Position SummaryThe Sr. Operations Manager will lead warehouse operations, inventory control, 3PL execution, and reverse logistics inventory ownership in a fast-paced manufacturing and supply chain environment. This role connects physical material movement, warehouse readiness, partner execution, system transaction discipline, and audit-ready controls across internal warehouses, manufacturing sites, contract manufacturers, 3PLs, and partner-held inventory locations.
The role strengthens inventory accuracy, cycle count governance, warehouse scalability, SOX readiness, RMA / reverse logistics execution, and exception management. Transportation, carrier management, and freight execution remain owned by Logistics; this role owns inventory movement control, transaction accuracy, system tracking, receipt confirmation, and cross-functional coordination through final receipt.
Key ResponsibilitiesInventory Control & Governance- Own the end-to-end inventory control operating model across internal warehouses, manufacturing locations, contract manufacturers, 3PLs, and partner-held inventory locations.
- Set standards for ABC / risk-based counts, high-value inventory, exception approvals, and discrepancy closure.
- Improve inventory practices to protect margin, reduce loss and write-offs, and strengthen perpetual accuracy.
- Ensure physical inventory movements, ERP/WMS transactions, supporting documentation, approvals, and financial controls remain aligned.
- Drive root-cause analysis and corrective actions for count variances, transfer discrepancies, receiving issues, RMA activity, MRB, scrap, unbuild activity, holds, aging inventory, and open exceptions.
Warehouse Footprint & Scalability- Define the warehouse and inventory footprint strategy needed to support growth, inventory accuracy, and transaction discipline.
- Evaluate internal warehouse, 3PL, partner, and contract manufacturer nodes against volume, material risk, storage needs, service levels, and controls.
- Partner with cross-functional leaders to develop scalable warehouse processes, storage strategies, location controls, receiving protocols, inventory movement standards, and disposition workflows.
- Identify capacity risks, process gaps, and control weaknesses that may impact inventory availability, margin, production continuity, or audit readiness.
3PL Partnership & Performance- Own 3PL operating relationships, governance cadence, performance management, issue escalation, and service-level expectations.
- Set standards for receiving, storage, transfers, cycle counts, shipment handoffs, POD retention, exception reporting, and transaction timing.
- Partner with 3PLs to improve inventory accuracy, reduce manual reconciliation, strengthen custody controls, and ensure audit-ready evidence retention.
- Monitor partner performance through KPIs, scorecards, business reviews, and corrective action plans.
RMA / Reverse Logistics Inventory- Own inventory control for RMA and reverse logistics movements to and from internal sites, manufacturing locations, contract manufacturers, 3PLs, and customer or field locations through final receipt and reconciliation.
- Ensure RMA and reverse logistics movements are accurately tracked in ERP / WMS systems, including documentation, location status, custody changes, receipt confirmation, and exceptions.
- Coordinate with Logistics, Warehouse, Manufacturing, Quality, Customer Support, Finance, 3PLs, and partner teams to ensure returned or transferred materials are received, inspected, dispositioned, and transacted accurately.
- Logistics owns transportation execution, carrier selection, and freight management; this role owns inventory visibility, transaction accuracy, system reconciliation, and operational follow-through.
- Drive closure of missing receipts, transaction gaps, aging RMA inventory, in-transit discrepancies, undocumented returns, and unresolved reverse logistics exceptions.
Finance Partnership, SOX Readiness & Audit Controls- Partner with Finance and Accounting to ensure inventory activity supports accurate valuation, period-end close, audit evidence, and SOX readiness.
- Define operational controls for inventory adjustments, cycle count variances, receipts, transfers, scrap, MRB, RMA, unbuild activity, and partner-held inventory.
- Maintain audit-ready documentation for custody, receiving support, count execution, adjustment approvals, inventory movement evidence, and corrective actions.
- Support month-end, quarter-end, and year-end readiness by driving timely exception closure and reducing manual reconciliation burden.
- Escalate control gaps, aging exceptions, missing evidence, or process noncompliance that may create financial exposure, audit risk, or inventory misstatement.
Warehouse Operations & Process Execution- Lead warehouse operating standards for receiving, put-away, storage, inventory movements, staging, kitting support, shipment handoffs, and controlled disposition workflows.
- Ensure warehouse processes are scalable, documented, consistently followed, and aligned with ERP / WMS controls.
- Drive daily operating discipline for transaction timing, physical-to-system alignment, location accuracy, and exception follow-up.
- Partner with Warehouse, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Engineering, Finance, and Logistics teams to resolve operational blockers and improve material flow.
- Identify and implement process improvements that reduce manual effort, improve inventory visibility, strengthen custody controls, and support manufacturing continuity.
Systems, Reporting & Continuous Improvement- Partner with BIS / Systems and operational stakeholders to improve ERP / WMS workflows, reporting, dashboards, exception queues, access controls, and partner data feeds.
- Use data to identify recurring defects, transaction lag, aging exceptions, partner performance issues, count variance trends, and inventory risk exposure.
- Develop and monitor KPIs for inventory accuracy, cycle count completion, transaction SLA compliance, exception aging, receiving discipline, adjustment trends, and 3PL performance.
- Lead corrective action planning and continuous improvement initiatives that address root causes rather than one-off cleanup.
- Translate operational data into clear leadership updates, prioritization recommendations, and action plans.
Required Qualifications- 8+ years of experience in warehouse operations, inventory control, supply chain operations, manufacturing operations, 3PL management, logistics operations, or a related field.
- Demonstrated experience leading inventory control, warehouse execution, partner operations, cycle counts, discrepancy resolution, and operational process improvement.
- Strong understanding of inventory practices, including receiving, transfers, cycle counting, variance investigation, inventory adjustments, scrap, MRB, RMA / reverse logistics movements, unbuild / rebuild activity, storage controls, transaction accuracy, and physical inventory governance.
- Experience working across multiple inventory nodes such as internal warehouses, manufacturing sites, contract manufacturers, 3PLs, data centers, or external partner locations.
- Working knowledge of ERP, WMS, and operational reporting systems; NetSuite experience is strongly preferred.
- Ability to partner effectively with Finance and Accounting on inventory controls, audit evidence, SOX readiness, period-end close, and financial exposure related to inventory activity.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to convert operational data into root-cause insights, corrective actions, and leadership recommendations.
- Excellent communication, escalation, and cross-functional leadership skills, with the ability to influence internal teams and external partners without direct authority.
Preferred Qualifications- Experience in hardware, semiconductor, electronics, data center infrastructure, contract manufacturing, or other complex technical manufacturing environments.
- Experience managing 3PL operating relationships, partner scorecards, business reviews, service-level expectations, and corrective action plans.
- Experience with SOX controls, audit readiness, segregation of duties, inventory valuation, or financial control environments.
- Experience implementing or improving ERP / WMS processes, dashboards, inventory reporting, or systematic controls; NetSuite experience is a plus.
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations, Business, Engineering, or a related field; equivalent experience will be considered.
- APICS CPIM, CSCP, Lean Six Sigma, PMP, or related certification is a plus.
Key Competencies- Operational ownership and follow-through
- Strong inventory control judgment and risk prioritization
- Analytical problem-solving and root-cause discipline
- Ability to operate in ambiguity and build scalable processes
- Cross-functional collaboration and professional conflict resolution
- Clear written and verbal communication
- Partner management and escalation discipline
- High attention to detail, documentation, and audit evidence
- Continuous improvement mindset
Success Measures- Improved inventory record accuracy across internal, contract manufacturer, partner, and 3PL locations.
- Reduced cycle count variance aging, inventory adjustments, write-offs, and recurring discrepancy drivers.
- Improved transaction SLA adherence for receiving, transfers, inventory movements, RMA / reverse logistics, scrap, MRB, and unbuild activity.
- Improved visibility, receipt confirmation, and system transaction accuracy for materials moving to and from sites through RMA and reverse logistics workflows.
- Audit-ready documentation for inventory custody, adjustments, approvals, count execution, and corrective actions.
- Improved 3PL performance visibility through scorecards, recurring reviews, and timely corrective action closure.
- Reduced manual reconciliation burden for Finance, Operations, and Systems teams.
The base salary range for this position is $170,000 to $248,000 annually. Actual compensation may include bonus and equity, and will be determined based on factors such as experience, skills, and qualifications.
