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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Fulfillment Operations Manager

💰 $ - $

OperationsSupply ChainLogisticsWarehouse Management

🎯 Role Definition

The Fulfillment Operations Manager is responsible for planning, executing and continuously improving end-to-end order fulfillment operations across warehouse(s) and distribution centers. This role owns daily operational performance — including order accuracy, throughput, on-time shipment, inventory accuracy, and cost per order — and leads cross-functional initiatives with supply chain, customer service, procurement and transportation teams to scale operations, manage capacity, reduce cost and deliver a superior customer experience. The ideal candidate brings hands-on warehouse leadership, deep expertise in warehouse management systems (WMS/OMS), labor planning, and a strong track record of process improvement using data-driven methods.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Senior Warehouse Supervisor / Lead
  • Operations Supervisor (3PL or retail distribution)
  • Continuous Improvement Engineer / Lean Coordinator

Advancement To:

  • Director of Fulfillment Operations
  • Senior Manager, Distribution & Logistics
  • Head of Ecommerce Fulfillment / VP Operations

Lateral Moves:

  • Supply Chain Program Manager
  • Capacity Planning Manager
  • Transportation & Carrier Operations Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead daily fulfillment operations across one or multiple distribution centers to meet aggressive KPIs (orders per hour, order cycle time, pick accuracy, on-time shipment), including hands-on coaching and direct accountability for results.
  • Develop, implement and monitor operational performance metrics and dashboards (WMS/OMS/TMS, BI tools) to drive continuous improvement and enable real-time decision making by supervisors and senior leadership.
  • Create and execute labor planning and forecasting models to align staffing levels with demand variability, seasonal peaks and promotions, including flexible workforce strategies and overtime controls to minimize cost per order while preserving service levels.
  • Manage receiving, putaway, picking, packing, staging and shipping processes to maximize throughput and utilize space, equipment and automation (conveyors, sorters, pick-to-light, AMR/robotics) efficiently and safely.
  • Own inventory integrity programs (cycle counts, blind counts, root cause analysis) to achieve target inventory accuracy and reduce stock discrepancies that impact customer fulfillment and financial reporting.
  • Drive cost reduction and productivity improvements through process redesign, standard work, elimination of waste and application of Lean Six Sigma methodologies (DMAIC, Kaizen events).
  • Establish and enforce safety, security and regulatory compliance (OSHA, DOT, local regulations) across facilities; lead safety programs, audits, incident investigations and corrective actions.
  • Oversee returns processing (reverse logistics), refurbishment, and dispositioning workflows to minimize recovery time and cost while ensuring timely resolution of customer returns.
  • Collaborate with procurement and vendor teams to optimize inbound flow, container planning, dock appointment schedules and carrier performance to reduce dwell time and expedite critical replenishments.
  • Partner with transportation and carrier management to streamline outbound shipping, negotiate service levels and rates, and improve on-time delivery and cost-to-serve for last-mile and parcel carriers.
  • Lead onboarding, training and development programs for supervisors, leads and warehouse teams; build career paths, performance calibration and succession plans to retain high performers.
  • Implement and optimize WMS/OMS solutions (configuration, process mapping, testing, go-live support) and partner with IT on enhancements, integrations and data integrity to scale operations.
  • Manage capital and operational budgets for fulfillment operations, including CAPEX for automation projects and OPEX for labor, equipment maintenance and facility costs; deliver on financial targets.
  • Design and run capacity planning and scenario modeling for peak seasons, new channel launches and SKU introductions to ensure demand-ready operations and minimize service disruptions.
  • Drive cross-functional initiatives with Customer Success, Sales and Product to reduce returns, improve order accuracy expectations, and align SLAs with business objectives.
  • Serve as incident commander for major operational disruptions (system outages, carrier failures, natural events), leading rapid response, communication, contingency execution and post-mortem analysis.
  • Develop and maintain SOPs, quality checklists and audit protocols to standardize processes across multiple sites and ensure consistent execution and measurable quality control.
  • Create and implement performance-based incentive programs, productivity standards and scorecards that align team behavior to company priorities and KPIs.
  • Maintain vendor and 3PL relationships; negotiate service level agreements, monitor contract compliance and manage escalations to drive performance improvements and cost efficiencies.
  • Lead SKU lifecycle management within the warehouse (slotting, replenishment strategies, slow mover handling) to optimize picking efficiency and storage utilization.
  • Analyze operational data and supply chain trends to recommend and implement automation, technological improvements and strategic investments that improve throughput and reduce lead times.
  • Champion a culture of customer-centric operations by translating customer feedback into tangible process improvements and measurable impact on fulfillment metrics.
  • Coordinate facility expansion, relocation and layout redesign projects in partnership with real estate, engineering and capital planning teams to accommodate growth and efficiency gains.

Secondary Functions

  • Support cross-functional pilots for new fulfillment models (micro-fulfillment, dark stores, buy-online-pickup-in-store) and evaluate ROI, process impact and operational readiness.
  • Assist supply chain analytics and business intelligence teams with ad-hoc data requests, root cause analysis and hypothesis testing to inform operational decisions.
  • Participate in vendor selection and pilot testing of new warehouse technologies (WCS, robotics, automated storage) including requirements gathering and acceptance testing.
  • Contribute to organizational capacity playbooks and disaster recovery plans that ensure continuity of fulfillment during demand surges or outages.
  • Coach and mentor high-potential operations managers and supervisors on leadership, operational excellence and data-driven decision making.
  • Support sustainability initiatives by recommending packaging optimizations, reverse logistics efficiencies and waste reduction programs that lower environmental impact and costs.
  • Partner with HR on workforce planning, recruitment campaigns, and labor relations matters to ensure a stable and compliant workforce.
  • Contribute to monthly and quarterly business reviews, presenting operational performance, improvement roadmaps and investment rationales to senior leadership.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) configuration and operations experience (examples: Manhattan, Blue Yonder/JDA, SAP EWM, Oracle WMS).
  • Order Management System (OMS) and integrations experience; familiarity with e-commerce order flows and marketplace connectivity.
  • Strong Excel skills (VLOOKUP, PivotTables, macros) and experience with data analysis tools (SQL, Python basics a plus).
  • Business intelligence and reporting tools (Tableau, Power BI, Looker) to build dashboards and monitor KPIs.
  • Labor planning and workforce management systems experience; capacity modeling and demand forecasting techniques.
  • Knowledge of Lean, Kaizen and Six Sigma tools for continuous improvement and process redesign.
  • Familiarity with automation technologies (conveyors, sortation, AS/RS, AMRs/AGVs) and experience assessing automation ROI.
  • Transportation management fundamentals (TMS) and carrier performance management, including rate negotiations and freight optimization strategies.
  • Inventory control processes: cycle count programs, root cause analysis for shrinkage, SKU slotting and replenishment strategies.
  • Budget ownership and P&L awareness; ability to manage operational budgets, capital requests and deliver cost-to-serve targets.
  • Experience with labor law and regulatory compliance relevant to distribution centers (OSHA, DOT, local labor laws).
  • Project management skills for cross-functional launches, go-lives, and facilities projects (PM tools and change management practices).

Soft Skills

  • Strong leadership with experience building, coaching and scaling frontline teams in a fast-paced environment.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication; able to present complex operational data to executive stakeholders.
  • Data-driven problem solver with a bias for action and the ability to make decisions under ambiguity.
  • Stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills to influence peers in supply chain, IT, finance and product.
  • Change management aptitude to lead process adoption, training and cultural shifts tied to operational improvements.
  • High attention to detail and process discipline while balancing big-picture strategic thinking.
  • Resilience and stress tolerance to manage peaks, disruptions and demanding customer expectations.
  • Negotiation and vendor management skills for handling carriers, suppliers and 3PL partners.
  • Coaching and talent development mindset; fosters continuous learning and performance accountability.
  • Customer-centric orientation, focused on reducing friction points and improving the end-to-end fulfillment experience.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

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

Preferred Education:

  • Master's degree (MBA, MS Supply Chain) or professional certifications (APICS/CPIM, CSCP, Lean Six Sigma Green/Black Belt).

Relevant Fields of Study:

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

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 5–10+ years in warehouse, distribution or fulfillment operations with progressive leadership responsibility.

Preferred:

  • 7+ years leading multi-site or large-scale fulfillment operations, experience with e-commerce fulfillment models, automation deployments, and P&L responsibility.
  • Demonstrated track record of improving fulfillment KPIs, implementing WMS/OMS, and managing seasonal peaks or rapid growth environments.
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