Warehouse & Logistics Operations Manager

A1 Personnel; Essex; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A1 Personnel is seeking an experienced Warehouse & Logistics Operations Manager to lead two busy freight forwarding warehouse facilities. You will own performance across both sites, implementing SOPs, KPIs and cost controls while ensuring safety and regulatory compliance.

You will manage labour, equipment and capacity, coach teams, and drive continuous improvement across cargo handling, transport and customs. This role demands hands-on leadership and strategic planning ability.

Qualifications

• Proven warehouse/logistics management experience in freight forwarding or similar regulated environment.
• Experience across air, sea, road or multimodal freight.
• Strong understanding of ETSF, bonded warehousing, customs and international freight documentation.
• Knowledge of IATA, CAA and HMRC requirements.
• Proven people leadership and stakeholder-management skills.
• Experience with WMS/ERP or operational systems.
• Data-driven approach to performance management.

Responsibilities

• Lead two sites as one operation with consistent SOPs, processes, KPIs and standards.
• Plan labour, equipment and capacity around changing volumes and priorities.
• Build a culture of accountability, teamwork, safety and operational discipline.
• Step in during peak periods to maintain service continuity.
• Oversee air, sea and road freight including receiving, breakdown, consolidation, storage and dispatch.
• Manage hazardous, temperature-controlled and high-value cargo.
• Coordinate transport, carriers and haulage providers.
• Improve routing, utilisation and freight costs.
• Work with customs teams to support efficient clearances and documentation.
• Oversee ETSF/non-bonded stock accuracy, audits and reconciliations.
• Support HMRC requirements and inspections.
• Ensure compliance with IATA/CAA/HMRC and health & safety requirements.
• Maintain robust SOPs and risk assessments.
• Develop future operational leaders.

Skills

Leadership

Multi-site coordination

Logistics operations

Freight forwarding

WMS/ERP systems

FLT certification

Data-driven management

Stakeholder management

Education

Degree in Logistics/Supply Chain/Business

Tools

WMS

ERP

Air/Sea/Road freight knowledge

Job description

Warehouse & Logistics Operations Manager

Lead. Improve. Deliver.

The Role

We’re looking for an experienced Warehouse & Logistics Operations Manager to lead operational performance across two busy freight forwarding warehouse facilities.

You’ll take ownership of warehouse, logistics and cargo-handling operations, ensuring everything runs safely, efficiently, compliantly and cost-effectively. You’ll lead and develop teams, coordinate warehouse, transport and customs functions, manage key stakeholders and drive continuous improvement.

This is a hands-on leadership role. You’ll be equally comfortable developing strategy and KPIs with senior management as you are stepping onto the warehouse floor when operational pressures demand it.

Your Mission

Lead two sites as one operation

• Own performance across both facilities, creating consistent SOPs, processes, KPIs and standards.
• Plan labour, equipment and capacity around changing volumes and priorities.
• Build a culture of accountability, teamwork, safety and operational discipline.
• Step in during peak periods or operational challenges to maintain service continuity.

Keep cargo moving

• Oversee air, sea and road freight, including receiving, breakdown, consolidation, storage and dispatch.
• Manage general, hazardous, temperature-controlled and high-value cargo.
• Monitor throughput, turnaround times, accuracy, productivity and service performance.

Connect warehouse, transport and customs

• Coordinate transport, carriers and haulage providers.
• Manage movements between facilities, ports, airports and customers.
• Improve routing, utilisation and freight costs.
• Work closely with customs teams to support efficient clearances, inspections and documentation.

Own compliance

• Oversee ETSF and non-bonded stock accuracy, audits, reconciliations and discrepancy resolution.
• Support HMRC requirements and inspections.
• Ensure compliance with IATA, CAA, HMRC, aviation security, dangerous goods and Health & Safety requirements.
• Maintain robust SOPs, risk assessments, safe systems of work and incident-management processes.

Lead and develop people

• Manage workforce planning, staffing, shifts and resources.
• Coach, develop and performance-manage warehouse and logistics teams.
• Set clear expectations around safety, quality and productivity.
• Build strong communication across warehouse, transport and customs.
• Develop future operational leaders.
• Use operational data, team feedback and customer insight to identify and deliver improvements.
• Contribute to WMS/ERP development, digitalisation, KPI reporting, Lean initiatives, productivity and cost reduction.
• Support capacity planning, budget management and longer-term logistics strategy.

What You’ll Bring

• Proven warehouse/logistics management experience within freight forwarding or a similar regulated environment.
• Experience across air, sea, road or multimodal freight.
• Strong understanding of ETSF, bonded warehousing, customs and international freight documentation.
• Knowledge of relevant IATA, CAA and HMRC requirements.
• Proven people leadership and stakeholder-management skills.
• Experience with WMS, ERP or operational systems.
• Data-driven approach to performance management.
• Practical, hands-on leadership style.
• Valid FLT certification and ability to operate equipment when required.
• Five-year employment history with no gaps, as required for CAA regulatory purposes.
• Degree in Logistics, Supply Chain, Business or related discipline.
• IATA DGR, aviation security or customs qualifications.
• CILT, APICS or equivalent professional qualification.
• Experience delivering WMS or warehouse digitalisation projects.

The Person

You’re a leader, problem solver and commercially minded operator who can balance service, productivity, capacity and cost.

You’ll be calm under pressure, detail-focused and operationally credible, with the ability to build accountability without unnecessary bureaucracy.

Most importantly, you’ll constantly ask:

Why This Role?

This is an opportunity to shape and improve a multi-site logistics operation with genuine influence over people, processes, cargo flow, performance and future growth.

If you combine strong leadership with hands-on operational credibility, commercial thinking with attention to detail, and high standards with a practical approach, we’d like to hear from you.

Ready to take ownership?