Warehouse Operations Manager

FareShare Midlands; Gravelly Hill; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

FareShare Midlands is seeking an experienced Warehouse Operations Manager to lead daily Birmingham site activities, oversee stock intake, storage, order processing and dispatch while ensuring safety and regulatory compliance. You will drive KPI performance and collaborate across departments.

You will manage staff and volunteers, plan shifts, optimise warehouse layout, and coordinate with suppliers and regional teams to support food redistribution across the Midlands.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in a logistics or warehouse management role.
• Strong knowledge of warehouse operations and inventory control.
• Experience with chilled/frozen storage is advantageous.
• Detail-focused with a continuous improvement mindset.
• Experience in health, safety, and quality compliance.
• 2+ years people management within a warehouse environment.
• Excellent communication skills with stakeholders.
• Team working and delegation abilities.
• Organised with attention to deadlines.
• Ability to perform physically demanding work.
• Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Flexible with shift rotas and MS Office literacy.
• Sound numeracy skills and data accuracy.
• Qualifications in Food Hygiene and Health & Safety.

Responsibilities

• Plan, coordinate, and oversee day-to-day warehouse operations ensuring standards are met.
• Lead warehouse layout optimisation, inventory management, and stock processes.
• Support events and food hub activities as part of operations.
• Maintain stock records and performance data accurately.
• Coordinate depot schedules within FareShare Midlands policies on safety.
• Conduct variance analyses, audits, and drive corrective actions.
• Ensure a clean, audit-ready warehouse environment.
• Resource the teams within budget and manage shifts in advance.
• Maintain relationships with suppliers and community projects.
• Develop best practices across FareShare networks.

Skills

Logistics experience

Warehouse operations

Inventory control

Food Hygiene

Health & Safety

People management

Communication

Team leadership

Organisation

Physical fitness

Diversity & Inclusion

Flexibility

Numeracy

MS Office (Outlook/Word)

Food safety compliance

Fleet knowledge

Forklift license

Tools

MS Office

Job description

• Leading on delivering successful end to end warehouse operations and logistics for the site, maintaining a strong presence throughout the warehouse operations, making decisions, problem-solving and balancing priorities whilst always acting with integrity and due diligence.
• Planning, coordinating and managing daily operations at our busy Birmingham warehouse, including daily schedules for stock intake, storage, order processing and dispatch as well as ensuring effective inventory control and cross departmental working.
• Ensuring efficient completion of all daily tasks to keep the warehouse running smoothly, meeting both business and customer needs taking responsibility for ensuring that your team(s) perform to and meets the required Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and targets.
• Upholding the highest standards of staff and volunteer as well as site welfare and safety, ensuring all warehouse policies, health and safety procedures and protocols are followed by the team and anyone onsite.
• Working closely on a daily basis, with colleagues in the Supply Chain, Development and other regional Warehouses, to help resolve overall operational issues, sharing learning, embedding continuous improvement as well as develop new operational/logistic activity contributing to improved performance and growth of your warehouse and the wider operations team activity, capacity and output., Warehouse Operations, including logistics management
• Food Safety Compliance, including quality
• Health and Safety Management
• KPI and Cost Management
• Stakeholder Management
• People Management
• Cross departmental interface and relationship management
• Profile and Promotion
• Warehouse Operations, including logistics management
• 1. Warehouse Operations including logistics, as needed
  • Plan, co-ordinate, manage and oversee day-to-day warehouse operations, ensuring all performance, service, quality and safety standards and outcomes are met and delivered.
  • Lead on warehouse layout optimisation, inventory management, and stock management processes.
  • Support the development, establishment and mobilisation of Corporate Events, commercial and training Kitchen and Meal service as part of Sir Peter Rigby Coronation Food Hub.
  • Maintain accurate records for stock, deliveries, and performance.
  • Coordinate the work schedule and daily activities of the depot, within the guidelines of FareShare Midlands policies and procedures on food safety and health & safety.
  • Conduct variance analysis, inventory audits, and drive corrective actions.
  • Ensure a clean, audit-ready, and well‑organised warehouse environment.
  • Ensure adequate resourcing for the teams, working within budgets.
  • Ensure adequacy, variety and volume of food for members at all sites through
  • Ensure that all shifts are efficiently planned, controlled, and resourced at least a week in advance.
  • Maintain and use the in-house stock management system, with responsibility for the training of depot staff and volunteers on the database and accuracy of stock. Maintain good relations and communications with food suppliers and community member recipient projects, responding to any complaints or service issues with pace and courtesy as set out in our Service Charter
  • Ensure that the vans are maintained as roadworthy and legal (taxed and insured)
  • Ensure that community food members in your region receive a service, supply and variety of food that is expected/agreed, working closely with the Development Manager to flag potential issues with supply and/or service
  • Continually seek and develop best practice on warehouse operating practices from within and outside the FareShare network.
• 2. Food Safety Compliance and Health and Safety Management
  • Take responsibility for the food compliance, health & safety and security of the operation, including warehouse, vehicles, staff, visitors, and volunteers, working closely with FSM Health and Safety lead.
  • Ensure and drive compliance with all FareShare Midlands and FareShare policies and procedures and industry standards as required by food donors and regulators and maintain gold standard at audit level.
  • Direct all operations to ensure safe and compliant warehouse operations and food delivery to Community Food Members (CFM's).
  • Ensure Health & Safety process and systems implementation (including Housekeeping) in the warehouse.
  • Actively work to support health and safety advisor in carrying out risk assessments, audits and support risk management processes, continuously developing and adopting a health and safety first culture, protecting volunteers, our staff and visitors.
  • Ensure the service is delivered in accordance with FSM's Equal Opportunities Policy and maintain the values and culture of the FSM operation.
  • Escalate any health, safety, compliance issues that can't be resolved locally.
• 3. Key Performance Indicators & Cost Management
  • Work to ensure key KPIs on service levels, performance, food safety, health and safety, complaints, waste and waste conversion rate are met to required standards.
  • Ensure the warehouse operates within allocated budget, escalating any variance from budgets or risks to allocated budgets.
• 4. People Management
  • Lead, develop and direct teams on a day-to-day basis, ensuring that all are aware of their responsibilities and have the resources, capacity and capability to carry them out.
  • Lead, direct and manage staff and volunteer teams to oversee the effective delivery of services and projects ensuring staff and volunteer engagement, training, development and support.
  • Coach and develop team members to ensure operational excellence.
  • Undertake warehouse staff personal development reviews, regular 1-2-1 meetings and support as required, in line with HR processes.
  • Work with the Volunteer coordinator to recruit and train the right volunteers and other work placement trainees within the project.
  • Work alongside the volunteer team to ensure a complete and up to date rota is available.
• 5. Profile and Promotion
  • Represent FSM both internally and externally at an operational level through networking, promotional activity and sustaining well established links with Community Food Members, Suppliers and other key stakeholders at local, regional and national level.
  • Build and maintain excellent relationships with all stakeholders.
  • Keep abreast of local and national developments in public and third sector policy likely to affect FSM ensuring it is positioned to influence and shape future policy.
  • Ensure a positive culture within the organisation, in line with FSM Values and Behaviours Framework, reflecting our joint commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, code of conduct, learning, development and continuous improvement, engendering trust amongst all stakeholders. This will include ownership for self/ personal development and the development of teams.
• 6. Other
  • Undertake all other duties appropriate to the post/level of role, as delegated by Line Manager.

Qualifications

• 3+ years' experience in a logistics or warehouse management role
• Strong knowledge of, warehouse operations, and inventory control
• Experience working with chilled/frozen storage
• Detail-focused with a continuous improvement mindset
• Solid (established) experience and understanding of health, safety, and quality compliance
• 2+ years people management experience within a Warehouse environment, including developing teams of people and training others on operating procedures
• Excellent, clear and proactive communication skills, both internal and with external stakeholders
• Team working & management skills, including both the ability to delegate and to develop people with a positive approach
• Good organisational skills including attention to detail, an ability to prioritise and meet deadlines working with own team
• Ability to do physically demanding work at times
• A positive and creative attitude in support of our FSM values
• Motivation to collaborate with and develop others, with a demonstrable commitment to Equal Opportunities
• Flexible work approach, including a willingness to cover alternative shift rotas, IT literacy, in particular of using Microsoft applications (Outlook, Word)
• Sound numeracy skills
• Qualifications in Food Hygiene, Health & Safety as it applies to food distribution

Desirable

• Knowledge of fleet and driver compliance (desirable)
• Fork Lift truck license would be an advantage, (training provided)

FareShare Midlands is the region's largest food redistribution charity, tackling inequality, transforming lives and ensuring no good food goes to waste. We rescue surplus food and redistribute it to 650 local charities and community organisations, feeding 60,000 people every week. We also invest in communities, providing education, training and volunteering opportunities, helping over 700 individuals to date to build a better future. Together, we're fighting hunger, reducing food waste and creating opportunities across the Midlands. Learn more here or read our latest Annual Report Snapshot here.