Inventory Control Manager

foodpanda, part of the Delivery Hero Group—one of the world’s leading local delivery platforms—operates in approximately 65 countries with its headquarters in Berlin, Germany. Our mission is to deliver an exceptional experience that is fast, easy, and right to your door. Delivery Hero has been listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since 2017 and is included in the MDAX stock market index.

We are currently 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 country’s QCommerce network. The Inventory Control Manager ensures that physical stock, inventory systems, and financial records are accurate and reconciled, implementing effective controls throughout every stage of inventory movement. Collaborating closely with Operations, Supply Chain, Commercial, and Finance teams, the manager identifies inventory risks, investigates losses, and drives corrective actions to completion. This position also involves translating regional inventory control standards into consistent local execution, with clear ownership and measurable improvements in stock accuracy, shrinkage, and expiry management.

Key Responsibilities

- Inventory Governance & Financial Reconciliation: Establish and enforce inventory policies, standard operating procedures, and approval controls across all owned and third-party logistics (3PL) facilities. Ensure accurate and timely recording of inventory movements in warehouse management systems (WMS), enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, and financial records. Lead sub-ledger to General Ledger reconciliations in partnership with Finance, resolving discrepancies to support timely month-end closure. Validate stock adjustments with physical verification, proper reason codes, supporting evidence, and required approvals. Maintain clear accountability and audit trails for inventory movements, adjustments, and write-offs.

- Stock Accuracy & Transaction Controls: Own the country-wide stocktake and cycle count program, including risk-based scheduling, count integrity, variance investigation, and approved adjustments. Reconcile dispatch and receipt quantities for stock transfers, resolving discrepancies and overdue transfers. Monitor reserved stock and sales buffers against agreed rules, collaborating with Operations to resolve exceptions and release eligible stock. Oversee supplier returns from authorization through physical stock movement to collection and credit-note reconciliation. Conduct site audits and verify that corrective actions address control gaps.

- Shrinkage, Expiry & Inventory Risk: Analyze shrinkage, expiry, and damage by site, SKU, and root cause; assign corrective actions and track their effectiveness. Investigate unknown losses and challenge unsupported adjustments, write-offs, and loss claims. Verify physical expiry dates against system records and ensure adherence to first-expiry-first-out (FEFO) processes. Identify near-expiry, high Days-on-Hand (DOH), zero-moving, and slow-moving stock; coordinate clearance, returns, and transfers with Planning, Commercial, and Operations teams. Pursue eligible supplier and 3PL claims before losses are written off. Escalate material inventory risks with clear assessment, recommended actions, accountable owners, and resolution timelines.

- 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 supporting 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. Improve reporting and automate exception detection, reconciliation, and control monitoring where feasible.

- Leadership & Performance Management: Lead cross-functional inventory reviews, securing 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 capability through training, coaching, and consistent application of standards.

Required Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Finance, or a related discipline.
- Minimum of 5 years’ relevant experience in inventory control, warehouse operations, or supply chain auditing within retail, FMCG, e-commerce, or darkstore environments.
- Strong knowledge of 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 track record of improving inventory accuracy, reducing unexplained losses, and resolving recurring process gaps.
- Excellent analytical, investigative, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to challenge discrepancies and drive accountability across teams.

This role offers the opportunity to lead critical inventory control functions within a dynamic and fast-growing QCommerce environment, contributing directly to operational excellence and financial integrity.