Warehouse Manager

Bevco; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 700,000 - 1,100,000; Full time

Job summary

You will drive operational excellence, staff development and budget management, maintaining service levels and strict SHEQ compliance across warehouse activities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in SCM, Logistics, Operations or related.
• Knowledge of warehouse operations, inventory management and distribution.
• Working knowledge of ERP and Warehouse Management Systems.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel.
• Lean Six Sigma, supervisory, or leadership qualifications desirable.
• Food Safety, HACCP or GMP certifications beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage all warehouse operations to ensure safe and efficient receipt, storage and dispatch of products.
• Optimise labour utilisation and plan resources to maximise productivity.
• Ensure compliance with SHEQ standards and quality controls.

Skills

Warehouse Operations Management

Inventory Handling

Warehouse Productivity

Distribution Operations

Operational Planning

Resource Planning

Customer Service

Warehouse Systems

SHEQ Compliance

Food Safety

Continuous Improvement

Performance Management

Budget Management

Stakeholder Management

People Leadership

Education

Bachelor's Degree in SCM, Logistics, Operations or related

Postgraduate qualification in Supply Chain, Logistics or Business Management

Lean Six Sigma or Continuous Improvement certification

Supervisory or Leadership qualification

Food Safety, HACCP or GMP certification

Project Management qualification

Tools

ERP

Warehouse Management Systems

Microsoft Excel

Job description

WAREHOUSE MANAGER

Supply Chain

Job Purpose

The Warehouse Manager is responsible for leading and managing all warehouse operations to ensure the safe, efficient and cost-effective receipt, storage, inventory handling and dispatch of products in support of manufacturing, distribution and customer service requirements.
The role is accountable for warehouse productivity, operational performance, resource planning, service delivery, safety, quality and compliance across all warehouse activities. Working closely with Planning, Manufacturing, Transport, Customer Service and Inventory Control, the Warehouse Manager ensures warehouse operations are executed efficiently while maintaining high standards of operational discipline, customer service and inventory handling.
The incumbent drives operational excellence through effective leadership, continuous improvement, warehouse optimisation and employee development, ensuring warehouse operations consistently support the Company's supply chain objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Warehouse Operations Management

• Lead and manage all warehouse operations to ensure the safe, efficient and effective receipt, storage and dispatch of products.
• Ensure warehouse operations are executed in accordance with operational plans, customer requirements and company standards.
• Coordinate daily warehouse activities to optimise operational flow and maximise throughput.
• Monitor warehouse performance and implement corrective actions to address operational challenges.
• Ensure warehouse capacity is effectively utilised to support changing business requirements.
• Drive operational excellence through standardised warehouse processes and procedures.
• Promote a culture of accountability, efficiency and operational discipline across the warehouse.

Receiving, Storage & Dispatch

• Ensure inbound receipts are processed accurately, efficiently and within agreed service levels.
• Manage storage practices that optimise warehouse space utilisation and inventory accessibility.
• Ensure customer orders are picked, checked, loaded and dispatched accurately and on time.
• Coordinate dispatch activities to support transport planning and customer delivery requirements.
• Monitor warehouse turnaround times and implement initiatives to improve operational efficiency.
• Ensure warehouse documentation is completed accurately and maintained in accordance with company requirements.
• Minimise product damage through effective warehouse handling and storage practices.

Warehouse Productivity & Resource Planning

• Develop warehouse resource plans aligned to operational volumes and customer demand.
• Optimise labour utilisation to maximise warehouse productivity and operational efficiency.
• Monitor warehouse productivity indicators and implement performance improvement initiatives.
• Manage labour scheduling to support seasonal demand and operational priorities.
• Identify opportunities to improve warehouse throughput while maintaining operational standards.
• Monitor overtime and labour costs to ensure effective utilisation of resources.
• Drive productivity improvements through continuous review of warehouse processes.

Customer Service & Operational Performance

• Ensure warehouse operations consistently support agreed customer service and delivery commitments.
• Monitor operational performance against service level agreements and key performance indicators.
• Investigate customer service failures and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
• Collaborate with Customer Service, Planning and Distribution teams to resolve operational issues.
• Ensure timely communication of operational constraints that may impact service delivery.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives that enhance customer service performance.
• Promote a customer-focused culture across warehouse operations.

Safety, Quality & Food Safety

• Ensure compliance with all Safety, Health, Environment and Quality (SHEQ) standards and company policies.
• Promote compliance with Food Safety, GMP and hygiene requirements throughout warehouse operations.
• Maintain high housekeeping standards through the effective implementation of 5S principles.
• Conduct regular workplace inspections and ensure corrective actions are implemented.
• Ensure all warehouse employees comply with safe working practices and legislative requirements.
• Promote a culture of safety, quality and continuous compliance.
• Support internal and external audits relating to warehouse operations.

Warehouse Assets & Equipment Management

• Ensure warehouse equipment is available, maintained and utilised efficiently to support operational requirements.
• Monitor the condition and utilisation of warehouse assets and material handling equipment.
• Coordinate preventative maintenance activities to minimise equipment downtime.
• Ensure warehouse infrastructure supports safe and efficient operations.
• Report equipment defects and coordinate timely corrective action.
• Promote responsible use of warehouse assets and company property.
• Support capital expenditure planning for warehouse equipment replacement and upgrades.

Compliance, Governance & Inventory Support

• Ensure compliance with warehouse policies, procedures and operational controls.
• Support inventory accuracy through disciplined warehouse handling and stock movement processes.
• Collaborate with the Inventory Controller to resolve inventory discrepancies and improve stock integrity.
• Ensure warehouse transactions are processed accurately within ERP and warehouse management systems.
• Maintain accurate operational records and warehouse documentation.
• Support inventory audits, cycle counts and compliance reviews.
• Identify operational risks and implement appropriate corrective actions.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve warehouse productivity, operational efficiency and service delivery.
• Lead warehouse improvement initiatives that optimise processes and eliminate waste.
• Promote standardisation of warehouse practices across the operation.
• Analyse warehouse performance data and implement corrective actions to improve results.
• Encourage innovation and problem-solving within the warehouse team.
• Support Supply Chain optimisation initiatives through operational improvements.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.

People Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Lead, coach and develop Warehouse Supervisors and warehouse employees to achieve operational objectives.
• Establish clear performance expectations and monitor individual and team performance.
• Manage workforce planning to ensure appropriate staffing levels are maintained.
• Promote employee engagement, accountability and teamwork across warehouse operations.
• Support employee training, development and succession planning.
• Build effective relationships with Manufacturing, Planning, Distribution, Inventory Control, Customer Service and Fleet teams.
• Foster a positive, high-performance culture aligned to the Company's values.

Qualifications and Experience

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Operations Management or a related discipline.
• Sound knowledge of warehouse operations, inventory management and distribution processes.
• Working knowledge of ERP and Warehouse Management Systems.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel.

Ideal Qualifications

• Postgraduate qualification in Supply Chain, Logistics or Business Management.
• Lean Six Sigma or Continuous Improvement certification.
• Supervisory or Leadership qualification.
• Food Safety, HACCP or GMP certification.
• Project Management qualification.

Minimum Experience

• Minimum 8-10 years' experience in warehouse or distribution operations within an FMCG, manufacturing or logistics environment.
• Minimum 5 years' experience managing warehouse operations.
• Experience leading large operational teams within a unionised environment.
• Experience managing warehouse productivity, inventory handling and customer service performance.
• Experience managing warehouse budgets and operational resources.
• Experience working with ERP and Warehouse Management Systems.
• Experience implementing continuous improvement initiatives.

Ideal Experience

• Beverage industry experience.
• Experience within a multi-site manufacturing and distribution environment.
• Experience supporting SAP Warehouse Management.
• Experience leading warehouse transformation projects.
• Exposure to automated warehouse technologies.
• Experience implementing Lean Warehouse principles.

Core Competencies

• Warehouse Operations Management
• Inventory Handling
• Warehouse Productivity
• Distribution Operations
• Operational Planning
• Resource Planning
• Customer Service
• Warehouse Systems
• SHEQ Compliance
• Food Safety
• Continuous Improvement
• Performance Management
• Budget Management
• Problem Solving
• Stakeholder Management
• People Leadership

Behavioural Competencies

Operational Leadership: Leads warehouse operations with a strong focus on safety, productivity, service delivery and operational excellence.

Customer Focus: Ensures warehouse activities consistently support internal and external customer service expectations through accurate and timely execution.

Planning and Organising: Effectively plans warehouse resources, labour and operational activities to meet changing business demands.

Decision Making: Makes sound operational decisions that balance productivity, safety, quality and customer service requirements.

Problem Solving: Identifies operational challenges, determines root causes and implements practical, sustainable solutions.