Inventory Specialist (Property and Interior)

Inventory Specialist (Transformation Team)

• Location: Cape Town
• Position Type: Full-Time (Hybrid – 2 days in-office)
• Working hours: Aligned with UK time. Reporting to UK-Based Head of Transformations

Our client is looking for a commercially minded and detail-driven Inventory Specialist to join their Transformation team.

This is a pivotal operational role responsible for owning the company’s furniture inventory end-to-end from warehouse management and stock planning to purchasing, installation cost control, and offboarding recovery.

Our client has built a substantial and valuable owned furniture inventory over many years. This inventory cycles continuously in and out of properties: installed during onboarding and returned to stock when homes sell. The Inventory Specialist ensures this loop runs accurately, efficiently, and predictably protecting one of the business’s most valuable physical assets while enabling clean, cost-effective project delivery.

This role offers strong cross-functional exposure across Design, Finance, Client Success, and Project Management, and is ideal for someone who combines operational rigour with strong commercial judgement and a genuine interest in furniture and interiors.

The Role

As Inventory Specialist, you will act as the operational command centre for furniture inventory. You’ll translate creative direction and project demand into stock availability, warehouse planning, and seamless onboarding and offboarding execution.

You will be accountable for:

• Inventory availability and accuracy
• Warehouse partner management
• Purchasing and forecasting
• Installation cost control
• Offboarding recovery and resale decisions
• Operational scalability as the business grows

Key Responsibilities

Inventory Ownership & Warehouse Management

• Own the full lifecycle of the company’s owned furniture inventory
• Build and actively manage inventory and storage plans, forecasting stock levels and warehouse capacity
• Act as day-to-day lead with the warehouse partner
• Maintain clear visibility of what stock is held, where it is, and its condition
• Ensure returned furniture is quality-checked and ready for reuse promptly
• Make commercially sound decisions on repair, reuse, resale, or disposal

Inventory Planning, Forecasting & Purchasing

• Monitor stock levels by category and identify gaps ahead of demand
• Balance upcoming project pipeline, offboards, and existing stock when planning purchases
• Translate creative direction into clear stock requirements
• Own the full ordering lifecycle for core replenishment and project-specific items
• Track lead times and align deliveries with project timelines
• Partner with Finance to ensure purchasing aligns with approved cash flow
• Maximise capital reuse while controlling storage and supporting scale

Designer Enablement & Installation Execution

• Provide designers with clear and reliable inventory visibility
• Confirm availability ahead of furniture selection submission
• Flag risks early where stock is constrained
• Review selections pre-install for feasibility and accuracy
• Coordinate picking and preparation with the warehouse partner
• Support Project Managers to complete onboarding in a single drop wherever possible
• Control installation costs within agreed financial models

Offboarding & Recovery

• Partner with Client Success to determine furniture outcomes at property sale
• Decide which items return to stock and which are sold or disposed
• Identify resale opportunities to maximise recovery value
• Minimise delays between sale and stock reuse

Strategic Furniture Partnerships (Non-Owned Stock)

• Support the management of third-party furniture partners
• Ensure inventory planning reflects when external rental or purchase packs are used
• Maintain operational clarity across owned and partner-led installs
• Prevent duplication or logistical clashes

Systems & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain accurate inventory systems without over-complication
• Provide clear reporting on stock levels, risks, and cost exposure
• Identify recurring operational issues and implement sustainable improvements
• Reduce rework, noise, and last-minute disruption

What Success Looks Like

• Inventory becomes predictable, scalable, and capital-efficient
• Designers trust stock availability
• Installations complete in one clean drop
• Storage and installation costs remain controlled
• Zero failed installs due to inventory issues
• Capital is reused efficiently across projects

Core KPIs

• Inventory accuracy by category
• Install-ready availability for upcoming projects
• Storage and installation cost control
• Delivery reliability

What We’re Looking For

• 4+ years’ experience in furniture, inventory, warehouse, or operational roles
• Strong commercial judgement and cost awareness
• A genuine interest and eye for furniture and interiors
• Confidence working cross-functionally across Design, Finance, Client Success, and Operations
• Excellent relationship-building skills in a remote environment
• High attention to detail and strong follow-through
• Strong systems proficiency (experience with monday.com, Veeqo, Shopify or similar platforms preferred)
• Calm, accountable, and solutions-focused under pressure
• Fluent English (written and spoken)

Work Requirements

• Stable fibre internet connection
• Loadshedding backup solution
• Own laptop capable of running multiple programmes (dual screens desirable)
• Dedicated home office or professional working space

Working Arrangement

• Hybrid: 2 days per week in Cape Town office
• Reporting to UK-based Head of Department
• Business operates 7 days per week (occasional weekend support may be required but unlikely)
• Must be based in Cape Town, South Africa