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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Fulfillment Operations General Manager

💰 $ - $

OperationsSupply ChainLogisticsFulfillment

🎯 Role Definition

The Fulfillment Operations General Manager (FOGM) is accountable for end-to-end fulfillment center performance across throughput, cost, quality, and safety. This role leads multi-site or single large-scale warehouse operations, owns P&L and KPI delivery, implements warehouse management systems (WMS) and automation, drives continuous improvement and labor productivity, and partners with supply chain, transportation, procurement, and customer experience teams to meet service level agreements (SLAs) and deliver exceptional customer outcomes.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Warehouse/Distribution Center Manager with multi-site exposure and WMS experience
  • Senior Operations Manager or Area Manager in e‑commerce fulfillment
  • Supply Chain Manager with operational leadership and P&L responsibility

Advancement To:

  • Director of Fulfillment / Senior Director, Operations
  • VP of Operations or VP of Supply Chain
  • Head of Global Fulfillment or Chief Operations Officer (for larger organizations)

Lateral Moves:

  • Head of Transportation / Logistics Operations
  • Head of Inventory & Replenishment
  • Head of Last-Mile & Delivery Operations

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Own end-to-end operational performance for one or multiple fulfillment centers, including order throughput, on-time shipment rate, inventory accuracy, order accuracy, dock-to-stock, and returns processing, by setting clear KPIs and driving accountability across site leadership.
  • Manage full P&L for fulfillment operations: develop annual operating budgets, monitor cost-to-serve, identify cost savings opportunities, and implement corrective plans to achieve margin and efficiency targets.
  • Lead labor planning and workforce management for high-volume fulfillment operations, including recruiting, training, scheduling, overtime management, and seasonal staffing strategies to match demand peaks and promotions.
  • Implement and optimize Warehouse Management System (WMS) and associated integrations (ERP, TMS, OMS, robotics control), partnering with IT and vendors to ensure system stability, accurate inventory flows, and process automation.
  • Develop and execute a multi-year capacity and network plan that aligns inventory placement, slotting strategies, and throughput capacity with demand forecasts and business growth goals.
  • Design and deploy continuous improvement programs (Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen) to reduce cycle times, improve picking accuracy, decrease damage and returns, and increase labor productivity across all fulfillment processes.
  • Own safety, security, and regulatory compliance for fulfillment operations: create and enforce site-level EHS programs, audit for OSHA and local regulations, lead incident investigations, and drive a culture of safety-first behavior.
  • Establish robust inbound receiving and put-away processes to minimize vendor chargebacks, expedite time-to-availability, and maintain supplier scorecards that improve vendor compliance and shipping accuracy.
  • Drive outbound shipping excellence: reduce late shipments, optimize parcel and LTL carrier mix, manage carrier scorecards and tendering strategy, and collaborate with transportation teams to minimize last-mile costs and maximize customer satisfaction.
  • Lead returns and reverse logistics strategies to minimize cost, maximize asset recovery, and create scalable refurbishment or disposition processes to protect gross margin and sustainability goals.
  • Build and maintain high-performing site leadership teams through coaching, talent development, succession planning, and performance management; set clear role expectations and maintain succession pipelines for critical positions.
  • Manage capital projects and site expansions including automation deployments, conveyor systems, mezzanine installs, and racking upgrades—owning vendor selection, project timelines, business case development, and ROI realization.
  • Monitor and present operational performance to senior leadership with executive dashboards, trend analysis, root-cause analysis, and clear remediation plans tied to business priorities and KPI targets.
  • Serve as the primary cross-functional liaison to merchandising, demand planning, customer service, procurement, and finance to align fulfillment operations with promotional calendars, product launches, and seasonal demand surges.
  • Drive quality programs focused on order accuracy, customer claims reduction, and packaging optimization to protect Net Promoter Score (NPS) and reduce cost-of-returns and re-shipments.
  • Establish robust inventory control and cycle count programs to achieve and sustain target inventory accuracy rates, investigate and close shrink gaps, and coordinate with inventory audit partners as needed.
  • Execute supplier and third-party logistics (3PL) management strategies including contract oversight, SLAs, performance scorecards, cost negotiations, and remediation plans when outsourcing fulfillment or using hybrid network models.
  • Forecast and manage working capital needs related to inventory and operations, partnering with finance to optimize cash conversion, minimize aging inventory, and ensure accurate financial accruals for fulfillment activities.
  • Lead customer-impacting incident management and continuity planning for site outages, capacity shortfalls, severe weather or disruption events, ensuring rapid restoration of service and clear stakeholder communication.
  • Drive sustainability initiatives within fulfillment operations such as packaging optimization, waste reduction, energy efficiency in facilities, and programs to increase reuse/refurbish rates.
  • Manage continuous training and certification programs for safety, equipment operation, WMS use, and SOP adherence to ensure consistent execution and compliance at scale.
  • Negotiate and manage carrier, equipment rental, automation maintenance, and facility vendor contracts to control operating costs while ensuring service reliability and uptime.
  • Develop and execute pricing/cost models for value-added services (kitting, gift-wrapping, subscription fulfillment) and monitor profitability by SKU and customer segment.
  • Lead data-driven decision making by developing and maintaining operational analytics, capacity models, and scenario planning tools to support operational readouts, headcount planning, and investment decisions.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc operational analysis and exploratory modeling to identify capacity constraints, seasonal hiring needs, and the ROI for automation or process redesign.
  • Contribute to the organization’s fulfillment and supply chain strategy by participating in network design, site selection, and cross-functional roadmaps.
  • Collaborate with technology and data teams to translate business needs into technical requirements for WMS, labor management systems (LMS), and BI dashboards.
  • Participate in agile project planning and governance for operational improvement initiatives, pilot programs, and phased rollouts of new processes or automation.
  • Represent fulfillment operations in commercial and customer escalations, providing transparent timelines, root-cause analysis, and remediation plans to restore confidence.
  • Support corporate audit and compliance requests, providing documentation, SOPs, and evidence of training and safety certifications when required.
  • Act as a mentor for emerging operations leaders, providing coaching on stakeholder management, KPI ownership, and cross-functional influence.
  • Coordinate with legal and procurement on contract language affecting operations, including SLAs, liability terms, and service credits tied to performance.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Fulfillment center operations management: inbound/outbound flows, picking/packing, returns, and cross-docking.
  • Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) expertise (examples: Manhattan, Blue Yonder, Oracle WMS, HighJump) and integration experience with ERP/TMS/OMS.
  • Labor management and workforce planning tools, experience with workforce scheduling, forecasting and seasonal ramp strategies.
  • P&L ownership and financial acumen: budgeting, variance analysis, cost-to-serve modeling, and capital investment business cases.
  • Data analytics and KPI reporting: operational dashboards, SQL/BI tool familiarity (Tableau, Power BI) to analyze throughput, OTIF, and productivity.
  • Automation and robotics implementation knowledge: conveyors, sortation, AMRs, AS/RS—vendor selection and OEE measurement.
  • Continuous improvement methodologies: Lean, Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt), Kaizen event facilitation and process mapping.
  • Inventory control techniques: cycle counting, ABC slotting, shrink control, and root cause analysis for discrepancies.
  • Transportation and carrier management: parcel/LTL optimization, rate negotiation, and carrier performance management.
  • Safety and regulatory compliance knowledge: OSHA, local regulatory requirements, and EHS program development.

Soft Skills

  • Strategic leadership with the ability to translate business strategy into operational execution and measurable results.
  • Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills, able to influence peers across supply chain, finance, and commercial teams.
  • Problem-solving mentality with structured root-cause analysis and bias for action to resolve high-impact operational issues quickly.
  • Excellent communication and presentation skills for executive reporting, board-level updates, and frontline coaching.
  • People leadership and talent development, including coaching, succession planning, and performance management.
  • Change management capabilities to lead organizational adoption of new processes, systems, and automation.
  • Resilience and adaptability in high-volume, fast-paced e-commerce or retail environments with fluctuating demand.
  • Customer-centric mindset focused on service levels, quality, and continuous improvement to protect brand reputation.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, or related field.

Preferred Education:

  • MBA, MS in Supply Chain/Operations, or Lean/Six Sigma certification (Green/Black Belt) preferred.

Relevant Fields of Study:

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

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 8–15+ years of progressive operations experience in fulfillment, distribution, or logistics environments.

Preferred:

  • 10+ years in fulfillment or distribution operations with 5+ years in senior management leading multi-site operations or large single-site operations (100+ FTEs or >$50M revenue throughput).
  • Track record implementing WMS/WES, leading automation projects, and delivering measurable improvements in cost, productivity, and service levels.
  • Experience managing P&L, capital projects, vendor/3PL relationships, and cross-functional transformation programs.
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