Warehouse Operations Manager

Confidential; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential is seeking an experienced Warehouse Operations Manager to lead our warehouse within a fast-paced manufacturing environment. You will drive performance, develop leaders, and cultivate a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

The role requires a hands-on, results-driven leader who balances people leadership with execution, partners across Manufacturing, Quality, Safety, and Supply Chain, and ensures materials and finished goods move efficiently and accurately through

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 5+ years of progressive warehouse, distribution, materials, or supply chain experience within a manufacturing environment.
• 3+ years of experience leading managers and/or supervisors.
• Demonstrated success improving operational performance and accountability.
• Food manufacturing experience required.

Responsibilities

• Lead overall warehouse operations, including receiving, material movement, inventory, storage, staging, and shipping.
• Establish clear performance expectations and hold leaders and team members accountable for results.
• Lead, coach, and develop warehouse leadership teams to strengthen ownership, decision-making, and execution.
• Drive key operational metrics including safety, productivity, inventory accuracy, service levels, labor efficiency, and on-time performance.
• Identify performance gaps and implement sustainable corrective actions to improve operational results.
• Create a culture of urgency, accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with Manufacturing and Supply Chain leadership to ensure materials are available when and where needed to support production.
• Ensure warehouse processes and practices comply with company policies, food safety requirements, quality standards, and regulatory expectations.
• Develop and maintain effective staffing, scheduling, labor utilization, and workforce planning strategies.
• Establish consistent operating standards, processes, and communication routines across warehouse teams.
• Utilize data and performance reporting to identify trends, prioritize opportunities, and drive measurable improvement.
• Lead change initiatives and operational improvements that increase efficiency, reduce waste, and improve service.
• Ensure a safe, clean, organized, and high-performing warehouse environment.
• Communicate operational priorities, expectations, and results clearly to leadership and the broader team.
• Set the standard: Model the behaviors, work ethic, and accountability expected throughout the organization.
• Lead through leaders: Develop supervisors and managers to effectively manage performance and build strong teams.
• Own the results: Take accountability for warehouse performance and proactively address issues rather than allowing problems to persist.
• Drive performance: Establish measurable goals and consistently follow through on commitments.
• Develop people: Build capability, identify high-potential talent, and address performance gaps with consistency and fairness.
• Create alignment: Build strong partnerships across Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, Safety, and other functions.

Skills

Leadership

Warehouse operations

Inventory management

Material flow

Labor management

Data-driven decision making

Communication

Change management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Business, or a related field

Tools

ERP systems

WMS

Performance metrics tracking

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Warehouse Operations Manager to lead warehouse operations within a fast-paced manufacturing environment. This leader will be responsible for driving operational performance, developing leaders, establishing clear expectations, and creating a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on, results-driven leader who can balance people leadership with operational execution. This individual will hold leaders and team members accountable to performance expectations while partnering closely with Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Safety, and other functions to ensure materials and finished goods move efficiently and accurately through the operation.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead overall warehouse operations, including receiving, material movement, inventory, storage, staging, and shipping.
• Establish clear performance expectations and hold leaders and team members accountable for results.
• Lead, coach, and develop warehouse leadership teams to strengthen ownership, decision-making, and execution.
• Drive key operational metrics including safety, productivity, inventory accuracy, service levels, labor efficiency, and on-time performance.
• Identify performance gaps and implement sustainable corrective actions to improve operational results.
• Create a culture of urgency, accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with Manufacturing and Supply Chain leadership to ensure materials are available when and where needed to support production.
• Ensure warehouse processes and practices comply with company policies, food safety requirements, quality standards, and regulatory expectations.
• Develop and maintain effective staffing, scheduling, labor utilization, and workforce planning strategies.
• Establish consistent operating standards, processes, and communication routines across warehouse teams.
• Utilize data and performance reporting to identify trends, prioritize opportunities, and drive measurable improvement.
• Lead change initiatives and operational improvements that increase efficiency, reduce waste, and improve service.
• Ensure a safe, clean, organized, and high-performing warehouse environment.
• Communicate operational priorities, expectations, and results clearly to leadership and the broader team.
• Set the standard: Model the behaviors, work ethic, and accountability expected throughout the organization.
• Lead through leaders: Develop supervisors and managers to effectively manage performance and build strong teams.
• Own the results: Take accountability for warehouse performance and proactively address issues rather than allowing problems to persist.
• Drive performance: Establish measurable goals and consistently follow through on commitments.
• Develop people: Build capability, identify high-potential talent, and address performance gaps with consistency and fairness.
• Create alignment: Build strong partnerships across Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, Safety, and other functions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Business, or a related field preferred.
• 5+ years of progressive warehouse, distribution, materials, or supply chain experience within a manufacturing environment.
• 3+ years of experience leading managers and/or supervisors.
• Demonstrated success improving operational performance and accountability.
• Strong knowledge of warehouse operations, inventory management, material flow, and labor management.
• Experience with ERP/WMS systems and operational performance metrics.
• Strong problem-solving, communication, and change-management skills.
• Proven ability to lead in a fast-paced, performance-driven environment.
• Food manufacturing experience required.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role means warehouse performance is improving, leaders are leading, expectations are clear, and accountability is consistent. The Warehouse Operations Manager will create an operation where people understand what is expected, leaders actively manage performance, and the team continually looks for ways to work safer, smarter, and more efficiently.