Senior Warehouse Operations Manager

Science in Sport Group; Blackburn; On-site; GBP 63,000 - 77,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

On‑site gym

Cycle to work scheme

Product discount

Birthday day off

Pension - employer contribution 4%

Job summary

Science In Sport Group, based in Blackburn, is seeking a Senior Warehouse Operations Manager to drive safe, reliable and cost‑effective warehouse performance. You will lead through the Warehouse Manager, align structures with demand, and push for systemic improvements using data and automation to support growth.

The role requires strong leadership, 7+ years in warehousing, and hands‑on experience with systems and expense control. Full‑time role with competitive salary and benefits in Blackburn.

Qualifications

• 7+ years’ experience in warehouse or distribution operations.
• 3+ years’ experience in a senior warehouse leadership role.
• Experience transforming or significantly improving a warehouse operating model.
• Experience developing well‑considered business cases for operational change or capital investment.

Responsibilities

• Own warehouse safety, service, inventory, cost and efficiency outcomes.
• Continually align warehouse structure, capacity and ways of working with forecast demand.
• Shape and lead the technology roadmap, automation and system improvements.
• Lead and develop the Warehouse Manager and wider team, ensuring accountability.
• Partner with Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Customer Experience to meet service priorities.
• Define and govern warehouse KPIs, reporting and performance insights.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Cross-functional influence

Data‑led decision making

Change leadership

Resilience

Tools

SAP

Körber

Job description

Who We Are

Science In Sport Group is a world leader in sports and performance nutrition.

Who We Are

Science In Sport Group is a world leader in sports and performance nutrition.

We have two highly regarded brands; SiS which combines world-class science and innovation to provide optimal performance nutritional solutions for professional athletes, sports and fitness enthusiasts and the active lifestyle community. This includes over 320 professional teams worldwide across a broad range of sports including Football, Rugby, Cycling, Athletics, Basketball, Netball and Swimming. Brand ambassadors include former track cyclist Sir Chris Hoy, an eleven‑time world champion and six‑time Olympic champion, and Eilish McColgan, who won gold in the 2022 Commonwealth Games 10,000 metres.

PhD Nutrition is a premium, active‑nutrition brand for the active lifestyle community wanting intelligent nutrition to help them achieve their goals. With over 20 years of research and development, our products are designed to maximise performance in and out of the gym. It’s an exciting time for PhD Nutrition as 2025 will kick off an entirely new line up of brand ambassadors, from hybrid athletes to qualified sports nutritionists.

The two brands sell through the phd.com and scienceinsport.com digital platforms, third‑party online marketplaces including Amazon, as well as extensive domestic and international retail distribution.

In 2022 the company opened a state of the art 160,000 square foot manufacturing and logistics facility in Blackburn, Lancashire. Providing a significant advantage in product costs and customer response time and most importantly, allowing Science In Sport to lead the way for quality standards.

Science In Sport is the nutrition partner to globally recognised elite teams, including Tottenham Hotspur, Saracens Rugby, British Triathlon, Aquatics GB, British Cycling, England Netball and Loughborough Sports. As well as being the Official Energy Gel Provider of RunThrough and the Official Nutrition Partner of Ultra X.

The Role

As a Senior Warehouse Operations Manager, you are accountable for the safe, reliable and commercially effective performance of the warehouse function. Leading through the Warehouse Manager, you will maintain strong operational control while ensuring the team has the direction, capability and structure required to deliver service, safety, inventory and cost targets.

You will define and continually optimise the warehouse operating model, aligning organisational structure, labour, capability, space, equipment, systems and ways of working with current and forecast business demand. Using performance and commercial insight, you will anticipate constraints, set clear priorities and develop scalable solutions that support business growth without proportionate increases in cost or complexity.

Technology, systems optimisation and automation will be key enablers of this improvement. You will identify opportunities to simplify processes, remove non‑value‑added activity and strengthen operational control, developing robust business cases and leading the implementation of approved solutions in partnership with Technology, Finance and other relevant teams.

Working closely with Manufacturing, Customer Experience and Supply Chain, you will align warehouse capability with production requirements, customer commitments and the global fulfilment needs of the business. You will influence stakeholders and drive structured, cross‑functional solutions that improve end‑to‑end performance and support delivery of the business plan.

• Contract: Full‑time, Permanent
• Salary: Up to £70,000 per annum
• Working Hours: 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday
• Location: Blackburn

Benefits

• On‑site gym
• Cycle to work scheme
• Product discount
• Birthday day off
• Pension - employer contribution at 4%

The work - Your 4 most important responsibilities

• Performance & Commercial Ownership – Own warehouse safety, service, inventory, cost and efficiency outcomes.
• Operating Model Design & Evolution – Continually align warehouse structure, capability, capacity and ways of working with demand through scalable and cost‑effective solutions.
• Systems, Technology & Automation – Optimise systems, automate workflows and simplify processes, developing robust business cases and leading implementation of approved solutions
• Leadership & Capability Development – Build leadership capability through the Warehouse Manager and wider team while ensuring warehouse priorities remain aligned with Manufacturing, Customer Experience, Supply Chain and the wider business plan.

Accountability – what you are responsible for delivering

• Performance & Cost Ownership

Own warehouse operational and financial performance, setting clear targets, resource benchmarks and priorities, governing budgets and standard operating procedures, and proactively addressing issues to deliver safety, service, production‑supply, inventory and productivity goals.

• Operating Model & Workforce Design

Design and continually evolve a flexible, scalable and cost‑effective warehouse operating model, aligning workforce, shifts, capability, layout, space, equipment, technology and external support with forecast demand while controlling overtime.

• Continuous Improvement & Structural Problem Solving

Use data, forecasts and cross‑functional insight to anticipate risks and resolve systemic constraints, leading structured improvements with clear ownership, implementation plans and measurable benefits across safety, service, capacity, efficiency and cost.

• Systems, Technology & Automation

Shape the warehouse technology roadmap, identify opportunities to simplify processes and automate workflows, and develop robust business cases covering investment, benefits, risks and operational impact before leading approved solutions through adoption and benefits realisation with Technology and key stakeholders.

• Cross‑Functional Leadership

Partner with Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Customer Experience to agree service expectations and priorities, resolve cross‑functional constraints and align stakeholders around solutions that protect service and deliver the business plan.

• Leadership & People Management

Lead and develop the Warehouse Manager and wider team, building clear accountability, effective leadership cover and capability while ensuring consistent standards, managing performance and employee relations in line with company policy and People Team guidance, and strengthening engagement and retention.

• Health & Safety

Own warehouse health and safety performance, embedding a safety‑first culture through visible leadership, proactive risk management and consistently applied safety systems, controls and compliance standards.

• Data, Reporting & Insight

Define and govern warehouse KPIs, systems and reporting, ensuring accurate, timely performance insight informs operational control, identifies emerging risks and guides improvement and investment decisions.

Capability - the skills and behaviours required to do this job well

• Strategic warehouse leadership: Translates business strategy and forecast demand into clear priorities, operating‑model decisions and improvement plans.
• Commercial and financial judgement: Balances service, capacity, cost, risk and investment to deliver sustainable value.
• Foresight and capacity planning: Anticipates changes in demand, risks and constraints, developing appropriate solutions ahead of impact.
• Systems and automation expertise: Understands warehouse and ERP systems, including SAP, Körber and other relevant platforms, and can identify opportunities to improve automation, control and productivity.
• Cross‑functional influence: Challenges constructively and aligns stakeholders around effective business solutions.
• Data‑led decision‑making: Uses operational, service and financial insight to assess performance and prioritise action.
• Leadership and organisational development: Builds clear accountability, effective deputisation and resilient leadership capability.
• Change leadership: Develops credible business cases and leads approved changes through implementation and benefits realisation.
• Resilience and adaptability: Maintains effective judgement and leadership through pressure, uncertainty and change.

Performance – how you will know you are doing a great job

• Health and safety performance meets agreed site targets, with zero harm, safety observations raised across the team and corrective actions closed within agreed timescales.
• OTIF, production‑supply, inventory‑accuracy and productivity measures meet or exceed agreed monthly targets.
• Warehouse expenditure remains within approved budget, with labour, overtime, consumables and external‑support costs controlled against plan.
• Labour and capacity forecasts remain within agreed accuracy tolerances across warehouse workstreams.
• Operational risks and capacity constraints are identified early, with preventative actions completed before service is affected.
• Systems, automation and improvement initiatives meet agreed implementation milestones and deliver forecast benefits.
• Internal service levels agreed with Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Customer Experience are consistently achieved.
• Employee engagement, retention, training completion and leadership‑cover measures meet agreed departmental targets.
• Planned and unplanned leadership absence is covered without material impact to safety, service or cost performance.

Specific metrics will be set when in role and will be reviewed and built upon regularly. Alongside this, you will be supported with a personal performance plan that will enable you to continue improving your own performance and impact.

Attributes – experience and mindset that will enable you to do well in this role.

• At least 7 years’ experience in warehouse or distribution operations, including responsibility for complex, multi‑workstream activities.
• At least 3 years’ experience in a senior warehouse leadership role, with accountability for safety, service, inventory, people and financial performance.
• Demonstrable experience transforming or significantly improving a warehouse operating model.
• Track record of using systems, technology or automation to deliver measurable operational and financial benefits.
• Experience developing well‑considered business cases for operational change or capital investment.
• Strong ownership mindset, with the confidence to challenge established ways of working.
• Committed to maintaining safe and reliable performance while implementing change.
• Proactive and improvement‑focused, with the drive to continually evolve the warehouse operation.

Science in Sport Group is an equal opportunity employer; we value diversity and strive to cultivate an inclusive workplace. We do not tolerate discrimination of any kind in regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We fully support reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process, to provide an inclusive and welcoming recruitment experience.