sigma a plus
- Clear communicator who can translate strategy into actionable direction and present findings to leadership; comfortable working independently in an ambiguous, fast-changing environment
- Experience in industrial distribution, mechanical components, or B2B manufacturing strongly preferred
