Warehouse Operations Manager

Position Summary

The Warehouse Operations Manager is the senior operational leader responsible for the overall performance of the company’s warehouse and distribution function. The role is accountable for warehouse operations, inventory integrity, transportation performance, people leadership, safety, financial performance and continuous improvement. The Manager leads through the Transport Manager and Warehouse Frontline Managers, establishing clear standards, decision rights and performance expectations while ensuring effective day-to-day execution.

The successful candidate will combine strong people leadership with operational, financial and technology discipline. They will use data and performance metrics to drive accountability, improve service, control costs and prepare the operation for the company’s ERP/WMS implementation and future growth.

Job Scope – Duties & Responsibilities

1. Warehouse & Distribution Operations

• Provide overall leadership and accountability for warehouse and distribution performance, including receiving, put-away, order picking, staging, loading and delivery.
• Establish daily operating priorities, performance standards and resource requirements to ensure timely, accurate and cost-effective customer order fulfillment.
• Maintain warehouse layout, storage and product-flow standards that support productivity, safety, inventory accuracy and efficient use of space.
• Monitor operational KPIs and ensure the Transport Manager and Frontline Managers take timely corrective action when targets are not achieved.
• Ensure effective coordination between warehouse and transportation operations to support reliable outbound service.
• Establish and maintain operating standards for receiving, inventory movement, picking, staging, loading and delivery handoffs.

2. Inventory Control & Asset Management

• Maintain overall accountability for inventory integrity, including physical counts, cycle counts, inbound receipts, stock movements, credits, adjustments, product rotation, damaged goods and lot-code traceability.
• Ensure inventory discrepancies are investigated and resolved promptly and root causes are addressed.
• Provide overall oversight of fleet strategy, utilization and transportation costs, ensuring fleet resources support operational requirements and company objectives.
• Ensure warehouse equipment, material-handling assets and other operational resources are maintained and utilized effectively.

3. People Leadership & Development

• Lead and develop the Transport Manager and Warehouse Frontline Managers, establishing clear accountability, goals and performance expectations.
• Recruit, onboard, develop and retain qualified operational personnel in partnership with HR.
• Ensure managers consistently apply company policies, attendance standards and performance-management practices.
• Address performance and employee-relations matters promptly and in collaboration with HR.
• Build leadership capability, training plans and succession plans to meet current and future operational requirements.

4. Safety, Compliance & Policy

• Foster a safe, respectful and accountable workplace culture consistent with applicable occupational health and safety requirements.
• Ensure safety standards, inspections, hazard controls, incident reporting and corrective actions are consistently implemented.
• Maintain departmental SOPs, policies and procedures consistent with company standards and regulatory requirements.
• Partner with Human Resources on employee relations, investigations and policy matters.
• Ensure transportation and warehouse activities comply with applicable federal and provincial requirements.

5. Continuous Improvement & Financial Management

• Identify and lead initiatives that improve productivity, service, quality and operational efficiency while reducing waste and avoidable costs.
• Own departmental operating performance, including labour productivity, overtime, transportation costs, fleet costs and other approved operating expenses.
• Participate in annual budgeting and manage departmental spending within approved authority and company policies.
• Conduct monthly variance analysis and implement corrective actions to improve financial performance.
• Use operational data to identify trends, opportunities and root causes and translate findings into measurable improvements.

6. Technology, Systems & Change Management

• Lead operational readiness for the company’s ERP/WMS implementation, including process design, data integrity, testing, training, adoption and post-go-live stabilization.
• Ensure warehouse and distribution processes are accurately reflected in system workflows and performance reporting.
• Promote adoption of barcode scanning, digital transactions and other technology that improves accuracy, traceability and productivity.

Decision Rights & Accountability

• Accountable for overall warehouse and distribution performance, operating standards, departmental costs, inventory integrity, safety and achievement of agreed KPIs.
• Delegates daily warehouse execution to the Warehouse Frontline Managers and daily transportation execution to the Transport Manager.
• Provides strategic oversight of transportation performance and fleet costs; the Transport Manager owns day-to-day dispatch, routing, driver management, fleet operations and transportation compliance.
• Escalates material operational, financial, safety or employee-relations matters in accordance with company policies and established approval authorities.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Order Picking Accuracy
• Picking Productivity: per 8-hour shift per productive FTE, subject to product mix and order profile.
• Inventory Accuracy
• On-Time Delivery
• Fleet Downtime: Below established threshold
• Health & Safety: Timely reporting and corrective action; reduction in preventable incidents and lost-time injuries.
• Employee Turnover: Within established company target
• Labour and Operating Cost: Within approved budget with favourable variance trends.

Qualifications & Experience

• Post-secondary education in Operations Management, Business, Supply Chain or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of progressive warehouse, logistics or distribution experience, including leadership of managers or frontline leaders.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through organizational and technology change.
• Strong understanding of inventory management, transportation operations, labour planning and distribution processes.
• Experience with ERP, WMS, barcode scanning or related operational technology.
• Demonstrated experience with SOP development, performance management and continuous improvement.
• Solid financial acumen, including budgeting, cost control and variance analysis.
• Knowledge of applicable Canadian occupational health and safety and employment requirements.
• Strong communication, organizational, analytical and problem-solving skills.

What Success Looks Like

The Warehouse Operations Manager establishes a safe, accountable, data-driven and high-performing warehouse and distribution operation. The operation consistently meets customer service expectations, inventory is reliable, managers hold teams accountable to clear standards, costs are controlled, and the organization is equipped to support growth and technology-enabled operations.

First 90 / 180 / 365 Days

First 90 Days

• Establish relationships and clear accountability with managers and operational teams.
• Assess staffing, workflows, safety, inventory controls, transportation performance and operating costs.
• Establish daily/weekly KPI reporting and identify immediate improvement opportunities.
• Implement measurable improvements in productivity, service, inventory control and operating costs.
• Assess ERP/WMS readiness and identify critical process and training requirements.

First 180 Days

• Establish consistent performance-management and leadership practices.
• Strengthen SOPs, inventory controls and cross-functional operating processes.
• Support ERP/WMS testing, training and organizational readiness.

First 365 Days

• Achieve agreed warehouse and distribution KPIs.
• Deliver measurable productivity and cost improvements.
• Establish a high-performing management structure and leadership pipeline.
• Successfully transition warehouse and distribution operations into the ERP/WMS environment and stabilize post-go-live performance.

Working Conditions

The role requires regular presence in warehouse, yard and operational areas and a hands-on leadership approach. The Manager must be comfortable working in a fast-paced distribution environment and responding to operational issues as required.

Salary/Compensation: Commensurate with experience

Benefits: Health Plan; Pension Plan

Schedule: Monday to Friday 8:00 – 4:30; flexibility required to support operational needs.

At FJ Wadden & Sons, our vision is to bring reliable and innovative wholesale distribution solutions to retail and food service customers throughout Newfoundland. Our customers come from all walks of life and so do we. We are an equal opportunity employer, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it makes our company stronger. If you share our values and our enthusiasm for small businesses, you will find a home at FJ Wadden & Sons.