Inventory Control Specialist

PharMerica

Position Summary

The Inventory Control Specialist is responsible for improving inventory accuracy, strengthening inventory controls, and reducing operational and compliance risk across pharmacy locations. This role partners directly with pharmacy leaders and staff to assess current inventory practices, identify gaps, and implement process improvements that enhance tracking, accountability, and security.

The position is highly fieldfocused and requires extensive travel to pharmacy locations. The specialist will also coordinate with external inventory service vendors to support physical inventory counts, audits, and security initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

Inventory Accuracy & Control

Partner with pharmacy leadership and purchasing teams to evaluate inventory accuracy, identify variances, and determine root causes.
• Review inventory practices related to receiving, storage, dispensing, transfers, adjustments, and returns.
• Identify opportunities to tighten inventory controls, improve documentation, and reduce shrink, waste, and obsolescence.
• Support consistent application of inventory policies, SOPs, and internal control standards across locations.

Process Improvement & Risk Reduction

• Assess endtoend inventory workflows and recommend process changes to improve visibility, tracking, and accountability.
• Collaborate with operations, finance, compliance, and internal audit to address inventoryrelated risks and audit findings.
• Assist with implementation of standardized best practices for inventory management and control execution.
• Support remediation plans tied to internal audits, external audits, or regulatory reviews.

Physical Inventory & Vendor Coordination

• Coordinate and work directly with external inventory service providers to plan and execute physical inventory counts.
• Ensure pharmacies are properly prepared for physical inventories, audits, and inspections.
• Review inventory count results, identify discrepancies, and support followup investigations and corrective actions.
• Partner with pharmacy leaders to ensure timely resolution of inventory variances and documentation issues.

Audit, Compliance & Security

• Support inventoryrelated audits, including internal audit, SOXrelated controls (as applicable), and regulatory reviews.
• Evaluate inventory security practices, including access controls, storage, and monitoring.
• Recommend enhancements to inventory security and lossprevention controls, including controlled substance handling where applicable.
• Serve as a field resource for inventory compliance questions and escalations.

Training & Collaboration

• Educate pharmacy staff and leadership on inventory control expectations, best practices, and process changes.
• Provide handson guidance during site visits to reinforce proper inventory procedures.
• Partner with centralized inventory management, purchasing, finance, and compliance teams to ensure alignment.

Key Competencies

• Inventory accuracy & reconciliation
• Process improvement & risk mitigation
• Audit & compliance support
• Vendor coordination
• Fieldbased problem solving
• Communication and influence
• Operational discipline and followthrough

Work Environment

• Fieldbased role requiring frequent travel to pharmacy locations nationwide.
• Combination of onsite operational work and remote analysis/documentation.
• Occasional evenings or weekends may be required to support physical inventories.

Required

• Bachelor's degree in business, supply chain, operations, pharmacyrelated field, or equivalent experience.
• 3-5+ years of experience in inventory management, pharmacy operations, supply chain, audit, or operational controls.
• Experience working directly with field operations or multisite environments.
• Willingness and ability to travel up to 75% of the time.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to investigate discrepancies and identify root causes.
• High attention to detail and strong documentation skills.
• Ability to work independently in a fastpaced, fieldbased role.

Preferred

• Experience in longterm care, specialty, or institutional pharmacy environments.
• Familiarity with physical inventory processes and thirdparty inventory service vendors.
• Experience supporting audits, compliance initiatives, or internal controls.
• Knowledge of pharmacy inventory systems and ERP platforms.
• Prior exposure to loss prevention, inventory security, or controlled substance processes.