Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for an FBA Coordinator

🎯 Role Definition

The FBA Coordinator is the central nervous system of our Amazon marketplace operations. This individual is responsible for the entire lifecycle of our inventory within the Amazon ecosystem, from strategic forecasting and shipment creation to performance monitoring and issue resolution. You will be the go-to expert for all things FBA, ensuring our products are available to customers, our costs are managed effectively, and our account health remains pristine. This role requires a unique blend of analytical rigor, logistical precision, and proactive problem-solving to navigate the dynamic and complex world of Fulfillment by Amazon and directly impact our company's growth and profitability.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Logistics Coordinator or Assistant
E-commerce Assistant or Specialist
Warehouse or Inventory Associate
Data Entry Clerk with a focus on supply chain

Advancement To:

FBA Manager or Senior FBA Strategist
E-commerce Operations Manager
Supply Chain Analyst or Manager
Marketplace Manager

Lateral Moves:

Inventory Planner
Marketplace Specialist (for other platforms like Walmart, eBay)
Logistics Analyst

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Meticulously plan, create, and manage all FBA inbound shipments, ensuring 100% compliance with Amazon's strict preparation, packaging, and labeling requirements to minimize delays and receiving errors.
Proactively monitor inventory levels across all SKUs at Amazon Fulfillment Centers, utilizing sales velocity data and forecasting tools to maintain optimal in-stock positions and prevent costly stockouts.
Strategically manage inventory health by creating timely removal and disposal orders for aging or slow-moving inventory to avoid long-term storage fees and improve IPI (Inventory Performance Index) score.
Conduct regular and thorough reconciliations of inbound FBA shipments, diligently investigating and opening cases with Amazon Seller Support for any discrepancies, damages, or lost units to ensure full reimbursement.
Analyze and manage FBA fees, including fulfillment, storage, and removal fees, identifying trends and opportunities for cost reduction without compromising performance.
Serve as the primary point of contact for all FBA-related inquiries, expertly navigating Amazon Seller Central to troubleshoot and resolve issues related to listings, stranded inventory, and policy compliance.
Develop and maintain a comprehensive understanding of Amazon's evolving FBA policies, procedures, and best practices, ensuring the company remains compliant and ahead of platform changes.
Generate and analyze detailed performance reports on key FBA metrics, including IPI score, sell-through rate, in-stock rate, and storage costs, providing actionable insights to leadership.
Collaborate closely with the supply chain and warehouse teams to coordinate product availability, outbound scheduling, and ensure a smooth hand-off of FBA-bound inventory.
Manage and optimize inventory placement strategies, evaluating the costs and benefits of Amazon's inventory placement service and distributed inventory placement.
Oversee the FBA product launch process for new items, coordinating initial test shipments and ensuring a smooth ramp-up to full-scale inventory levels.
Monitor and dispute inaccurate chargebacks or fees related to FBA non-compliance, providing necessary documentation to protect company revenue.
Maintain and update the master product catalog with accurate weights, dimensions, and packaging information to ensure correct FBA fee calculations.
Act as the liaison with third-party logistics (3PL) providers and freight carriers to schedule pickups and track the movement of goods from our warehouse to Amazon's fulfillment centers.
Address and resolve any "stranded inventory" alerts promptly by investigating the root cause and taking corrective action to make the inventory available for sale.
Manage Amazon's Subscribe & Save program from an inventory perspective, ensuring consistent stock availability for recurring customer orders.
Create and manage case logs within Seller Central, communicating clearly and persistently with Amazon support teams to drive complex issues to a satisfactory resolution.
Participate in demand planning meetings, providing critical data-driven feedback on FBA sales trends and inventory status to inform purchasing decisions.
Continuously evaluate and recommend new tools, software, and processes to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and scalability of our FBA operations.
Handle the logistics for Amazon special programs, such as FBA Small and Light, ensuring products meet eligibility requirements and are enrolled correctly.
Prepare for and manage inventory during peak sales periods, such as Prime Day and Q4, by building up stock levels and creating shipments well in advance of deadlines.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis related to sales performance and inventory costs.
Contribute to the organization's broader e-commerce and supply chain strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with marketing and sales units to translate promotional plans and sales forecasts into concrete inventory requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies if working within a larger, structured operations team.
Monitor competitor FBA strategies, including pricing, stock levels, and review velocity, to identify market trends and opportunities.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Amazon Seller Central Mastery: Expert-level, hands-on experience navigating all aspects of the Seller Central dashboard, particularly FBA inventory management, shipment creation, and reporting.
Advanced Microsoft Excel: Proficiency in using pivot tables, VLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, conditional formatting, and complex formulas for robust data analysis and reporting.
Inventory Management Software: Experience with e-commerce ERP or inventory management systems (e.g., NetSuite, Cin7, Skubana, Linnworks).
Supply Chain & Logistics Fundamentals: Solid understanding of basic supply chain principles, freight, and warehouse operations.
Data Analysis & Reporting: Ability to interpret sales and inventory data to generate actionable business insights and create clear, concise reports.
E-commerce Platform Knowledge: Familiarity with the broader e-commerce landscape and how FBA integrates with other platforms or sales channels.

Soft Skills

Extreme Attention to Detail: A meticulous and precise approach to work is essential to avoid costly errors in shipment creation and inventory management.
Proactive Problem-Solving: Ability to anticipate potential issues, diagnose complex problems, and independently drive them to resolution.
Analytical Mindset: A natural curiosity and skill for digging into data to understand the "why" behind the numbers and trends.
Exceptional Organizational Skills: Ability to manage multiple priorities, tasks, and deadlines simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
Clear & Persistent Communication: Strong written and verbal skills to effectively create cases and communicate with Amazon support, as well as internal teams.
Autonomy and Ownership: A self-starter attitude with the ability to work independently and take full ownership of the FBA function.
Adaptability: Capacity to thrive in a dynamic environment where rules, processes, and priorities can change quickly.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High School Diploma or equivalent, coupled with significant direct experience.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's Degree from an accredited university or college.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Supply Chain Management
Business Administration
Logistics & Operations Management
Economics or Finance

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

2-5 years of direct, hands-on experience in an e-commerce role with a primary focus on managing Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) operations.

Preferred:

Proven track record of successfully managing FBA for a brand with a large SKU catalog (>500 SKUs).
Demonstrable experience improving an Amazon IPI (Inventory Performance Index) score.
Experience working with international FBA programs (e.g., Pan-European, NARF) is a significant plus.
Direct experience in reconciling and recovering funds for lost/damaged FBA inventory through the case management process.