Senior / Lead Specialist, Inventory

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Senior / Lead Inventory Specialist supports inventory management strategy and processes in alignment with company policies. This position is responsible for maintaining inventory accuracy, data visibility, and ensuring material availability by analyzing inventory data, maintaining effective controls, resolving discrepancies, and supporting inventory optimization initiatives to meet operational requirements. This position works closely with key stakeholders, such as Engineering & Construction (E&C) and Operations. 

The Senior / Lead Inventory Specialist is accountable for the execution of inventory analysis, planning and classification, critical material ordering, delivery and management, and item master setup. The position shall communicate effectively, collaborate with other teams and functions, and seek for innovation and continuous improvement. 

RESPONSIBILITIES AND ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Stakeholder Management

• Communicate with integrity across key business stakeholders to align risks, mitigations, and opportunities in support of operational execution and administration. 
• Leverage collaboration and cross-team workload within SCM functions and with the business. Ensure SCM services are delivered with quality and timely response. 
• Maintains frequent and effective engagements with key stakeholders to proactively identify operational requirements.
• Promote a data-driven and proactive inventory management culture.
• Provide input, opportunities, and recommendations for supplier delivery performance improvements. 

Inventory Planning, Control and Accuracy

• Monitor and maintain appropriate inventory levels, stocking policies, safety stock, and reorder parameters.
• Support material planning against demand, ensuring material availability: integrate and connect demand planning with inventory materials planning, purchasing, invoicing, and payment requirements to identify efficiencies and improvement opportunities. 
• Monitor and maintain inventory classification, criticality, and movement-based classifications.
• Maintain and improve inventory processes, standards, and procedures.
• Maintain accuracy between physical inventory and systems records.
• Monitor/Execute cycle-counting and physical inventory programs.
• Analyze inventory discrepancies, determine root causes, and recommend corrective actions.
• Monitor/execute inventory adjustments, transfers, receipts, issues, and returns.
• Support internal/external inventory audits. Develop recommendations to address audit findings, non-compliances scenarios, etc.

Inventory Performance Management and Optimization

• Monitor and report KPIs including inventory accuracy, inventory turnover, stockouts frequency, excess and obsolete inventory, slow-moving and non-moving inventory, material availability / service level, cycle-count accuracy, aging inventory, inventory carrying cost, replenishment performance.
• Develop and maintain dashboards and reports to communicate inventory performance and trends.
• Analyze data to identify inventory risks.
• Analyze, recommend, and assign inventory levels consumption, demand, and usage trends.
• Identify opportunities for standardization and SKU rationalization.
• Identify excess, obsolete, slow-moving, and inactive inventory. Manage material disposal and process expired items.

Material Availability and Replenishment Management

• Ensure critical materials are available at the right time and location.
• Monitor shortages and potential stock-outs.
• Coordinate with Purchasing, Planning, Maintenance, Production and Warehouse Operations regarding replenishment and ordering needs.
• Support critical maintenance activity (turnarounds and capital projects) and operational routine requirements.
• Analyze historical consumption, future material demand and establish replenishment requirements.
• Identify corrective actions for shortages. Coordinate expediting activities with Purchasing and stakeholders as needed.
• Recommend opportunities to improve inventory availability while reducing unnecessary stock.

Inventory Data and Master Data

• Administer item master data system. Maintain accurate inventory-related master data.
• Review material descriptions, units of measure, storage locations, and inventory parameters. Ensure data quality and support data cleansing and standardization initiatives.
• Ensure transactions are completed accurately and timely.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve inventory processes and controls.
• Participate in root-cause analysis of recurring inventory issues.
• Support processes standardization and automation.
• Recommend improvements to inventory policies and procedures.

Compliance and Governance

• Ensure compliance with inventory policies, standards, and procedures.
• Support internal and external inventory audits.
• Maintain proper documentation and transaction records.
• Promote appropriate inventory controls and segregation of duties.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• Combination of technical inventory knowledge, analytical capability, leadership, and supply chain expertise.
• Expertise with purchasing complex/critical material and equipment, inventory management, material planning, logistics and warehouse operations, data management and supply chain systems, inventory strategy, and business case development. 
• In-depth knowledge of Oracle’s iProcurement Purchasing modules and Maximo.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Education and Certifications:  Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in Supply Chain Management or related field of study. 

Experience: 

• Senior Specialist: Minimum five (5) years’ applicable, progressive supply chain operations experience.
• Lead Specialist: Minimum eight (8) years’ applicable, progressive supply chain operations experience. 

DIRECT REPORTS

None

WORK CONDITIONS

Physical Area: Our Houston office is in the heart of downtown and we offer free parking or a metro ticket to get here. With all corporate teams at the same location, there’s always a buzz around the office. You’ll have dedicated desk space and plenty of collaborative interaction. 

Facilities and hardware: Our offices are modern, bright, and designed to foster collaboration. You’ll have access to great IT equipment and support and can readily access the downtown tunnels, restaurants, and on-site gym. 

Working conditions: Cheniere is committed to improving the wellbeing of our employees and while you may on occasion need to work outside usual working hours, we aspire to provide a good work life balance for all. 

• Call-out after work hours will be required (occasional to medium frequency), including holidays, weekends, and nights.
• Must maintain a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) card in good standing status.
• Frequent to moderate travel to our operations sites and warehouse locations will be required. 
• Subject to drug and alcohol testing, per applicable federal regulations or as required by Cheniere. 

Company culture: So, what’s the culture like at Cheniere? It’s our values — teamwork, respect, accountability, integrity, nimbleness, and safety — at work. We’re happy when we hear employees say we have a great culture. But we’re not satisfied with building a great culture, we’re endeavoring to build the best culture. 

ADA JOB REQUIREMENTS

Reasonable accommodations will be made to ensure that the essential functions of the job can be performed and not hinder the employee's performance due to physical, mental or emotional disability.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Cheniere Energy is an equal opportunity workplace. All employment decisions are made without regard to sex, race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other legally protected categories. This includes providing reasonable accommodation if requested for disabilities or religious beliefs and practices.