Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for E-commerce Operations Department Manager

🎯 Role Definition

The E-commerce Operations Department Manager leads end-to-end online order fulfillment and operational excellence for a digital commerce business. This role owns day-to-day fulfillment operations, inventory accuracy, 3PL and vendor relationships, SLA/KPI delivery, and process improvement initiatives to scale volume, reduce cost-per-order, and improve customer experience. The manager partners closely with Product, Marketing, Customer Service, Finance, and IT to align operations with commercial targets and technology roadmaps.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

E-commerce Operations Supervisor / Team Lead
Logistics or Fulfillment Manager
Supply Chain or Inventory Planner

Advancement To:

Senior Manager, E‑commerce Operations
Director of E‑commerce / Head of Fulfillment
VP of Operations / Head of Omnichannel Operations

Lateral Moves:

Head of Supply Chain & Planning
Director of Marketplace & Seller Operations
Head of Customer Experience (operations-focused)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Own end-to-end e-commerce operations performance (order-to-delivery), including order management, warehouse operations (WMS), fulfillment cost per order, on-time delivery, order accuracy, and returns processing; set targets and deliver continuous improvement against KPIs and SLAs.
Manage P&L responsibility for the e-commerce operations department, driving margin improvement, cost control (labor, shipping, packaging), and forecasting operating expenses tied to peak seasons and promotional cycles.
Design, implement and maintain scalable Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) across receiving, put-away, picking, packing, shipping, and returns to ensure consistent quality and regulatory compliance.
Lead vendor and 3PL selection, negotiation, contracting and performance management (scorecards, audits, corrective action plans) to ensure capacity, cost competitiveness and service reliability.
Develop and manage staffing models, labor forecasts and seasonal workforce planning, including use of temporary labor, third-party agencies, and shift optimization to meet volume variability and SLA targets.
Lead omnichannel integration activities (store fulfillment, buy online pickup in-store (BOPIS), ship-from-store, marketplace fulfillment) and ensure systems (OMS/WMS/ERP) and processes support seamless customer experiences.
Lead continuous improvement and operational excellence programs (Lean, Kaizen, Six Sigma) to reduce cycle times, minimize defects, cut waste, and improve throughput and inventory accuracy.
Lead cross-functional programs with Product, Marketing, Finance, IT and Customer Service to enable promotions, new launches, flash sales and marketplace expansions while mitigating operational risk.
Own returns and reverse logistics strategy including RMA handling, refurbishment, restocking, disposition, and cost recovery to reduce return-to-sell cycle and shrink.
Oversee inventory control and reconciliation processes, cycle counting programs, shrink reduction initiatives, and accuracy improvements to maintain target inventory turns and reduce stockouts.
Implement and maintain reporting frameworks and dashboards to provide real-time visibility into fill rate, OTIF, lead time, backlog, carrying costs, and exception management for senior leadership.
Drive fulfillment network strategy including site selection, capacity planning, expansion of DC footprints and optimization between owned and outsourced fulfillment nodes to balance service and cost.
Champion technology adoption and automation initiatives (warehouse automation, sortation, robotics, voice picking, conveyor systems) to improve throughput and lower cost per order.
Collaborate with IT and data teams to define requirements and lead implementations for Order Management Systems (OMS), Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), Transportation Management Systems (TMS), and ERP integrations.
Set and enforce compliance requirements, safety standards and audit readiness for distribution centers (OSHA, local regulations, hazardous materials handling where applicable).
Manage escalation paths for customer-impacting issues and lead post-mortem reviews, root cause analysis and remediation plans to prevent recurrence.
Drive carrier strategy and negotiation (parcel carriers, LTL, freight) to optimize shipping cost, transit times and international import/export logistics where applicable.
Develop and execute peak season readiness plans including dry runs, contingency planning, inventory pre-staging, and capacity augmentation to deliver on Black Friday/Cyber Monday and other high-volume periods.
Lead pricing and packaging optimization initiatives to reduce dimensional weight costs and improve pack density while protecting product integrity.
Define quality metrics, run continuous quality assurance checks, and lead training programs to maintain high order accuracy and customer satisfaction levels.
Ensure fraud prevention controls are embedded in order flow, cancellations and chargeback processes and work with risk teams to close gaps.
Drive a culture of metrics-driven decision making by setting OKRs, conducting weekly operations reviews and cascading performance goals to teams.
Coordinate international e-commerce operations and customs compliance when applicable, ensuring documentation, duties and VAT handling are operationalized.
Lead cross-functional project management for new warehouse openings, relocations, major system upgrades and integrations, ensuring on-time and on-budget delivery.

Secondary Functions

Partner with Analytics and BI to build ad-hoc dashboards and exploratory analysis that surface process bottlenecks and forecasting improvements.
Support product and merchandising teams with inventory allocation strategies for new launches, bundles and promotions to maximize sell-through and minimize overstocks.
Facilitate regular operations training and career development programs to upskill associates and managers for future internal promotions.
Participate in strategic roadmap planning to align operational capability with long-term commercial and technology investments.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Deep knowledge of Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) — implementation, configuration and operational best practices.
Experience with Order Management Systems (OMS) and multichannel order routing logic.
Familiarity with ERP systems (NetSuite, SAP, Oracle) and integrations between OMS/WMS/ERP.
Strong data skills: Advanced Excel (pivot tables, macros), SQL for querying operations data, and experience using BI tools (Tableau, Power BI, Looker).
Experience with Transportation Management Systems (TMS), carrier contractual negotiation and freight optimization.
Understanding of fulfillment automation technologies (conveyor, sortation, robotics, automated storage/retrieval systems).
Knowledge of e-commerce platforms and marketplaces (Shopify, Magento, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Amazon Seller/ Vendor Central, eBay).
Forecasting and demand planning proficiency; familiarity with inventory optimization methodologies and safety stock calculus.
Experience in contract negotiation, 3PL management, and SLA enforcement.
Project management skills with familiarity in Agile and waterfall delivery for systems rollouts and DC projects.
Financial acumen: P&L ownership, cost modeling, budgeting and variance analysis.
Familiarity with returns management systems (RMA) and reverse logistics workflows.
Knowledge of regulatory and compliance requirements for distribution centers (safety, hazardous materials, customs).
Experience with workforce management tools and labor forecasting software.

Soft Skills

Strong leadership and people management — ability to hire, coach and scale teams in a fast-paced environment.
Exceptional stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills.
Analytical and data-driven decision making, comfortable with KPIs and metric ownership.
Excellent written and verbal communication; able to present operational performance to senior executives.
Problem-solving mindset with experience in root cause analysis and corrective action planning.
Adaptability and change management — proven ability to lead process change and technology adoption.
Customer-centric orientation with a focus on reducing friction and improving end-customer experience.
Time management and prioritization skills to manage competing operational priorities under peak pressure.
Attention to detail while maintaining a view of the broader strategic and financial impact.
Resilience and calm under pressure, particularly during peak seasons or outage scenarios.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

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

Preferred Education:

MBA or Master’s degree in Supply Chain/Operations Management or a related discipline.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Supply Chain Management
Logistics & Transportation
Industrial / Systems Engineering
Business Administration / Operations Management
Data Analytics / Information Systems

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 5–12 years in e-commerce operations, fulfillment, logistics or supply chain roles.

Preferred:

8+ years leading e-commerce fulfillment, distribution center operations or 3PL-managed networks with direct P&L responsibility.
Demonstrated track record implementing WMS/OMS solutions, scaling operations for high-growth consumer brands, and delivering cost-to-serve improvements.