Director of Warehouse Operations

Responsibilities

• Team Development- Set expectations for managers, measure performance, provide feedback, and hold them accountable for their performance and the performance of their departments.
• Balance managers' short-term focus by providing clear communication and guidance on long-term initiatives: help them see the 'bigger picture' and clearly map how to get there.
• Leverage the skills and experience of your team by sourcing ideas, being open to feedback, delegating effectively, and cultivating development paths for continuous growth and engagement.
• Build a team culture of ownership by both leading by example and proactively fostering exceptional communication, transparency, and work ethic.
• Proactively support your direct reports as a 'servant leader', using your experience to help them continuously develop technical and soft skills.
• Strategic Operations- Own and measure clear operational KPIs
• Provide strategic, long-term planning (3, 6, and 12 months out) including labor planning, volume/rate forecasting, and peak season planning.
• Drive process improvement through continuous evaluation, detailed execution plans, effective implementation, and sustained execution to ensure long-term benefits.
• Implement standardized systems and processes that are scalable across teams/locations to streamline operations and enable growth.
• Support decisions and recommendations with data and key metrics and provide regular reporting to team and stakeholders.
• Equipment, Systems, & Facility Management- Optimize setup, training, administration, and troubleshooting of warehouse software/systems to be maximally effective for our operations.
• Ensure warehouses are efficient, clean, and safe by leading non-routine building maintenance initiatives and delegating routine maintenance tasks to managers.
• Research vendors, get quotes, and make purchasing decisions for equipment needed to expand operations.

Essential Skills/Qualities

• Exceptional Communication: clear and consistent verbal and written communication that's simple and effective for the audience, (e.g. direct reports, entry-level employees, and executives).
• People Management and Development: focus on developing your manager direct reports to lead the larger team 'through' them;
• Ownership: as the head of the Fulfillment Department, take ultimate accountability for all outcomes of your team, ('the buck stops with you').
• Drive for continuous improvement: lead with curiosity, identify both successes and misses, create an environment where 'failures' are opportunities to learn, and model a bias towards action.
• Project Management: effectively lead initiatives from planning through execution, with attention to gaining buy-in, strategic delegation, consistent status updates, effective roll-out, and long-term adherence.
• Problem Solving: identify potential or current issues with people and processes, research/investigate, apply logic/experience to make sound decisions, and take appropriate and timely action to resolve.
• Business acumen/data analytics: analyze and apply data to strategically guide team to hit KPIs and operating metrics and
• Technology Acumen: ability to learn our operating systems and shipping systems, comfortable using G Suite, Slack, and other communication tools, proficient in Excel.
• Shipping Logistics: familiar with general processes for working with third party carriers to ship outbound orders and receive large inbound shipments (pallets, containers).
• Organization: stay on top of multiple projects, priorities, and locations with transparency within and outside your building/team.

Required Experience/Qualifications

• 10 years of general warehouse experience, including using equipment such as forklifts, stackers, etc.
• 3-5 years in a pick/pack/ship fulfillment warehouse
• 3+ years experience in a Sr. Management role, including supervising other managers
• Experience in Six Sigma or Lean warehouse management and design
• Must work on-site at our Fresno, CA warehouse minimum 4 days per week (1 WFH day optional)
• Must be able to travel, estimated minimum of 1 week per quarter
• Fully written and spoken fluency in English; Spanish fluency a plus.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced and physical environment, stand for long periods, and lift 50+ lbs.
• Must have current US work authorization