Warehouse Operations Manager (Chennai)

Dawn India; Chennai District; On-site; INR 600,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Dawn India, Chennai warehouse, is seeking an experienced operations lead to manage end-to-end warehouse activities, ensuring efficient inbound/outbound, accurate inventory, safety, and cost control.

The role requires coordinating with transport, procurement, and customer service, supervising manpower and equipment, driving lean practices like 5S and Kaizen, and delivering KPI targets such as on-time dispatch and inventory turns.

Qualifications

• Operations-focused warehouse leadership experience.
• Strong understanding of inventory control and ERP systems.
• Lean practices and safety compliance knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day warehouse operations including receiving, storage, order picking, packing, and dispatch.
• Ensure inventory accuracy through regular cycle counts and ERP reconciliation.
• Plan manpower, equipment, and space to meet daily throughput and SLA targets.
• Drive continuous improvement to boost productivity and reduce costs.
• Ensure safety and regulatory compliance in warehousing operations.
• Coordinate with transportation, procurement, customer service, and quality teams.
• Monitor and report KPIs like order accuracy, on-time dispatch, and inventory turns.
• Manage vendor relationships for 3PL, housekeeping, security, and maintenance.
• Implement 5S, Kaizen and lean practices.
• Handle audits and close corrective actions.
• Manage warehouse budget and support budgeting exercises.
• Handle returns, damaged goods, and obsolete inventory per policy.
• Foster safety-first culture and investigate incidents.

Skills

Warehouse management

Inventory control

Cycle counts

People planning

5S / Kaizen

Safety compliance

Vendor management

ERP systems

Cross-functional coordination

Cost optimization

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

Role & responsibilities

Responsible for the end-to-end management of warehouse operations at the Chennai facility, ensuring efficient inbound/outbound logistics, inventory accuracy, workforce productivity, safety compliance, and cost optimization in line with company standards.

Preferred candidate profile

• Oversee day-to-day warehouse operations including receiving, storage, order picking, packing, and dispatch.
• Manage inventory accuracy through regular cycle counts and reconciliation with the ERP system.
• Plan and allocate manpower, equipment, and space to meet daily throughput and SLA targets.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance productivity, reduce cost per unit, and minimize damages/losses.
• Ensure compliance with statutory, safety (EHS), and regulatory requirements applicable to warehousing operations.
• Coordinate with transportation, procurement, customer service, and quality teams to ensure smooth material flow.
• Monitor and report key operational KPIs (order accuracy, on-time dispatch, inventory turns, etc.).
• Manage vendor relationships for 3PL, housekeeping, security, and equipment maintenance services.
• Implement and maintain 5S, Kaizen, and other lean warehousing practices.
• Handle audits (internal, statutory, customer) and ensure timely closure of corrective actions.
• Manage warehouse budget, control costs, and support annual planning/budgeting exercises.
• Ensure proper handling of returns, damaged goods, and obsolete inventory as per company policy.
• Drive a safety-first culture; investigate incidents and implement preventive measures.