Unilever is Hiring Stock & Inventory Lead!
Function: Supply Chain, Logistics
Reports to: Logistics Manager
Scope: Factory Operations
Location: Nuevo León, México
Terms & Conditions: Full Time
WHO ARE WE?
Unilever is the place where you can bring your purpose to life with the work that you do - creating a better business and a better world. You will work on brands that are loved and improve the lives of our consumers and the communities around us. You will lead innovations, big and small, that will make our business win and grow. You will learn from brilliant business leaders and colleagues who provide mentorship and inspiration so that you can become a better you.
Role Purpose
The Stock & Inventory Lead is responsible for restoring and sustaining alignment between Handling Unit (HU), material, batch, quantity, and storage location across the warehouse. The role owns cycle-count governance in SAP EWM, investigates every inventory difference to root cause, ensures timely closure of physical movements in the system, and establishes a permanent risk-based counting programme.
This role safeguards inventory integrity, traceability, FEFO compliance, and operational continuity by using SAP EWM as the official system of record. The Stock & Inventory Lead drives disciplined execution and prevention of recurrence while maintaining clear separation of duties. The role does not replace the accountability of supervisors or serve as the person who repairs SAP after each operational error.
Key Responsabilities:
- Restore and sustain alignment between HU, material, batch, quantity, and storage location in SAP EWM and the physical warehouse / Finish goods.
- Investigate HUs consumed in the system but still physically present, as well as stock recorded in the system that cannot be located physically.
- Separate, analyse, and report positive and negative differences independently. Do not rely only on the net inventory position.
- Validate FEFO, batch, shelf-life, and expiry information to protect material usability, traceability, and quality compliance.
- Coordinate the controlled release of approximately 400 blocked storage positions through physical validation, system reconciliation, and approved corrective actions.
Cycle Counting Governance in SAP EWM
- Own the permanent cycle-count programme in SAP EWM, using product- or location-based counting and ABC classification according to inventory risk and business criticality.
- Create and monitor the counting plan, execution progress, recounts, pending approvals, tolerances, and closure of physical inventory documents.
- Ensure counts are executed through RF-supported processes whenever applicable and that SAP EWM remains the official inventory record, avoiding parallel control processes in spreadsheets.
- Maintain segregation of duties so that the person performing a count does not independently approve material differences above the defined tolerance.
- Use EWM difference analysis to investigate discrepancies, maintain evidence, support authorised postings, and ensure complete closure.
Transaction Integrity and Daily Controls
- Audit daily incomplete warehouse transactions, unconfirmed Warehouse Tasks (WTs), inconsistent HUs, blocked bins, open physical movements, and location mismatches.
- Ensure physical movements are completed accurately and on time in SAP EWM, including receipt, put-away, internal transfer, replenishment, staging, consumption, return, and shipment-related movements.
- Identify and classify deviations such as movement without RF, unconfirmed WT, incorrect HU, unit-of-measure error, batch error, consumption error, receipt error, or shipping error.
- Escalate inventory or transaction risks that could affect production, service, financial accuracy, traceability, or compliance.
- ·Maintain auditable evidence of findings, corrections, approvals, and preventive actions.
Root Cause Analysis and Recurrence Prevention
- Lead structured root cause analysis for each relevant inventory difference and convert findings into corrective and preventive actions.
- Report trends and recurrence by process, shift, and user while focusing on process control, capability, and prevention rather than individual blame.
- Partner with warehouse supervision, Manufacturing, Planning, Quality, Finance, SHE, and Logistics to eliminate operational causes of inventory inaccuracy.
- Coordinate network, RF-device, interface, master-data, and configuration corrections with IT and EWM support teams when system conditions contribute to the deviation.
- Follow up actions to verified closure and confirm that improvements are sustained through subsequent audits and counts.
Capability Building, Standards and Compliance
- Train and audit operators on SAP EWM, RF execution, HU handling, batch control, FEFO, counting standards, and transaction discipline.
- Reinforce supervisor accountability for shift execution, coaching, and compliance. Provide expertise and governance without replacing frontline leadership responsibilities.
- Develop and maintain standard work, audit routines, escalation criteria, role clarity, and visual management for inventory control.
- Support UMS and continuous improvement activities that reduce inventory losses, material-search time, production disruption, rework, and manual workarounds.
- Ensure inventory processes comply with SHE, Quality, GMP, internal control, financial control, and site logistics standards.
Performance Management and Reporting
- Maintain a focused inventory-control dashboard and lead routine performance reviews with clear owners, actions, and due dates.
- Track location-to-HU accuracy and material-to-batch-to-quantity accuracy.
- Report gross positive and gross negative inventory differences in USD as separate measures.
- Monitor blocked storage positions and ageing, HUs or WTs with inconsistencies, and the percentage of movements correctly completed using RF.
- Measure production tonnes affected by materials that cannot be located and prioritise systemic actions to protect operational continuity.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO APPLY? Experiences & Qualifications
- Completed bachelor degree or in process of obtaining bachelor degree in Logistics, Supply Chain, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, Operations Management, Engineering, Finance, or a related field.
- Minimum 3 years of experience in inventory control, warehouse operations, logistics, manufacturing, stock reconciliation, physical inventory, or supply chain execution.
- Hands-on experience with SAP EWM required, including inventory movements, HUs, Warehouse Tasks, physical inventory, cycle counting, RF execution, and discrepancy investigation.
- Experience with SAP ECC required or strongly preferred depending on site process integration.
- Experience performing root cause analysis, maintaining action plans, and preventing recurring inventory or transaction deviations.
- Working knowledge of batch management, FEFO, shelf-life control, unit-of-measure management, and warehouse traceability.
- Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Office required. Strong Excel knowledge required and Power BI knowledge preferred for analysis and reporting, while SAP EWM remains the official inventory-control system.
- Experience in FMCG, high-volume warehouse operations, automated warehouses, manufacturing logistics, or 3PL operations preferred.
- Ability to communicate professionally in English and Spanish in an operational environment.
Skills & Capabilities
- Strong understanding of outbound logistics, warehouse operations, and transportation management.
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to manage complex operational priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong leadership and people development capabilities.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
- High level of ownership, accountability, and operational discipline.
- Continuous improvement mindset with focus on service, quality, productivity, and cost optimization.
Leadership
- Focus on What Counts – Prioritizes activities that drive the greatest operational and customer impact.
- Stay Three Steps Ahead – Anticipates operational challenges and proactively develops solutions.
- Deliver with Excellence – Demonstrates ownership and consistently achieves high-quality results.
- Care Deeply – Puts customers, consumers, and operational teams at the center of decision-making.
INTERESTED?
Please submit your application through Workday, as email applications will not be processed.
At Unilever, we embrace diversity and encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply. We are committed to providing full and fair consideration to all applicants and to supporting the ongoing development of our employees regardless of age, disability, gender identity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy, or maternity.
We are also committed to making reasonable adjustments to ensure a positive and barrier-free recruitment process
Unilever is an organisation committed to equity, inclusion and diversity to drive our business results and create a better future, every day, for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. At Unilever we are interested in every individual bringing their ‘Whole Self’ to work and this includes you! Thus if you require any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of your application so that we can support you through your recruitment journey.