National Warehouse Manager

ecolab; New Zealand; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Ecolab seeks an experienced New Zealand Warehouse Manager to lead a nationwide warehouse network, delivering safe, efficient, and compliant operations. You will collaborate with Supply Chain, Customer Service, Planning, Procurement, Production, and Distribution teams to optimise performance.

This senior role requires leading teams and third-party providers, driving DIFOT, inventory accuracy, and continuous improvement across multiple sites in New Zealand.

Qualifications

• Degree qualification in Supply Chain, Logistics, Engineering, Business, or a related discipline.
• Proven experience leading warehouse teams and operational improvement programs.
• Strong inventory management and warehouse systems knowledge.
• Demonstrated ability to manage operational and financial performance.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience with Lean, TPM, 5S, or other continuous improvement methodologies.
• Exposure to regulated environments and quality management systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead all warehouse operations across New Zealand.
• Optimise warehouse layouts, workflows, and storage utilisation.
• Develop labour plans to meet operational demands.
• Ensure efficient receiving, storage, picking, packing, and dispatch activities.
• Drive operational efficiency and service performance.
• Lead inventory control and cycle count programs.
• Drive inventory accuracy across all warehouse locations.
• Investigate and resolve stock discrepancies.
• Manage stock transfers, replenishment activities, and non-conforming inventory.
• Ensure accurate warehouse system transactions and stock visibility.
• Ensure customer orders and inter-warehouse transfers are delivered on time and in full.
• Monitor and improve DIFOT performance and customer satisfaction.
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders to resolve freight and delivery issues.
• Manage transport-related escalations and corrective actions.
• Lead, coach, and develop Warehouse Team Leaders and warehouse employees.
• Drive a high-performance and highly engaged team culture.
• Manage performance, attendance, development planning, and succession planning.
• Establish workforce capability and training programs.
• Support all annual people and talent management processes.
• Lead Lean, TPM, 5S, and warehouse productivity initiatives.
• Drive improvements in safety, inventory accuracy, labour productivity, and space utilisation.
• Standardise processes and best practices across warehouse operations.
• Deliver measurable operational improvements and cost efficiencies.
• Manage warehouse assets, equipment, maintenance programs, and contractor relationships.
• Oversee warehouse consumables and operating supplies.
• Maintain asset registers and service records.

Skills

Leadership

Warehouse management

Inventory management

Stakeholder management

Lean

5S

Continuous improvement

Education

Degree in Supply Chain/Logistics/Engineering/Business

Tools

Warehouse systems

Job description

We are seeking an experienced and results-driven New Zealand Warehouse Manager to lead all warehouse operations across New Zealand. Reporting to the NZ Supply Chain Manager , this senior leadership role is responsible for delivering safe, efficient, and compliant warehouse operations while ensuring exceptional customer service, inventory accuracy, and operational performance.

This is an excellent opportunity for a proven warehouse leader to make a significant impact across a multi-site operation and contribute to the ongoing growth and success of our business.

About the Role

As the New Zealand Warehouse Manager, you will provide leadership to warehouse teams and third-party warehouse providers, ensuring that products are received, stored, managed, and distributed efficiently while maintaining the highest standards of safety, quality, and customer service.

You will work closely with Supply Chain, Customer Service, Planning, Procurement, Production, and Distribution teams to optimise warehouse and distribution performance across New Zealand.

Key Responsibilities

Safety & Compliance

• Champion a strong safety-first culture across all warehouse operations.
• Lead health, safety, environmental, and compliance initiatives.
• Conduct workplace inspections, risk assessments, and incident investigations.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, legislative requirements, and industry standards.
• Support audits and continuous safety improvement programs.

Warehouse Operations

• Lead all warehouse operations across New Zealand.
• Optimise warehouse layouts, workflows, and storage utilisation.
• Develop labour plans to meet operational demands.
• Ensure efficient receiving, storage, picking, packing, and dispatch activities.
• Drive operational efficiency and service performance.

Inventory Management

• Lead inventory control and cycle count programs.
• Drive inventory accuracy across all warehouse locations.
• Investigate and resolve stock discrepancies.
• Manage stock transfers, replenishment activities, and non-conforming inventory.
• Ensure accurate warehouse system transactions and stock visibility.

Distribution & Customer Service

• Ensure customer orders and inter-warehouse transfers are delivered on time and in full.
• Monitor and improve DIFOT performance and customer satisfaction.
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders to resolve freight and delivery issues.
• Manage transport-related escalations and corrective actions.

People Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop Warehouse Team Leaders and warehouse employees.
• Drive a high-performance and highly engaged team culture.
• Manage performance, attendance, development planning, and succession planning.
• Establish workforce capability and training programs.
• Support all annual people and talent management processes.

Continuous Improvement

• Lead Lean, TPM, 5S, and warehouse productivity initiatives.
• Drive improvements in safety, inventory accuracy, labour productivity, and space utilisation.
• Standardise processes and best practices across warehouse operations.
• Deliver measurable operational improvements and cost efficiencies.

Asset & Facility Management

• Manage warehouse assets, equipment, maintenance programs, and contractor relationships.
• Oversee warehouse consumables and operating supplies.
• Maintain asset registers and service records.

About You

To be successful in this role, you will bring some of the following:

• Degree qualification in Supply Chain, Logistics, Engineering, Business, or a related discipline.
• Proven experience leading warehouse teams and operational improvement programs.
• Strong inventory management and warehouse systems knowledge.
• Demonstrated ability to manage operational and financial performance.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience with Lean, TPM, 5S, or other continuous improvement methodologies.
• Exposure to regulated environments and quality management systems.

Why Join Us?

• Senior leadership opportunity with broad operational responsibility.
• Lead a nationwide warehouse network.
• Influence strategy, operational excellence, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Work with a collaborative and high-performing Supply Chain team.
• Opportunity to make a genuine impact on business performance and customer outcomes.

If you are a passionate warehouse leader with a strong track record of delivering safety, service, people development, and operational excellence, we'd love to hear from you.