Head of Inventory Finance & Purchasing

Job Summary:
As the Head of Inventory Finance & Purchasing at Creative Chaos, you will oversee the financial planning and purchasing strategies that relate to inventory management. This includes ensuring the alignment of inventory levels with company objectives, optimizing procurement processes, and analyzing financial data related to inventory expenses to drive cost efficiencies. Your expertise in finance, combined with strong negotiation skills, will play a key role in maintaining an effective supply chain while maximizing profitability.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Core Responsibilities

End-to-End Purchasing Management

• Own all purchasing activities across multiple product categories: nicotine products, non-nicotine products, accessories, apparel, POS materials, marketing collateral, and future product lines.
• Source, evaluate, and manage multiple global vendors; negotiate pricing, terms, MOQs, and lead times.
• Create and manage all POs, track confirmations, and follow up on delays, discrepancies, and quality issues

Vendor, Manufacturing & Logistics Coordination

• Coordinate with international vendors, manufacturers, freight forwarders, and warehouse partners.
• Track production timelines, shipping schedules, customs clearance, and delivery milestones.
• Escalate any risks to supply continuity and propose mitigation plans proactively.

Inventory Planning & Forecast Alignment

• Partner closely with FP&A to translate SKU-level revenue forecasts into purchase plans and replenishment schedules.
• Build and maintain inventory models to prevent stockouts and avoid overstock
• Monitor inbound inventory, open POs, transit times, and safety stock levels.

Inventory Monitoring, Controls & Reporting

• Actively monitor inventory levels across all warehouses and 3PLs; identify hot spots, aging stock, and at-risk items.
• Produce weekly and monthly inventory reports for management with actionable insights.
• Flag and escalate issues involving shrinkage, discrepancies, expiry, or inaccurate receiving.

. Inventory Lifecycle & Accounting Ownership

• Oversee the full lifecycle: receiving, costing, landed cost allocation, valuation, reconciliations, and adjustments.
• Ensure accurate month-end close in QBO and all Shopify-integrated systems.
• Maintain alignment between warehouse systems, ERP tools, Shopify, and finance.

Systems Implementation & Optimization

• Lead the setup, configuration, and continuous improvement of inventory management platforms (ERP/WMS).
• Ensure proper workflows, controls, item master data standards, and clean data migration.
• Develop SOPs for purchasing, receiving, cycle counting, and inventory adjustments.

Cycle Counts, Physical Counts & Variance Resolution

• Own cycle count schedules with warehouse partners and lead full physical counts.
• Investigate and resolve discrepancies, working hands-on to identify root causes (system, vendor, warehouse, or process).
• Implement stronger internal controls to reduce shrinkage, errors, and operational waste.

Financial Reporting, Analysis & Compliance

• Prepare and analyze all inventory-related financial reports including:
• Aging
• Write-offs / obsolescence
• Margin analysis
• Landed cost reports
• Audit schedules
• Ensure clean, accurate, and reconcilable data flow between all systems (WMS, ERP, Shopify, QBO).
• Support internal and external audits related to inventory and COGS.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Work closely with Sales, Marketing, FP&A, Product, Manufacturing, and Operations to stay ahead of demand trends and product launches.
• Operate as the company’s subject-matter expert on inventory finance and purchasing strategy.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, or a related field; a master's degree is preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in finance or purchasing, with at least 5 years in a leadership role.
• Strong knowledge of inventory management principles and best practices.
• Proven experience in financial analysis, budgeting, and forecasting.
• Excellent negotiation and contract management skills.
• Proficient in financial modeling and inventory management software.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.
• Experience in a technology or creative industry is a plus.

Benefits

• Paid Time Off
• Health Insurance
• OPD
• Training and Development

Originally posted on Himalayas