Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Fulfillment Analyst Assistant

🎯 Role Definition

The Fulfillment Analyst Assistant supports day-to-day order fulfillment operations and analytics to ensure accurate, on-time delivery and efficient warehouse performance. As a hands-on operational analyst, you will monitor order flow, investigate exceptions, maintain inventory accuracy, coordinate with carriers and 3PL partners, and produce actionable reports that drive continuous improvement. This role blends operational execution with analytical rigor—ideal for candidates who are detail-oriented, data-driven, and experienced with WMS/OMS, Excel/SQL reporting, and cross-functional stakeholder communication.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Fulfillment Coordinator / Shipping Coordinator
Inventory Analyst or Warehouse Associate with analytical responsibilities
Logistics Coordinator or Customer Service Specialist in e-commerce

Advancement To:

Fulfillment Analyst / Senior Fulfillment Analyst
Fulfillment Operations Manager / Logistics Manager
Supply Chain Analyst / Inventory Planning Analyst

Lateral Moves:

Order Management Analyst
Returns & Reverse Logistics Specialist
3PL Relationship Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Coordinate daily order processing and fulfillment workflows by monitoring order queues within the Order Management System (OMS) and Warehouse Management System (WMS), identifying stuck or delayed orders, and taking corrective actions to meet on-time delivery targets.
Investigate and resolve fulfillment exceptions (pick/pack errors, inventory discrepancies, shipping exceptions) by conducting root-cause analysis, documenting findings, and implementing short-term fixes while proposing sustainable process changes.
Manage inventory accuracy and reconciliations across WMS and ERP systems, executing cycle counts, supporting monthly close activities, and reconciling variances to ensure correct available-to-promise (ATP) inventory for order fulfillment.
Liaise with carriers, freight forwarders, and 3PL partners to schedule pickups, verify shipment manifests, escalate transit exceptions, and optimize carrier performance to meet SLA and cost targets.
Prepare and validate shipping documentation including Bills of Lading, commercial invoices, packing lists, ASN generation, and EDI transmissions to ensure compliance with carrier and customs requirements for domestic and international shipments.
Monitor and report on daily and weekly fulfillment KPIs such as on-time shipping rate, order defect rate, perfect order rate, pick accuracy, order cycle time, and cost-per-order; present insights to operations leadership and provide recommended corrective actions.
Execute root-cause analysis for repeat fulfillment issues, drive corrective action plans with cross-functional partners (warehouse operations, procurement, customer service), and track closure of action items to reduce recurrence.
Support returns and reverse logistics processes, coordinating inbound authorization, disposition (restock, refurbish, scrap), and credit/refund processing, while tracking return rates and reasons to identify improvement opportunities.
Maintain and update standard operating procedures (SOPs), work instructions, and training guides for fulfillment tasks and system usage to scale operational consistency across shifts and service providers.
Operate WMS/OMS and inventory modules to reserve inventory, reassign lots, stage orders for pickup, and manage exceptions such as oversells, backorders, and split shipments to optimize customer experience.
Create and maintain automated reports and dashboards (Excel, SQL, Power BI, Tableau) that visualize fulfillment performance, identify bottlenecks, and track progress against SLA and cost objectives.
Run daily inventory movement reports and support physical inventory cycle counts and full inventories; investigate discrepancies between physical counts and system records and coordinate adjustments with finance and operations.
Support demand and replenishment processes by validating inbound receipts, coordinating with procurement/planning on low-stock alerts, and ensuring inventory availability for priority customers and promotions.
Participate in release and system change testing for WMS/OMS/ERP enhancements, documenting test cases, executing user acceptance testing (UAT), and validating data integrity before go-live.
Communicate proactively with customer service teams to provide timely status updates on high-risk orders and escalations, ensuring accurate customer communications and minimizing customer-impacting delays.
Analyze freight costs, zone pricing, and carrier rate exceptions to identify cost savings or process changes to reduce shipping spend while maintaining service levels.
Coordinate packaging optimization, cartonization rules, and dimensional weight analysis to improve carton utilization and reduce shipping costs and damage rates.
Track and support compliance with regulatory and commercial requirements for hazardous materials, restricted products, and international trade documentation as it impacts picking, packing, and transport.
Drive continuous improvement projects using Lean, Six Sigma, or Kaizen methodologies to reduce order-to-shipment cycle time, eliminate waste, and increase throughput in fulfillment processes.
Maintain audit trails and support internal and external inventory, shipping, and compliance audits by assembling documentation, explaining processes, and implementing audit remediation plans.
Train and support warehouse and fulfillment staff on system updates, new processes, and best practices; act as the subject-matter expert for fulfillment analytics and operational reporting.
Coordinate seasonal and promotional fulfillment planning with e-commerce merchandising and marketing teams, forecasting volumes, identifying resource gaps, and implementing contingency plans to ensure peak readiness.
Reconcile carrier invoices and chargebacks in partnership with finance, identify billing discrepancies, and provide documentation to secure credits and control freight cost leakage.
Support ad-hoc special projects such as BOPIS (buy-online-pickup-in-store) rollouts, new distribution center openings, or technology integrations—providing both operational know-how and analytical rigor.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
Assist in periodic performance reviews of 3PLs and carriers by compiling scorecards and recommending contractual or operational adjustments.
Monitor compliance with customer-specific fulfillment requirements (EDI specifications, ASN timing, custom packing) and coordinate remediation when service levels slip.
Provide weekend/after-hours support on a rotating basis during peak periods or system migrations to maintain continuous fulfillment operations.
Support vendor and supplier communication for drop-ship orders, ensuring timely confirmations and shipment tracking to customers.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proficient in Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) and Order Management Systems (OMS) such as Manhattan, Blue Yonder (JDA), SAP EWM, Oracle WMS, or NetSuite.
Strong Excel skills (VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, PivotTables, Power Query) for ad-hoc analysis and reporting.
SQL query proficiency for extracting, joining, and aggregating fulfillment and inventory datasets from operational databases.
Experience with business intelligence and dashboarding tools (Power BI, Tableau, Looker) to create KPI dashboards and visualizations.
Familiarity with ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, NetSuite) and the integration points between WMS/OMS and ERP for inventory and financial reconciliation.
Knowledge of EDI, ASN creation, and carrier/3PL integration standards for electronic shipment communications.
Basic understanding of shipping carriers (UPS, FedEx, USPS, DHL) and freight concepts including LTL, FTL, parcel rating, dimensional weight, and zone-based pricing.
Experience with returns management and reverse logistics workflows and systems.
Competence in process improvement methodologies (Lean, Kaizen, Six Sigma) and proven ability to drive measurable operational improvements.
Comfortable with scripting or automation tools (Python, VBA, or automation platforms) to streamline repetitive reporting and data processing tasks.
Familiarity with inventory control best practices, cycle counting methods, and stock reconciliation procedures.
Ability to perform freight invoice reconciliation, chargeback analysis, and cost-to-serve modeling.

Soft Skills

Strong analytical mindset with ability to translate data into actionable operational recommendations.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills for cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder reporting.
Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities.
Problem-solving and investigative mindset with persistence in resolving complex fulfillment exceptions.
Customer-focused attitude with a commitment to maintaining high-quality customer delivery experience.
Collaborative team player who can influence without direct authority across operations, supply chain, and finance.
Time management and multitasking skills in a fast-paced, high-volume fulfillment environment.
Adaptability to change and eagerness to learn new systems, processes, and tools.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Associate degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Business Administration, or related field; or equivalent work experience in fulfillment/operations.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Operations Research, Business Analytics, or related discipline.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Supply Chain Management
Logistics and Transportation
Business Analytics / Data Science
Operations Management
Industrial Engineering

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 1–4 years of experience in fulfillment operations, order management, warehouse coordination, or logistics analytics.

Preferred: 2+ years working with WMS/OMS systems, proven track record in inventory control and KPI reporting, and exposure to cross-functional improvement projects.