Head of Inventory

Role Summary

Morgan McKinley is delighted to be partnering with a highly successful and well-established Irish business in the appointment of a Head of Inventory.

Having built a strong market position over several decades, the organisation is entering a significant phase of growth and expansion. As part of its continued investment in the business, a brand-new Head of Inventory position has been created to strengthen its operational capabilities and support its future ambitions.

This is a strategically important appointment, offering the successful candidate the opportunity to take full ownership of inventory management across multiple locations, overseeing an inventory portfolio valued at more than €3 million.

Leading an established team of approximately 15-20 people, the successful candidate will be responsible for developing the inventory function, improving stock accuracy, optimising working capital and introducing more sophisticated systems and processes.

The business is looking for an ambitious, commercially minded and forward-thinking leader who can challenge existing practices, embrace technology and drive meaningful improvements through data analytics, automation and AI.

This is an excellent opportunity to join an established business at a pivotal stage of its growth journey, with the autonomy and senior leadership support to shape, develop and transform a critical business function.

Key Responsibilities

• Inventory Strategy & Ownership: Take full accountability for inventory exceeding €3m across multiple locations, ensuring robust controls, stock accuracy and effective inventory management.

• Inventory Optimisation: Develop strategies to improve stock turn, reduce excess and obsolete inventory, optimise stock cover and improve working capital efficiency without compromising customer service.

• Inventory Control: Establish and maintain best-practice inventory controls, policies and procedures, ensuring stock movements, adjustments, transfers and write-offs are accurately managed.

• Cycle Counting & Accuracy: Lead and continuously improve the cycle-counting programme, introducing risk-based approaches and ensuring discrepancies are investigated and root causes addressed.

• Supplier Returns: Take ownership of supplier returns, ensuring outstanding stock and credits are managed efficiently and financial recoveries are maximised.

• Technology, Data & AI: Identify opportunities to modernise the function through improved ERP/WMS utilisation, automation, data analytics, real-time reporting and practical applications of AI.

• Leadership & Development: Lead and develop an established team of approximately 15-20 people, building capability, accountability, succession and a high-performance culture.

• Continuous Improvement: Challenge existing processes, lead operational improvement initiatives and develop a structured roadmap to enhance inventory performance and efficiency.

• Stakeholder Management: Work closely with senior leadership and cross-functional teams to align inventory strategy with wider commercial and operational objectives.

Key Requirements

• Significant experience in a senior inventory, stock management or supply chain leadership position.

• Proven experience managing substantial, multi-million-euro inventory portfolios.

• Experience leading and developing sizeable teams within a multi-site, high-volume environment.

• Strong technical knowledge of inventory control, stock optimisation, cycle counting and inventory planning methodologies.

• Demonstrable experience improving stock accuracy, inventory turn and working capital efficiency.

• Strong ERP/WMS systems knowledge, with the ability to maximise technology and reporting capabilities.

• Excellent analytical skills, with the ability to interpret data and translate insights into commercial improvements.

• Experience delivering operational transformation, process improvement and automation initiatives.

• Commercially astute, with a strong understanding of the relationship between inventory, profitability, working capital and customer service.

• A forward-thinking mindset with an interest in emerging technologies, AI and innovation.

• Strong leadership, communication and stakeholder-management capabilities.

The Ideal Candidate

An ambitious and commercially driven inventory leader who enjoys challenging the status quo, developing people and building better ways of working. Someone who can combine strategic thinking with practical execution and is motivated by the opportunity to make a significant impact within a growing organisation.