Sr. Manager, Warehouse Ops Excellence

About the Team

The Material Movement & Flow (MMF) organization at Arsenal-1 is responsible for warehouse operations, inventory integrity, and material flow engineering across Anduril's multi-program defense manufacturing site. The team is building a world-class operating system rooted in Toyota Production System principles, structured PDCA problem-solving, and disciplined daily management.

About the Role

The Senior Manager, Warehouse Ops Excellence serves as the management system architect for the MMF organization and as operational chief of staff to the Director, Material Movement & Flow. This role translates strategic priorities into structured execution through the operating rhythm, decision-support packages, and organizational readiness tracking. The position designs and stands up the operating rhythm, continuous improvement methodology, training infrastructure, and KPI framework that warehouse operations runs on, then coaches the line to maintain and evolve those systems independently. It also shapes the broader MMF organization as it scales — defining functional charters, role boundaries, and operating frameworks for new teams and leaders, including future inventory integrity and control leadership roles — and architects the operating model across multiple buildings and programs as construction completes, partnering with Material Flow Engineering to ensure new spaces launch with the management system already in place.

Responsibilities

• Operating Rhythm: Design and facilitate the tiered daily management system — DOR, WOR, and MOR. Own templates, cadence, escalation paths, visual boards, and action tracking.
• Tier System & Leader Standard Work: Build the tier board system, leader standard work schedules, and escalation protocols. Coach supervisors and team leads on structured daily accountability.
• Toyota Kata & Continuous Improvement: Serve as the team's Kata coach. Own the CI pipeline — Kaizen events, A3s, and savings validation.
• Production Program Accountability: Build the governance framework that defines how production programs engage with warehouse operations — SLAs for material availability, handling requirements, turnaround commitments, and regulatory compliance. Develop the scorecarding methodology and hold program leads accountable to it. Serve as the warehouse-to-planning interface alongside the MFE team.
• Training System Architecture: Design the qualification system: skills matrices, standard work documentation, onboarding programs, and train-the-trainer certification. Partner with the Warehouse Manager to build training capability within the existing team — identify and develop supervisors and team leads as certified trainers, and define the dedicated training roles the organization will need as it scales.
• KPI Design & Analytics: Define and visualize metrics across all warehouse functions using the SQDIP framework. Own the calculation methodology. Provide labor and budget analysis including headcount modeling and cost-per-unit metrics.
• Management System Audits: Design and execute layered process audits. Track standard work and leader standard work compliance. Identify systemic gaps and drive corrective actions.
• Change Management: Lead rollout of new processes, SOPs, and WMS/ERP system changes. Own communication plans, training requirements, and post-implementation verification.
• Multi-Building Operating Structure: Architect the operating model across multiple buildings and programs as the site builds out. Ensure consistency in management systems, WMS/ERP configuration, and process standards across all facilities. Partner with MFE on layout, storage strategy, and systems integration.
• Organization Design: Partner with the Director to define functional charters, role boundaries, reporting structures, and operating models for new teams and leadership positions as the organization scales.
• Director's Chief of Staff: Serve as the Director's operational chief of staff — maintain the org readiness tracker, prepare briefing packages for WOR and MOR, coordinate cross-functional priorities, and surface risks through the operating rhythm rather than ad hoc escalation. Ensure the Director's time is focused on strategic decisions by driving the structured cadence that keeps day-to-day execution on track.
• Budget Process: Own the MMF operating budget build — assemble inputs, prepare quarterly forecasts, and track actuals versus plan.
• Cross Team Collaboration: Collaborate with cross-functional teams, requiring regular interaction with production and manufacturing stakeholders and frequently working directly on the production floor.

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years in operational excellence, lean manufacturing, production system deployment, or warehouse/manufacturing operations, with 3+ years in a leadership role.
• Expertise in TPS principles: Kata coaching, A3 problem-solving, Kaizen facilitation, and standard work development.
• 3+ years designing and facilitating tiered daily management systems (DOR/WOR/MOR or equivalent).
• Experience building training and qualification systems in a manufacturing or warehouse environment.
• Proficiency with KPI design, dashboards, and translating data into operational action.
• Experience with ERP/WMS platforms and managing process changes through system transitions.
• Strong analytical skills: labor modeling, budget analysis, and cost-per-unit tracking.
• Excellent communication and coaching skills across all levels — shop floor to site leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to operate as a chief of staff or right hand to a senior leader — synthesizing information, driving meeting cadence, and ensuring leadership bandwidth is protected.
• U.S. citizenship is required pursuant to contractual obligations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, or related field.
• Defense, aerospace, or government-contract