Wave Planning Lead – DC Operations

Hubbell Incorporated; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Hubbell Incorporated is seeking a Wave Planner to act as the operational control tower for the Distribution Center, managing flow across inbound, pick, pack, and shipping. You will release and sequence orders, monitor progression, and coordinate across shifts to maintain service levels, FIFO compliance, and efficient labor use.

The role supports first, second, and weekend shifts, with occasional extended hours for month- and quarter-end activities or system recoveries, and qualifies as a

Qualifications

• Five years of experience in a high-volume warehouse or distribution environment.
• Three years of progressive experience with increasing operational responsibilities.
• Strong working knowledge of SAP and Warehouse Management Systems (WMS).
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel.
• Ability to effectively prioritize work and make operational decisions in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to collaborate across multiple departments and shifts.
• Flexibility to support business needs that may occasionally require work outside regular business hours, including evenings and weekends.
• Willingness to embrace Hubbell Values and Behaviors.
• Contribute to the team effort by accomplishing related results and participating in projects as needed.
• Ability to perform work for a maximum of nine hours per day.
• Ability to routinely walk throughout the distribution center and observe operational activities.
• Ability to sit, stand, and use a computer workstation for extended periods.

Responsibilities

• Review incoming order volume, customer priorities, backlog, and inventory availability.
• Develop the daily wave strategy based on service requirements, operational capacity, and carrier commitments.
• Partner with supervisors and Customer Service to align on priorities and potential risks.
• Review performance from previous shifts and communicate priorities across first, second, and weekend operations.
• Release and sequence customer orders into the operation throughout the day.
• Monitor order progression from release through picking, packing, and shipping.
• Ensure work is flowing efficiently between Inbound, Pick, Pack, and Shipping.
• Quickly identify and resolve bottlenecks before they impact customer service.
• Coordinate workflow adjustments across shifts to maintain service levels and operational balance.
• Conduct regular pulse checks on department performance and workload.
• Determine when labor resources need to be reallocated to support operational priorities.
• Coordinate labor movement between departments to keep the facility balanced and productive.
• Escalate capacity concerns and recovery plans to leadership when needed.
• Support labor planning decisions that impact multiple shifts and weekend operations.
• Monitor order aging and ensure customer orders are processed in First-In, First-Out (FIFO) sequence.
• Validate that priority changes are aligned with business requirements.
• Ensure any exceptions to FIFO receive approval from the DC Manager or Director.
• Generate and distribute hourly operational reports.
• Provide visibility to leadership on order status, backlog, productivity, labor allocation, and service risks.
• Communicate changes in priorities, staffing needs, and recovery actions throughout the day.
• Partner with leaders across all shifts to ensure continuity of execution and communication.
• Analyze trends impacting flow, productivity, and service performance.
• Identify opportunities to improve wave planning, labor utilization, and overall throughput.
• Recommend process improvements that support customer service and operational efficiency.
• Assist in developing standardized processes that improve coordination across shifts and departments.

Skills

Warehouse experience

Operational planning

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Prioritization

Flexibility

Tools

SAP

WMS

Excel

Job description

Hubbell Incorporated is seeking a Wave Planner to act as the operational control tower for the Distribution Center, managing flow across inbound, pick, pack, and shipping. You will release and sequence orders, monitor progression, and coordinate across shifts to maintain service levels, FIFO compliance, and efficient labor use.

The role supports first, second, and weekend shifts, with occasional extended hours for month- and quarter-end activities or system recoveries, and qualifies as a