IMD Manager
Associated Wholesale Grocers · Kansas City
Senior Manager Inventory Management
Location: 5000 Kansas Avenue Kansas City, KS 66106
Work Model: Hybrid
Department: Inventory Management (IMD)
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The Senior Manager of Inventory Management is a key leader within HGS and Grocery Procurement, responsible for driving service levels, inventory control, inventory turns, and inventory planning. This role leads a team of managers and buyers overseeing the purchasing of inventory supporting $6+ billion in Dry Grocery, Frozen, Ice Cream, Dairy, Health Beauty & Wellness, General Merchandise, and Specialty Foods products. The Senior Manager partners closely with cross-functional teams to ensure operational excellence and alignment with company objectives.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Operational Leadership: Oversee daily operations within IMD for assigned focus areas ensuring responsibilities are executed effectively while fostering a culture of collaboration, integrity, and accountability.
- Performance Management: Support achievement of service level, inventory, and availability targets. Translate organizational goals into actionable priorities, monitor trends, and implement improvements across Grocery, Dairy, Frozen, and HGS.
- Team Leadership: Lead, coach, and develop staff, including buying managers and turn buyers. Participate in hiring, performance management, and succession planning efforts.
- Inventory Oversight: Monitor inventory performance metrics including turns, salvage, gains, and Days on Hand (DOH) to ensure profitability and alignment with financial goals.
- Procurement Execution: Oversee procurement of open market purchases through trading partners, ensuring effective execution of sourcing strategies.
- Forecasting & Analysis: Analyze sales trends and update forecasts to support promotional activity and seasonal demand.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with IMD Director, Merchandising, Traffic, and division teams to optimize inventory performance and strengthen vendor relationships.
- Supply Chain Optimization: Support initiatives with vendors and internal teams to improve inbound compliance and overall supply chain performance.
- Culture & Values: Champion AWG Ways (Be Kind, Be Collaborative, Be Proactive, Be Innovative, Be Exceptional) and core principles HATS (Humility, Accountability, Transparency, Serving).
Qualification Requirements
- To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made in accordance with ADA guidelines.
Position Requirements
- Experience: 5–8 years of buying or inventory management experience, with 2–4 years of leadership or supervisory experience.
- Education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required.
- Industry Knowledge: Retail experience, preferably within the grocery industry.
- Technical Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite; AWG system knowledge preferred.
Key Competencies
Strong strategic and tactical thinking skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities
Effective communication across all organizational levels
Solid understanding of analytics, forecasting, and inventory planning
Ability to anticipate supply chain challenges and proactively implement solutions
Strong problem-solving and prioritization skills
Proven ability to develop and mentor talent
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. (AWG) is the nation’s largest cooperative food wholesaler to independently owned supermarkets, serving 1,100 member companies and 3,500 locations throughout 33 states from 9 wholesale division support centers. Consolidated sales for AWG in 2025 were $12.2 billion. In addition to its cooperative wholesale operations, the company also operates subsidiary companies that provide certain real estate and supermarket development services, and pharmaceutical products. For more information, visit AWGinc.com.
Benefits:
Medical, Dental, & Vision Insurance
Health Savings Account
Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
Paid Vacation, Holiday, and Sick Time
401(k) with 4% match along with 3 other contributions
Tuition Reimbursement
Basic & Supplemental Life and AD&D
Employee Assistance Program
Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
Wellness Program
Yearly Holiday Bonus
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