Warehouse Manager

Position Purpose:

The Warehouse Manager is responsible for the safe, efficient, and cost-effective operation of the facility's warehouse and distribution activities. This leader oversees the receipt, storage, handling, inventory control, picking, staging, and shipment of raw materials, packaging, work-in-process, and finished goods. The Warehouse Manager ensures warehouse execution supports food safety, product quality, customer service, production requirements, inventory accuracy, and financial performance.

Job Success Profile:

A successful Warehouse Manager is a hands-on operational leader who develops people, establishes disciplined processes, uses data to solve problems, and creates a culture of safety, food safety, accountability, accuracy, and urgency. Success is demonstrated through reliable inventory, uninterrupted production support, accurate and on-time customer shipments, productive labor management, and measurable continuous improvement.

Major tasks, responsibilities, and key accountabilities (in priority order):

1. Safety and Food Safety

· Own warehouse safety performance and maintain a zero-incident mindset.

· Ensure compliance with OSHA, company safety requirements, GMPs, HACCP, FSMA, SQF/BRCGS, FDA, and USDA requirements, as applicable.

· Maintain required temperature controls, sanitation, pest-control, allergen controls, and cross-contamination prevention practices.

· Ensure forklift and powered industrial truck certification, training, inspections, and safe operating practices are current and effective.

· Investigate incidents, near misses, food-safety issues, and audit findings; complete root-cause analysis and corrective actions on time.

2. Warehouse Operations and Customer Service

· Direct daily receiving, put-away, storage, material movement, picking, staging, loading, shipping, returns, and inventory-transfer activities.

· Ensure raw materials, packaging, work-in-process, and finished goods are available to production and customers when required.

· Establish standardized work, daily operating routines, efficient layouts, product flows, and slotting strategies.

· Optimize labor, equipment, space, dock, and cold-storage utilization while maintaining housekeeping and 5S standards.

· Ensure orders meet customer-specific requirements and resolve loading errors, shortages, damages, and shipping discrepancies with urgency.

3. Inventory Accuracy and Control

· Own the accuracy and integrity of physical warehouse inventory and all related ERP/WMS transactions.

· Maintain accurate lot, date, location, status, and quantity information, including full traceability and lot control.

· Establish and manage cycle-count programs; investigate discrepancies and implement sustainable corrective actions.

· Ensure FIFO/FEFO rotation and the proper handling and disposition of damaged, rejected, expired, or quarantined product.

· Minimize product damage, expiration, obsolescence, shrink, and unplanned inventory adjustments.

· Partner with the Manager, Inventory & Workflow on system controls, workflow standards, reconciliation, reporting, and process improvement; the Warehouse Manager remains accountable for physical execution and team performance.

4. Production Support

· Stage raw materials and packaging accurately and on time to support the production schedule.

· Coordinate warehouse priorities with Production Planning and Operations, including schedule changes and priority orders.

· Minimize production downtime caused by material shortages, inaccurate staging, or warehouse execution.

· Establish effective replenishment, line-side inventory, work-in-process, and finished-goods movement processes.

5. Labor and People Leadership

· Recruit, train, coach, and develop warehouse employees, leads, and supervisors.

· Set staffing plans, labor standards, and productivity expectations based on volume and production requirements.

· Manage overtime and temporary labor within established budgets while maintaining service and safety.

· Conduct regular performance reviews and establish clear daily expectations and accountability by shift and supervisor.

· Build cross-training, career-development, succession, and retention plans for critical warehouse roles.

6. Continuous Improvement and Financial Performance

· Use 5S, visual management, standard work, root-cause analysis, and Kaizen to improve warehouse performance.

· Reduce touches, unnecessary movement, product damage, overtime, and transportation inefficiencies.

· Improve pick paths, slotting, labor productivity, equipment utilization, and warehouse cost per unit.

· Lead measurable improvement projects with clear operational and financial benefits.

· Leverage ERP/WMS technology and operational reporting to improve real-time visibility, accuracy, and decision-making.

Travel Required: Minimal domestic travel required, typically dictated by business needs and coverage

Qualifications (in priority order):

· High school diploma or equivalent required; bachelor's degree in supply chain, logistics, operations, business, or a related discipline strongly preferred. An equivalent combination of education and significant relevant experience may be considered.

· Ideally 5-10+ years of progressive warehouse or distribution experience, including at least 3 years leading warehouse employees and supervisors.

· Experience in food manufacturing, food processing, CPG, cold storage, or another highly regulated environment strongly preferred.

· Demonstrated experience with inventory control, cycle counting, ERP/WMS transactions, lot traceability, and FIFO/FEFO practices.

· Experience managing hourly workforces, multiple shifts, labor productivity, overtime, and temporary labor.

· Working knowledge of food-safety requirements, GMPs, HACCP principles, FSMA, OSHA, and powered industrial truck requirements.

· Demonstrated ability to teach, coach, communicate across functions, and hold teams accountable for results.

· Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, warehouse KPIs, operational reporting, and root-cause analysis.

· Experience with Lean, 5S, continuous improvement, ERP/WMS implementation, refrigerated/frozen products, or short shelf-life products preferred.

Working Conditions

• This role operates in a wet and cold/refrigerated environment (around 35 degrees F) located within a manufacturing, warehousing, and production type facility. Must be able to withstand cold temperatures for extended periods
• This is largely a static role with standing, however, the ability to perform repetitive bending and standing up is also required. This would require the ability to lift 10-35 lbs. repetitively and up to 45 lbs. occasionally. Depending on the area, must also be able to push/pull up to 250 lbs. on rollers occasionally
• Must be able to physically walk the production floor having a hands-on approach with problem solving.

Salaried/Remote Employees: Universal Pure facilities may process, pack and or store products containing allergenic food ingredients as referenced by FDA, occasional exposure may occur, inform your direct manager of any food allergies.

The job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Universal Pure Is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer