The Blue Ocean Group is one of the fastest growing companies in the food and beverage contract manufacturing space as we are looking to add an Inventory Specialist to our dynamic Operations Team at our Surrey, B.C. facility.
The Inventory Coordinator is responsible for maintaining accurate inventory records, monitoring stock levels, coordinating inventory movements, and supporting efficient warehouse and supply chain operations. In the food industry, this role places particular emphasis on product freshness, lot and batch tracking, expiry dates, FIFO/FEFO practices, food safety, and inventory accuracy.
The Inventory Specialist works closely with purchasing, production, warehouse, logistics, QA, and our sales teams to ensure the right products are available at the right time while minimizing waste, shortages, overstock, and product loss.
Key Responsibilities
- Maintain accurate inventory records in the company
- Monitor inventory levels and identify shortages, excess stock, slow-moving items, and potential stock-outs.
- Perform regular cycle counts and physical inventory counts.
- Investigate and reconcile inventory discrepancies.
- Track product movements, transfers, adjustments, damages, returns, and write-offs.
- Maintain accurate records of raw materials, ingredients, packaging materials, finished goods, and other inventory.
Food Industry Requirements
- Monitor lot numbers, batch numbers, production dates, best-before dates, and expiry dates.
- Apply FIFO (First In, First Out) and FEFO (First Expired, First Out) inventory practices where applicable.
- Identify products approaching expiry and communicate with relevant departments regarding appropriate action.
- Support traceability requirements and product recall procedures.
- Ensure inventory handling follows company food safety, sanitation, quality, and regulatory procedures.
- Report damaged, contaminated, temperature-abused, expired, or otherwise non-conforming products.
Warehouse & Operations
- Coordinate with warehouse staff to ensure inventory is properly received, stored, labelled, and issued.
- Verify receiving documentation against purchase orders and physical quantities.
- Assist with shipping and order fulfillment activities when required.
- Monitor storage conditions and communicate issues that could affect product quality.
- Help optimize warehouse organization and inventory locations.
- Investigate inventory-related issues affecting customer orders or production schedules.
Reporting & Analysis
- Prepare inventory reports, variance reports, aging reports, and other operational reports.
- Analyze inventory trends and recommend improvements to inventory levels and processes.
- Monitor inventory accuracy and key performance indicators.
- Provide information to purchasing and operations teams to support replenishment decisions.
- Identify opportunities to reduce food waste, shrinkage, obsolete inventory, and carrying costs.
Compliance & Safety
- Follow applicable Canadian food safety and workplace health and safety requirements.
- Follow company policies and procedures related to food handling, sanitation, allergen control, and product traceability.
- Maintain accurate documentation for audits and inspections.
- Support internal and external inventory, quality, and food safety audits.
- Follow safe lifting, material-handling, and warehouse practices.
Qualifications
- High school diploma or equivalent required.
- Post-secondary education in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Inventory Management, Business Administration, or a related field is an asset.
- 1–3 years of inventory, warehouse, logistics, purchasing, or supply chain experience, preferably in the food manufacturing, food distribution, grocery, or food-service industry.
- Experience working with a NetSuite or SAP inventory management systems.
- Strong knowledge of inventory control principles and cycle counting.
- Understanding of FIFO/FEFO and food product shelf-life management.
- Strong attention to detail and numerical accuracy.
- Good organizational and time-management skills.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a cross-functional team.
- Good written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to work in a warehouse and production environment is required.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with systems such as NetSuite, Oracle or SAP ERP platforms.
- Experience with barcode scanners and warehouse management systems.
- Knowledge of HACCP, GMP, SQF, BRCGS, or other food safety systems.
- Experience with lot/batch traceability and product recalls.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, including sorting, filtering, pivot tables, and inventory reporting.
- Experience in a Canadian food manufacturing or distribution environment.
Working Conditions
- Combination of office and warehouse/production-floor work.
- The job requires standing, walking, bending, lifting, and moving inventory or cartons.
- The job will require early morning, evening, or weekend work depending on operational requirements.
- Personal protective equipment (PPE) may be required in warehouse and production areas.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Success in this position may be measured by:
- Inventory accuracy
- Cycle count accuracy
- Inventory variance
- Stock-out frequency
- Product expiry and waste levels
- Inventory shrinkage
- Order fulfillment accuracy
- Lot and batch traceability accuracy
- Timeliness of inventory reporting
- Compliance with food safety and inventory procedures
Core Competencies
- Inventory control
- Attention to detail
- Data accuracy and analysis
- Problem solving
- Organization and prioritization
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Food safety awareness
- Time management
- Continuous improvement
- Accountability
Please respond to the posting with your resume and references.
Pay: $26.00-$28.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Dental care
- Extended health care
- Mileage reimbursement
- On-site parking
- Vision care
Work Location: In person
