Inventory Control Manager

Foodpanda, part of the Delivery Hero Group and a leading local delivery platform operating in around 65 countries, is seeking an Inventory Control Manager based in Karachi, Lahore, or Islamabad. This role is pivotal in maintaining inventory integrity, governance, and loss prevention across the company’s QCommerce network. The successful candidate will ensure accurate physical stock, inventory systems, and financial records by implementing effective controls throughout inventory movement stages. Collaboration with Operations, Supply Chain, Commercial, and Finance teams is essential to identify risks, investigate losses, and apply corrective measures. Additionally, the manager will translate regional inventory control standards into consistent local practices, driving improvements in stock accuracy, shrinkage, and expiry management.

Key Responsibilities

Inventory Governance & Financial Reconciliation: Develop and enforce inventory policies, standard operating procedures, and approval controls across all owned and third-party logistics (3PL) facilities. Ensure all inventory movements are recorded accurately and promptly in warehouse management systems (WMS), enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, and financial records. Lead reconciliation efforts between inventory sub-ledger and General Ledger in partnership with Finance, resolving discrepancies to support month-end close. Validate stock adjustments through physical verification, reason codes, supporting evidence, and approvals while maintaining clear accountability and audit trails.

Stock Accuracy & Transaction Controls: Oversee the nationwide stocktake and cycle count program, including risk-based scheduling, variance investigations, and authorized adjustments. Reconcile dispatch and receipt quantities for stock transfers and resolve discrepancies. Monitor reserved stock and sales buffers, working closely with Operations to manage exceptions and release eligible stock. Manage supplier returns from authorization through collection and credit-note reconciliation. Conduct site audits and verify corrective actions to close control gaps.

Shrinkage, Expiry & Inventory Risk: Analyze shrinkage, expiry, and damage data by site and SKU, assign corrective actions, and track their effectiveness. Investigate unknown losses and challenge unsupported adjustments, write-offs, and loss claims. Verify expiry dates against system records and ensure compliance with first-expiry-first-out (FEFO) processes. Identify near-expiry, slow-moving, and zero-moving stock, coordinating clearance, returns, and transfers with Planning, Commercial, and Operations teams. Pursue eligible claims from suppliers and 3PLs before approving write-offs. Escalate significant inventory risks with clear assessments and recommended actions.

Warehouse & 3PL Assurance: Monitor compliance with inventory service level agreements (SLAs), including stock accuracy, reconciliation timelines, adjustment turnaround, and shrinkage targets. Validate 3PL stock records, investigate discrepancies, and challenge loss claims using contractual terms and evidence. Serve as the primary escalation point for inventory disputes involving Operations, Finance, and 3PL partners. Drive consistent controls across receiving, storage, picking, dispatch, returns, and disposal processes.

Systems & Process Improvement: Define inventory control requirements for system enhancements and lead user acceptance testing, pilot validation, and post-launch reviews. Govern inventory-critical master data, including units of measure, expiry parameters, and FEFO settings, coordinating cost-data validation with Finance. Collaborate with Technology and operational teams to resolve system issues affecting stock integrity. Enhance reporting capabilities and automate exception detection, reconciliation, and control monitoring where possible.

Leadership & Performance Management: Lead cross-functional inventory reviews to ensure clear ownership, deadlines, and evidence of action closure. Provide actionable reporting on losses, stock accuracy, financial exposure, and control compliance to the Country General Manager and regional Inventory Control team. Build inventory control capabilities through training, coaching, and consistent application of standards.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Finance, or a related field. Minimum of 5 years’ experience in inventory control, warehouse operations, or supply chain auditing within retail, FMCG, e-commerce, or darkstore environments. Strong expertise in stock reconciliation, financial inventory controls, stocktakes, and 3PL governance. Hands-on experience with WMS/ERP platforms such as SAP and analytical tools like Looker, BigQuery, or equivalents. Proven ability to improve inventory accuracy, reduce unexplained losses, and resolve recurring process gaps. Excellent analytical, investigative, and stakeholder management skills, with the capacity to challenge discrepancies and drive accountability across teams.

This position offers the opportunity to lead critical inventory control functions within a rapidly growing QCommerce network, collaborating with cross-functional teams to enhance operational excellence and financial integrity.