Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Assistant Warehouse Manager

🎯 Role Definition

The Assistant Warehouse Manager is a hands-on operations leader who coordinates receiving, storage, order fulfillment, shipping, inventory control, and frontline staff supervision. Working closely with the Warehouse Manager or Operations Manager, this role enforces safety and quality standards, monitors key performance indicators (KPIs) such as order accuracy and on-time shipments, maintains WMS and ERP accuracy, leads continuous improvement initiatives, and acts as the on-site escalation for customer and vendor issues. Ideal candidates combine practical warehouse floor experience (forklift, picking/packing), systems literacy (WMS/ERP, barcode systems, Excel), and strong people-management capabilities.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Warehouse Supervisor / Lead
Inventory Control Specialist
Shipping & Receiving Coordinator
Forklift Operator with supervisory experience

Advancement To:

Warehouse Manager / Distribution Manager
Operations Manager / Site Manager
Supply Chain Manager / Logistics Manager
Regional Operations Director

Lateral Moves:

Logistics Coordinator / Planner
Inventory Analyst / Stock Control Lead
Quality or Safety Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Supervise daily inbound and outbound operations, including receiving, putaway, order picking, packing, staging and shipping to ensure 99%+ order accuracy and on-time delivery metrics are met.
Lead, coach and develop a frontline team by creating daily work plans, assigning tasks, conducting shift briefings, and delivering weekly performance feedback to optimize productivity and morale.
Manage inventory control processes—cycle counts, reconciliations, root-cause analysis of variances—and coordinate corrective actions to maintain inventory accuracy within company targets.
Operate and administer the Warehouse Management System (WMS) and ERP integrations (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Manhattan), ensuring transaction integrity, accurate bin locations, and timely system updates.
Coordinate scheduling and labor forecasting for multiple shifts, using historical volume data and seasonal forecasts to control overtime and meet service level agreements (SLAs).
Ensure compliance with workplace safety, OSHA regulations, DOT rules (if applicable), and company environmental, health and safety policies; lead safety training, incident investigations, and corrective action plans.
Oversee shipping documentation, carrier routing, freight cost control, and carrier performance reviews to minimize transit exceptions and reduce freight spend.
Implement and monitor KPIs (picks per hour, dock-to-stock time, on-time shipments, order cycle time, fill rate) and produce daily/weekly operational reports for senior leadership.
Conduct regular equipment inspections and preventive maintenance coordination for forklifts, conveyor lines, packaging machinery and other warehouse assets to reduce downtime.
Direct quality control checks for inbound inspection, product staging and outbound shipments, including handling non-conforming product, returns, and vendor claim processes.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives such as 5S, Lean, Kaizen, and process standardization to reduce waste, improve throughput and increase space utilization.
Support cycle-counts, physical inventories and annual audit preparation by coordinating staff, scheduling audit windows and ensuring documentation is maintained.
Manage vendor and carrier relationships on-site, coordinating delivery windows, special handling requirements, and expedited shipments to support customer needs.
Act as point of contact for customer escalations related to shipments, shortages or damages; coordinate investigations and ensure timely resolution with root-cause reporting.
Administer staff hiring, onboarding, training plans, disciplinary actions and performance evaluations in partnership with HR to maintain compliant personnel records and staffing levels.
Supervise hazardous material handling and storage when applicable, ensuring compliance with all labeling, segregation, and documentation standards (e.g., HAZMAT/DOT rules).
Oversee space allocation, racking configurations and slotting optimization to improve pick efficiency and reduce travel time for pickers.
Prepare and manage operational budgets and expense tracking for the warehouse (labor, consumables, equipment rentals), and partner with management to meet cost targets.
Support seasonal peak planning and day-of-execution activities (e.g., Black Friday, product launches) including temp staffing, split-shifts, and staging plans to meet surge demand.
Implement and maintain security and loss-prevention procedures to minimize shrink, pilferage and theft, including camera audits, access controls and controlled inventory processes.
Coordinate cross-docking and expedite workflows to minimize storage time and accelerate time-to-customer for high-priority SKUs.
Train staff on scanning devices, barcode/RFID systems and handheld terminals; troubleshoot device and label-related issues to reduce scanning errors.
Prepare and present operational summaries, SLA performance and improvement plans to senior operations leaders and external stakeholders on a recurring cadence.

Secondary Functions

Support process documentation and standard operating procedure (SOP) updates to reflect continuous improvement and regulatory changes.
Assist in ad-hoc forecasting, capacity planning and scenario modeling to support procurement and demand planning teams.
Contribute to technology evaluation and rollout (WMS enhancements, automated storage, voice picking) by providing floor-level requirements and testing support.
Participate in vendor onboarding and supplier performance reviews to improve inbound quality and delivery consistency.
Help coordinate cross-functional projects with procurement, customer service, transportation and quality teams to resolve systemic issues.
Maintain records and logs for equipment maintenance, safety training, certifications and inspection reports.
Lead small-scale projects to pilot process changes, document results and scale successful pilots across shifts or locations.
Provide backup support for the Warehouse Manager during absence, ensuring continuity of leadership and decision-making on-site.
Facilitate continuous learning by organizing toolbox talks, safety briefings and short training modules on new procedures or systems.
Support sustainability initiatives such as packaging reduction, recycling programs, and energy-efficient operations where applicable.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) proficiency—experience with SAP EWM, Manhattan, Oracle WMS or equivalent, including cycle counts, wave planning and putaway logic.
Inventory control methodologies: cycle counting, ABC/XYZ analysis, reconciliation and variance root-cause analysis.
Strong Microsoft Excel skills: pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, basic macros and data analysis to produce operational reports.
Knowledge of ERP integrations, ASN processes, EDI transactions and shipping documentation (BOL, manifests).
Familiarity with barcode scanners, RFID systems, voice-picking solutions and RF device troubleshooting.
Forklift operation awareness and ability to coordinate certified operators; forklift certification preferred for hands-on environments.
Understanding of OSHA standards, DOT and HAZMAT regulations where applicable and the ability to enforce safety programs.
KPI and dashboard management experience—designing and monitoring operational metrics (OTD, accuracy, cycle time).
Basic mechanical aptitude for coordinating minor equipment troubleshooting and working with maintenance teams.
Experience with labor planning and workforce management tools to optimize staffing for variable demand.
Knowledge of Lean/continuous improvement methodologies (5S, Kaizen) and previous project implementation experience.
Cold chain and refrigerated storage operations experience (if the role requires temperature-controlled inventory).

Soft Skills

Strong leadership and people-management skills with the ability to motivate frontline teams and manage conflict.
Excellent verbal and written communication—clear briefings, escalation handling, and cross-functional coordination.
Problem-solving mindset with a focus on root-cause analysis and sustainable corrective actions.
Time management and prioritization skills to manage competing operational demands and daily interruptions.
Customer-service orientation—proactive communication with internal and external stakeholders to meet expectations.
Adaptability and resilience in fast-paced, high-volume environments and ability to lead through peaks and disruptions.
Coaching and training aptitude—capable of developing team capabilities and succession pipelines.
Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills to manage inventory accuracy and documentation.
Analytical mindset to interpret operational data and convert insights into action plans.
Decision-making under pressure while maintaining safety, quality and compliance standards.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or GED required.

Preferred Education:

Associate degree or Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Administration, or related field preferred.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Supply Chain Management
Logistics & Transportation
Business Administration
Industrial Engineering
Operations Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

2–5 years of progressive warehouse experience with at least 1–2 years in a supervisory or lead role.

Preferred:

3–5+ years supervising warehouse operations in distribution, 3PL, retail distribution or manufacturing environments.
Prior experience with WMS and ERP systems, staff scheduling, inventory control programs and safety compliance enforcement.
Demonstrated experience leading continuous improvement projects and meeting measurable operational KPIs.