Supply Chain and Warehouse Manager

seek.com.au; Sydney; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Frutex Australia, based in Kingsgrove, Sydney, is seeking an experienced Supply Chain & Warehousing Manager to lead warehousing, transport and distribution across three sites. This senior role requires strong people leadership, commercial judgement and a focus on reliable service in a busy food manufacturing environment.

The role manages approximately 50 staff and oversees national distribution via 3PL providers, with direct responsibility for fleet operations and inventory integrity.

Qualifications

• Experience leading large-scale warehouse operations.
• Proven ability to manage budgets and 3PL partnerships.
• Strong knowledge of WHS and transport compliance.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead receiving, put-away, storage, picking and dispatch across three warehouses.
• Optimise space, layout, and labour deployment to maximise productivity.
• Oversee national distribution via 3PL and company fleet.
• Manage transport planning, routes, load planning and driver scheduling.
• Monitor costs, negotiate with 3PLs, and control fleet maintenance.
• Develop KPIs and drive continuous improvement and safety.

Skills

Warehouse leadership

Fleet management

Budgeting

3PL management

WMS/ERP

Inventory control

Safety compliance

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in logistics or operations management

Tools

WMS

ERP

Route planning software

MS Excel

Job description

Frutex Australia is a privately owned Australian company supplying quality food ingredients and products to major national retailers and wholesalers. Based in Kingsgrove, Sydney, Frutex operates manufacturing, warehousing and distribution functions supporting customers throughout Australia.

The Position

We are seeking an experienced Supply Chain & Warehousing Manager to take overall responsibility for our warehousing, transport and distribution operations. This is a senior operational leadership position requiring strong people management, commercial judgement and the ability to deliver reliable service in a busy food manufacturing environment.

Operational Scope

Our Kingsgrove site incorporating three warehouses with more than 45,000 pallet spaces.

National distribution through third-party logistics (3PL) providers, with more than 130 pallets dispatched daily.

Company-operated local and regional transport servicing Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong.

Leadership of approximately 50 personnel: managers/supervisors, store people (pickers and forklift operators) and MR to HC drivers.

Operational Scope

Our Kingsgrove site incorporating three warehouses with more than 45,000 pallet spaces.

National distribution through third-party logistics (3PL) providers, with more than 130 pallets dispatched daily.

Company-operated local and regional transport servicing Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong.

Leadership of approximately 50 personnel: managers/supervisors, store people (pickers and forklift operators) and MR to HC drivers.

Key Responsibilities

1. Warehouse Operations & Inventory

Lead receiving, put-away, storage, replenishment, picking, staging, dispatch and returns across all three warehouses.

Optimise space utilisation, warehouse layout, material handling, labour deployment and workflow across the 45,000+ pallet-space operation.

Maintain accurate stock records, stock rotation, batch and lot traceability, segregation, stocktakes and cycle-count programs.

Ensure stock holds, quarantine, product integrity, hygiene and handling requirements are followed in partnership with Quality Assurance.

Monitor dispatch accuracy, damage, discrepancies, stock availability and service recovery.

2. Transport, Fleet & National Distribution

Lead the planning and control company-operated Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong delivery operations, including driver allocation, routes, vehicle capacity and delivery schedules.

Lead the daily national pallet dispatches through 3PL carriers; manage bookings, handovers, tracking, proof of delivery, exceptions and claims.

Manage carrier service levels, freight costs, quotations, contract negotiations and escalation of late, damaged or missing freight.

Oversee fleet maintenance coordination, vehicle availability, licensing and operating compliance.

Improve freight consolidation, vehicle utilisation, delivery reliability and cost per pallet without compromising service or safety.

Lead, coach and hold accountable the managers/supervisors and the wider warehousing and transport workforce.

Plan & oversee the staffing levels, rosters, recruitment, onboarding, training, competency assessment, leave coverage and succession.

Set clear expectations, conduct performance reviews, address performance issues and develop future leaders.

Build a culture of accountability, communication, continuous improvement and safe work practices.

4. Internal Stakeholder & Customer Service

Partner with Customer Service to meet order priorities, delivery windows and customer commitments, and promptly communicate risks or exceptions.

Ensure coordination with Production Managers on finished-goods availability, production schedules, capacity constraints and dispatch readiness.

Work with Quality Assurance to ensure traceability, non-conforming goods, returns, recalls and product handling requirements.

Collaborate with Procurement, Maintenance, Finance and senior management on stock flow, equipment availability, costs and improvement projects.

Prepare and manage operational budgets and forecasts within approved delegations.

Monitor freight, fleet, labour, overtime, agency, equipment and warehouse operating costs.

Analyse costs and negotiate value from 3PL carriers and relevant service providers, subject to delegated approval limits.

Develop business cases for equipment, systems, process changes and capital expenditure.

6. Safety, Food Safety & Compliance

Maintain safe systems for forklift operations, pedestrian interaction, loading and unloading, vehicle movements, manual handling and load restraint.

Oversee compliance with applicable WHS requirements, Heavy Vehicle National Law and Chain of Responsibility obligations, including fatigue and vehicle safety where relevant.

Ensure employees hold required licences, receive appropriate training and follow operational procedures.

Support incident investigations, risk assessments, corrective actions, emergency readiness and relevant food safety and customer audit requirements.

Use warehouse, inventory, ERP and transport systems to provide accurate operational information and decision support.

Establish, report and act on KPIs including DIFOT, picking accuracy, inventory accuracy, warehouse productivity, freight cost per pallet, fleet utilisation, damage and safety performance.

Identify bottlenecks, investigate root causes, standardise processes and implement measurable improvements.

Provide regular operational reports and practical recommendations to senior management.

Essential Experience & Capabilities

Substantial senior management experience in logistics, warehousing and distribution, ideally including leadership of managers and supervisors.

Demonstrated ability to manage high-volume warehouse operations and both company fleet and outsourced transport providers.

Strong commercial capability in budgets, freight negotiations, cost analysis and performance improvement.

Practical understanding of inventory controls, warehouse management systems (WMS), ERP and operational reporting.

Knowledge of relevant WHS, heavy vehicle/Chain of Responsibility and load restraint obligations.

Excellent planning, communication, analytical, problem-solving and stakeholder-management skills.

Ability to lead decisively under pressure, prioritise competing demands and build a capable, accountable team.

Highly Desirable

Experience in food manufacturing, FMCG, pharmaceuticals or other quality-controlled distribution environments.

Experience overseeing warehousing of comparable scale and leading operational teams of 40 or more.

Relevant qualification in logistics, supply chain, transport, business or operations management.

Experience with continuous improvement, systems implementation and operational change.

Measures of Success

Performance will be assessed against agreed targets for on-time/in-full delivery, inventory and picking accuracy, warehouse throughput, freight and labour cost, 3PL service, fleet utilisation, safety/compliance, employee capability and internal customer service. Targets will be set using actual business baselines.

What We Offer

A senior leadership opportunity in an established Australian food ingredients business, with scope to shape operational performance, develop people and contribute directly to customer service and business growth. Based at Kingsgrove, Sydney.

Reporting & Delegations

Reporting line, approved expenditure limits, contract-signing authority and final staffing delegations are to be confirmed by Frutex management before appointment.