Position Title: Inventory & Demand Planning Manager

Join our team of heroes!

The Inventory Control Manager provides strategic leadership for the management, forecasting, and optimization of blood component inventory, research products, and critical operational supplies across the organization. This role ensures the reliable availability of life‑saving blood products while minimizing waste and improving operational efficiency in a highly regulated healthcare environment.

The manager leads inventory control staff and collaborates with Business Development, Donor Collections, Component Manufacturing, Logistics, and Research teams to align the supply of life-saving biological products to client demand. This position plays a vital role in ensuring the availability of blood components, specialty, and research products during routine operations, seasonal fluctuations, and emergency response scenarios.

Just For You:

• Competitive compensation and benefits package.

• Texas Medical Center location with free parking.

• Education and Career Advancement.

• Mentoring for advanced certification as a Specialist in Blood Banking (SBB).

• Engaging and exciting opportunity to SAVE LIVES.

Tips to thrive in our culture:

• Embody our Core Values of Commitment, Integrity, and Respect

• Work to actively create experiences that inspire others to save lives, each and every day.

• Embrace doing it right, making connections, and creating desired experiences.

• Comply with all organizational policies and standards, including safety rules, and be willing to report actual and potential violations to the appropriate supervisor or manager.

Essential Responsibilities

Inventory & demand planning strategy – 35%

• Develop and implement enterprise-wide inventory strategies for blood components, specialty products, research materials, and operational supplies.

• Lead forecasting and predictive demand planning to balance client utilization with collection capacity and manufacturing throughput.

• Optimize inventory levels across distribution points to ensure rapid response to client demand.

• Implement strategies that reduce product outdates/expirations while maintaining appropriate safety stock.

• Oversee the lifecycle of blood components and specialty products from manufacturing through client distribution.

• Lead inventory strategies during blood shortages, disasters, or emergency demand surges.

• Develop contingency supply plans to maintain blood and specialty products availability during disruptions.

Cross-functional coordination & stakeholder management – 25%

• Coordinate closely with Component Manufacturing, Donor Collections, and Business Development to align production with forecasted demand.

• Coordinate regional and national blood-sharing strategies when required.

• Work with Logistics teams to support efficient product distribution across the region.

Operational inventory control & optimization– 25%

• Implement strategies that reduce product outdates/expirations while maintaining appropriate safety stock.

• Oversee the lifecycle of blood components and specialty products from manufacturing through client distribution.

People leadership, compliance, & improvement – 15%

• Implement of dashboards and reporting tools to support operational visibility and executive decision making.

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to improve inventory turnover and reduce product waste.

• Ensure compliance with FDA, AABB, CAP, and applicable regulatory standards.

• Maintain accurate documentation, traceability, and inventory control practices.

• Support internal audits, inspections, and quality improvement initiatives.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain management, Healthcare Administration, Business, or related field required.

Experience

• 3-5 years of experience in supply chain, blood banking, or inventory management.

• Advanced knowledge of inventory management systems and supply chain analytics.

• Experience with forecasting tools and predictive modeling.

• Strong analytical and operational problem‑solving skills.
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Lean, Six Sigma, or operational improvement methodologies preferred.
  

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Regular use of hands; reaching, stooping, kneeling, crouching or crawling, talking and hearing; frequent standing and walking; occasional sitting, climbing, or balancing; frequent lifting and/or moving up to 30 lbs.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Frequently exposed to blood and blood components, other biohazard materials, moving mechanical parts, and extreme cold; occasionally exposed to toxic or caustic chemicals, risk of electrical shock, and risk of radiation.

Travel: N/A

Schedule: Full-time availability, with willingness to work overtime, weekends, and holidays as business needs require

Who We Are:

Since 1975, Gulf Coast Blood has been one of the nation’s largest community blood centers, serving 170 hospitals across 26 counties. Headquartered in Houston, we support the world’s largest medical complex—the Texas Medical Center—while operating 18 donor centers and hosting more than 7,000 mobile blood drives each year. As an FDA-accredited nonprofit, we provide high-quality human cellular material for both scientific and therapeutic use.

Some Jobs Change Lives. Others Save Them. 

Think you have what it takes to save lives with us? We want to hear from you.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER STATEMENT

Gulf Coast Blood is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants for positions are considered without regard to race/ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, age, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, military status, protected veteran status, disability status, genetic testing results, or any other basis or characteristic prohibited by applicable law, statute, regulation or Executive Order.