Warehouse Manager

Permanent Futures Limited; Knottingley; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Permanent Futures Limited is seeking an experienced Warehouse Manager to own the warehouse operation and lead its next development stage.

This role combines hands-on operational leadership with a continuous-improvement mindset, focusing on safety, productivity and service levels while developing the leadership team for future growth.

Qualifications

• Lean and continuous-improvement mindset.
• People management and coaching skills.
• Experience using warehouse systems and data to drive decisions.

Responsibilities

• Take overall responsibility for day-to-day warehouse operation, ensuring safety, productivity, quality and accuracy.
• Lead, support and develop warehouse team leaders and the wider warehouse team.
• Review existing processes and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, productivity and workflow.
• Apply Lean and structured problem-solving to remove waste and improve performance.
• Use KPIs and data to identify trends, bottlenecks and improvement areas.
• Develop meaningful operational measures and ensure performance is understood and acted upon.
• Review layout, capacity and ways of working to optimise space and resources.
• Utilise warehouse management systems and other operational tech.
• Support workforce and capacity planning based on volumes and growth.

Job description

We are recruiting on behalf of an established and successful business that is looking to appoint an experienced Warehouse Manager to take ownership of its warehouse operation and lead the next stage of its development.

This is an excellent opportunity for a strong warehouse professional who combines hands-on operational leadership with a continuous-improvement mindset. The warehouse is already an established operation, so our client is looking for someone who can assess how it currently works, identify opportunities to improve efficiency and performance, and put the processes, systems and structure in place to support the business as it continues to grow.

This is specifically a warehouse leadership position rather than a broader Supply Chain Manager role. Procurement, purchasing and inventory management are handled by a separate function and the Warehouse Manager will be able to concentrate on warehouse operations, people leadership, productivity and continuous improvement.

Warehouse Manager - The role - Supply Chain, Distribution

The Warehouse Manager will take responsibility for the effective day-to-day running and ongoing development of the warehouse operation. Working closely with the warehouse team leaders and other operational functions, you will ensure the warehouse performs safely, efficiently and consistently, while looking for opportunities to improve processes, systems, productivity and service levels.

A key part of the role will be developing the existing leadership team. You will coach and mentor warehouse team leaders, helping them become stronger operational leaders while creating clear expectations around performance, accountability and standards.

Alongside the immediate operational responsibilities, our client wants someone capable of looking further ahead. You will use operational data, business forecasts and expected growth to understand what the warehouse will need to look like in 12 months and beyond, identifying potential constraints and ensuring the operation is prepared for future requirements.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Taking overall responsibility for the day-to-day warehouse operation, ensuring high standards of safety, productivity, quality and accuracy.
• Leading, supporting and developing warehouse team leaders and the wider warehouse team.
• Reviewing existing warehouse processes and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, productivity and workflow.
• Applying Lean, continuous-improvement and structured problem-solving principles to remove waste and improve operational performance.
• Using warehouse data and KPIs to identify trends, bottlenecks and areas requiring improvement.
• Developing meaningful operational measures and ensuring performance is understood and acted upon.
• Reviewing warehouse layout, processes, capacity and ways of working to ensure the operation makes effective use of available space and resources.
• Making effective use of warehouse management systems and other operational technology.
• Supporting workforce and capacity planning in line with changing volumes and business requirements.
• Using forecasts and operational data to anticipate future warehouse requirements and ensure the function is prepared for growth.
• Identifying potential operational risks and constraints before they affect service or performance.
• Driving practical improvements while maintaining the stability and effectiveness of the existing operation.

Warehouse Manager - Candidate - Supply Chain, Distribution

We are looking for an experienced Warehouse Manager, Operations Manager or senior warehouse professional who can demonstrate a track record of improving the way it performs. You are likely to be someone who enjoys being visible within the operation and working closely with your team, rather than managing purely from an office. At the same time, you will be comfortable stepping back from the immediate day-to-day activity to analyse performance, identify patterns and consider what the operation will need in the future.

Previous experience of Lean, continuous improvement or structured process improvement will be particularly valuable. You should be confident using warehouse systems and operational data, and capable of turning that information into practical improvements. Just as importantly, you will need to be a strong people manager. The ability to coach, guide and develop existing team leaders will be central to the role.

We would particularly like to hear from candidates who can demonstrate:

• Experience managing and developing warehouse team leaders or supervisors.
• A strong understanding of warehouse processes, productivity and operational performance.
• Experience implementing process improvements within a warehouse or distribution environment.
• Knowledge of Lean, continuous improvement or similar operational-improvement methodologies.
• Confidence using warehouse management systems, operational systems and data.
• Experience working with KPIs and using data to drive decision-making.
• Strong people-management, coaching and leadership skills.
• The ability to balance hands-on operational management with longer-term planning.
• Experience considering capacity, resource requirements and operational needs in response to forecast demand or business growth.
• A practical, analytical and commercially aware approach to problem solving.
• The confidence to challenge existing ways of working constructively and implement sustainable improvements.