Assistant Parts Manager

Job Title: Assistant Parts Manager

Reports to: Branch Manager

Location: St. Louis, MO

Department: Parts Salary

FLSA Status: Exempt

About Us: CraneWorks is an award-winning global provider of lifting solutions. Our commitment to customer service is unparalleled and we consistently strive to earn our customers' loyalty and trust. Our fundamental values are safety, quality, integrity, reliability, and teamwork and our commitment to these values help steer our business operations. We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.

Job Summary: This position is responsible for supporting the Parts Manager in the day-to-day operation of a high-volume crane parts department serving internal service/field teams and external customers. The Assistant Parts Manager helps lead counter and warehouse staff, ensures accurate inventory control, drives parts sales and gross margin, and maintains exceptional service levels to keep cranes up and running safely and efficiently.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the front counter and will-call operations; coach parts counter reps on OEM lookups, diagrams, and proper cross-referencing.
• Quote, source, and fulfill parts for cranes, boom trucks, hoists, rigging, hydraulics, engines, and electrical systems.
• Serve as an escalation point for complex orders, emergency breakdowns, and backorder recovery plans.

• Coordinate closely with Service, Field, and Rental teams to stage job kits and field-stock replenishment.

• Maintain min/max levels, reorder points, and safety stock based on usage and lead times.

• Execute daily cycle counts and root-cause variances; drive annual/quarterly physical inventories.
• Manage purchase orders, core returns, RMAs, and warranty parts in accordance with OEM guidelines.

• Monitor inbound/outbound freight, hazmat compliance, and shipping accuracy (labels, packing lists, BOLs).

• Build relationships with OEMs and distributors; negotiate pricing, terms, and expedites.

• Track vendor performance (fill rate, quality, lead time) and recommend preferred-source strategies.

• Stay current on service bulletins, supersessions, and catalog updates for major crane brands.

• Provide day-to-day direction to parts counter and warehouse personnel; assist with scheduling and training.

• Enforce safety, 5S, and OSHA/hazmat handling standards; ensure secure storage of high-value inventory.
• Uphold company policies and maintain a clean, organized, and audit-ready parts department.

Qualifications & Competencies:

• 3+ years parts experience in heavy equipment, cranes, construction, or related industrial equipment.
• Proficiency with parts lookup systems, OEM diagrams, and cross-referencing equivalents.
• Working knowledge of ERP/Inventory software (e.g., Infor, Epicor, NetSuite, SAP, QuickBooks Enterprise or similar).
• Strong customer service and communication skills—able to translate technical needs into accurate orders.
• Demonstrated inventory control skills: cycle counts, root-cause analysis, and corrective actions.
• Prior leadership or lead-hand experience in a parts or warehouse environment.
• Familiarity with major crane OEMs and component suppliers (hydraulics, engines, electrics, wire rope, rigging).

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

The physical demands described herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to walk, use hands to finger; handle or feel; and kneel; crouch; or crawl; and talk; or hear; push and/or pull; reach; climb; bend and/or stoop. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision and depth perception. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to outside weather conditions. The employee is frequently exposed to moving mechanical parts.