About the Warehouse Manager role
A Warehouse Manager owns the day-to-day performance of a warehouse or distribution center. They oversee receiving, putaway, picking, packing, and shipping, keep inventory accurate, and make sure orders leave the dock complete and on time. They also manage the people side: scheduling shifts, coaching supervisors and associates, and holding the team to safety and productivity standards.
The best warehouse managers are systems thinkers who still walk the floor. They use WMS data to spot bottlenecks, plan labor against volume forecasts, drive down shrinkage and mispicks, and keep the facility compliant with OSHA requirements. When peak season or a carrier failure hits, they reorganize the operation in hours, not days, without letting safety slip.
In your posting, describe the scale of the operation: square footage, SKU count, order volume, team size, and shift structure. Name your WMS and automation level, and state whether the manager owns budgeting, carrier relationships, or multiple sites. Experienced candidates self-select based on whether the scope matches what they have run before.
Warehouse Manager job description template
Job brief
We are looking for a Warehouse Manager to lead our warehouse operations and team. You will oversee receiving, inventory control, order fulfillment, and shipping, manage and develop supervisors and associates, and drive measurable improvements in safety, accuracy, and productivity. To succeed in this role, you should combine hands-on floor leadership with a data-driven approach to planning and process improvement.
Responsibilities
- Manage daily warehouse operations, including receiving, putaway, picking, packing, and shipping
- Maintain inventory accuracy through cycle counts, audits, and root-cause analysis of discrepancies
- Plan labor and shift schedules against order volume and seasonal peaks
- Hire, train, coach, and evaluate warehouse supervisors and associates
- Enforce safety policies and OSHA compliance, and lead incident investigations and prevention
- Track KPIs such as order accuracy, on-time shipment, throughput, and cost per order
- Optimize warehouse layout, slotting, and workflows to reduce travel time and errors
- Manage relationships with carriers, suppliers, and third-party service providers
- Oversee equipment maintenance schedules for forklifts, conveyors, and dock equipment
- Report operational performance and improvement plans to senior management
Requirements and skills
- Proven experience as a Warehouse Manager or senior warehouse supervisor
- Hands-on experience with warehouse management systems (WMS) and inventory control practices
- Track record of hitting safety, accuracy, and productivity targets
- Strong people-management skills, including scheduling, coaching, and performance management
- Working knowledge of OSHA regulations and warehouse safety programs
- Solid analytical skills and comfort managing budgets and KPI reports
- Experience with material handling equipment and its certification requirements
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment with seasonal volume swings
- BSc in logistics, supply chain management, or business, or equivalent operational experience
Nice to have
- Lean, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement certification
- Experience implementing or migrating a WMS
- Background with automation such as conveyors, sortation, or robotics
- Experience managing multi-shift or multi-site operations
Generate a custom Warehouse Manager job description
Need a version tailored to your company, seniority level, or industry? Describe the role and our AI job description generator will draft one in seconds.
