Warehouse Operations Manager

The Warehouse Operations Manager is responsible for leading the Goods In and Retail Fulfilment functions within the Distribution Centre, ensuring the safe, efficient and accurate flow of inventory through the operation.

This role will play a critical part in supporting the business through a period of transformation and growth, including the successful embedding of a new Warehouse Management System (WMS), the delivery of peak trading, and the embedding of operational excellence standards across the departments.

The successful candidate will provide strong leadership to managers, supervisors and operational teams, driving performance through clear KPIs, effective resource planning, continuous improvement and a culture of accountability. They will act as a key stakeholder across the wider business, representing Distribution in strategic discussions and supporting organisational change initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

· Lead the day-to-day operation of the Goods In and Retail Fulfilment departments.

· Ensure all operational activities are completed safely, accurately and in line with service level agreements.

· Drive the achievement of departmental KPIs across productivity, quality, service, cost and safety.

· Maintain operational stability whilst supporting significant business and system change.

· Ensure effective communication of daily priorities, business requirements and operational performance.

People Leadership & Development

· Lead, coach and develop supervisors and operational teams to achieve high performance.

· Build a culture of ownership, accountability and continuous improvement.

· Support succession planning and talent development across the operation.

· Drive engagement and performance management processes, including regular feedback and performance reviews.

· Support managers and supervisors in addressing capability, conduct and attendance matters.

WMS & Operational Change

· Support the optimisation of the new Warehouse Management System.

· Ensure operational teams are fully engaged with and compliant to new system processes.

· Identify opportunities to improve warehouse processes through system capability and automation.

· Act as a change champion, helping teams adapt to evolving business requirements and operating models.

· Work closely with IT, Supply Chain and project teams to support operational developments.

Peak Planning & Resource Management

· Support the successful delivery of peak trading periods through robust planning and operational execution.

· Build and maintain resource models that align labour requirements with forecast demand.

· Monitor workload trends and ensure resource plans remain aligned to operational needs.

· Support agency labour planning and workforce optimisation initiatives.

· Deliver operational plans that maximise productivity whilst maintaining service and quality standards.

Operational Excellence

· Lead the implementation and embedding of operational excellence standards across the department.

· Develop and maintain visual performance management and departmental KPI reporting.

· Introduce sustainable operational controls and governance frameworks.

· Drive root-cause analysis and corrective actions to improve operational performance.

· Identify and deliver continuous improvement opportunities that enhance service, productivity and cost efficiency.

Health, Safety & Compliance

· Champion a positive health and safety culture across all operational areas.

· Drive improvements in safety performance, engagement and compliance.

· Ensure all activities comply with company policies, procedures and legal requirements.

· Conduct regular safety reviews, audits and risk assessments.

· Ensure a clean, organised and secure working environment is maintained at all times.

Space, Stock & Inventory Strategy

· Play a key role in improving inventory flow, warehouse capacity utilisation and space management.

· Support the development of stock holding and storage strategies to improve operational efficiency.

· Partner with Inventory, Supply Chain and Commercial teams to minimise stock-related issues and improve inventory accuracy.

· Ensure inbound processes support effective stock availability and retail service performance.

Stakeholder Management

· Act as a key representative for Distribution across the wider business.

· Build strong relationships with Supply Chain, Retail, IT, Finance, Merchandising and Customer Operations teams.

· Influence decision-making and provide operational expertise to support business initiatives.

· Communicate operational challenges, risks and opportunities effectively to senior stakeholders.

· Support cross-functional projects and continuous improvement programmes.

· Proven management experience within a warehouse, fulfilment or distribution centre environment.

· Strong experience leading inbound, goods in, fulfilment or retail distribution operations.

· Demonstrable experience delivering operational change and process improvement.

· Experience working with Warehouse Management Systems (WMS).

· Strong understanding of warehouse performance metrics and labour planning.

· Experience coaching and developing large operational teams.

· Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.

· Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.

· Great knowledge of health and safety requirements within a warehouse environment.

Desirable

· Operational excellence, Lean or continuous improvement experience.

· Experience managing operations through peak trading periods.

· Beauty, retail, e-commerce or omnichannel distribution experience.

· Knowledge of warehouse automation and system-driven process optimisation.

Key Attributes

· Visible and engaging leader.

· Highly organised and results focused.

· Resilient and adaptable in a fast-paced environment.

· Commercially minded with strong operational judgement.

· Collaborative and influential across all levels of the business.

· Data driven with a continuous improvement mindset.

· Passionate about developing people and building high-performing teams.

· Comfortable challenging existing ways of working and driving positive change.

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