Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Order Manager

🎯 Role Definition

The Order Manager is responsible for owning the end-to-end order lifecycle across sales channels and fulfillment networks. This role ensures accurate order capture, efficient inventory allocation, timely fulfillment, and proactive exception management to meet SLAs and deliver an excellent customer experience. The Order Manager partners closely with sales, customer service, warehouse operations, carriers, and finance to monitor order flow, troubleshoot order issues, implement continuous process improvements, and report on order performance using order management systems (OMS) and ERP integrations.

Key keywords: Order Manager, order management, order fulfillment, OMS, ERP, inventory allocation, shipping, returns, logistics, supply chain, order processing, SLA compliance, order exceptions, e-commerce fulfillment.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Order Coordinator / Order Processor
Customer Service Supervisor (with order operations focus)
Inventory Analyst or Shipping Coordinator

Advancement To:

Senior Order Manager
Operations Manager / Fulfillment Manager
Supply Chain Manager
Head of Fulfillment / Director of Order Management

Lateral Moves:

Inventory Manager
Logistics or Transportation Coordinator
E‑commerce Operations Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Own the full order lifecycle from receipt to final delivery, ensuring accurate order entry, validation, allocation, fulfillment, shipping, and invoicing across multiple sales channels and geographies.
Manage and configure the order management system (OMS) and ERP order workflows to support new product launches, promotions, and channel expansions while maintaining data integrity and audit trails.
Monitor daily order volumes, prioritize backlog, and coordinate with fulfillment centers and third-party logistics providers (3PLs) to meet cutoffs and SLA commitments.
Implement and enforce order validation rules, pricing checks, credit holds, and fraud prevention procedures to reduce order errors and protect company margins.
Resolve escalated order exceptions (inventory shortages, allocation conflicts, split shipments, address corrections, payment failures) by coordinating cross-functional teams and communicating timely resolutions to customers.
Lead root cause analysis for recurring order failures and returns, design corrective actions, and partner with engineering, data, and process teams to implement automated fixes in OMS and integrations.
Optimize inventory allocation across DCs, stores, and 3PL sites to minimize out-of-stocks and expedite shipping costs, using demand signals, safety stock policies, and lead-time analysis.
Drive continuous improvement projects focused on order-to-cash cycle time reduction, order accuracy improvements, and simplification of custom or manual fulfillment processes.
Establish and track key order management KPIs (order cycle time, perfect order rate, on-time shipment, order fill rate, returns rate, order error rate) and deliver weekly/monthly performance reports and executive summaries.
Design and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) for order entry, allocation, split shipments, cancellations, holds, and returns to ensure consistent processing across teams and vendors.
Coordinate with sales and account management teams to support large or complex orders (special pricing, kitting, bulk shipments) and ensure correct billing and contract compliance.
Manage relationships with carriers, freight forwarders, and customs brokers to troubleshoot transit exceptions, expedite shipments, and optimize freight spend for time-sensitive orders.
Oversee order-related billing and reconciliation activities with finance to ensure accurate invoicing, credit memo processing, and resolution of disputed charges.
Lead onboarding and training for new hires and cross-functional partners on OMS functionality, order workflows, and escalation paths to maintain service levels during volume spikes.
Plan resource allocation for seasonal peaks, promotions, and unexpected surges by collaborating with workforce planning and fulfillment operations to maintain throughput and SLA adherence.
Validate and QA order data for integrations with marketplaces, EDI partners, and sales channels to ensure accurate mapping of SKUs, pricing, and customer information.
Collaborate with product and engineering teams to define requirements for order-related system enhancements, integrations, APIs, and automation to reduce manual touchpoints.
Manage exceptions related to returns, exchanges and refunds by defining return authorization processes, restock procedures, and reverse logistics flows to minimize cost and maximize recovery.
Execute post-mortem analyses after major order disruptions and lead cross-functional corrective action plans to prevent recurrence and communicate lessons learned to stakeholders.
Maintain compliance with regulatory, tax, and export requirements for orders crossing international borders and ensure documentation and customs information is accurate.
Drive customer communication for order confirmations, shipment notifications, and delay/cancellation notices to preserve customer satisfaction and reduce inbound order-related contacts.
Collaborate with merchandising and demand planning to provide feedback on order patterns, cancellation trends, and product performance that impact replenishment and purchase planning.
Negotiate and manage SLAs and service levels with 3PL and fulfillment partners, including performance scorecards, penalties, and continuous improvement targets.
Prepare and present order operations metrics and recommendations to senior leadership to support strategic decisions such as channel expansion, fulfillment footprint changes, or OMS investments.
Support business continuity planning for order operations including contingency fulfillment sites, alternate carriers, and disaster recovery processes for critical order flows.

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.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proficient with Order Management Systems (e.g., Manhattan OMS, IBM Sterling, Salesforce Order Management, Oracle Order Management) and ERP systems (e.g., SAP, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics).
Strong knowledge of e-commerce platforms and integrations (Shopify, Magento, Amazon Seller Central, Walmart Marketplace) and marketplace order flows.
Experience with EDI and API-based order integrations, mapping order messages (ORDERS, DESADV), and troubleshooting integration failures.
Familiarity with warehouse management systems (WMS) and inventory control best practices, including cycle count processes and SKU lifecycle management.
Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, macros) and experience with SQL for querying order and inventory data.
Competence with reporting and BI tools (Tableau, Looker, Power BI) to create order performance dashboards and actionable insights.
Understanding of shipping/carrier systems, parcel and LTL rating, freight terms (FOB, DDP), and carrier exception resolution.
Knowledge of returns management (RMA processes), reverse logistics, and disposition strategies for damaged or excess inventory.
Experience with order billing, invoicing, AR reconciliation, and supporting finance on revenue recognition for shipped orders.
Familiarity with fraud detection tools and payment processors; ability to implement order holds and release criteria.
Basic understanding of international trade documentation (commercial invoices, export declarations) and customs compliance for cross-border orders.
Experience implementing process automation (RPA, workflow engines) to reduce manual order handling and improve throughput.

Soft Skills

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a data-driven mindset to identify root causes and design sustainable fixes.
Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, to coordinate across internal teams, external partners, and customers.
Customer-focused with the ability to manage escalations, empathize with customer needs, and deliver service-oriented solutions.
Proven project management skills, able to lead cross-functional initiatives, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines.
Attention to detail and high level of ownership to ensure order accuracy and compliance with processes.
Adaptability and resilience in fast-paced, high-volume environments with changing priorities.
Collaborative team player who influences without authority and builds strong vendor and stakeholder relationships.
Strategic thinker who balances tactical order operations with longer-term process and system improvements.
Time management and prioritization skills to handle peak seasons and competing operational demands.
Continuous improvement mindset with experience in Lean, Six Sigma, or similar process optimization methodologies preferred.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain, Logistics, Operations Management, or related field OR equivalent professional experience.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's degree or higher in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Analytics, or Industrial Engineering.
Certifications such as APICS/CPIM, CSCMP, Lean Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt), or relevant OMS/ERP certifications are a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

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

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–7 years of progressive experience in order management, operations, fulfillment, or supply chain roles.

Preferred:

5+ years managing order operations in high-volume e-commerce, retail, manufacturing, or distribution environments.
Demonstrable experience with OMS/ERP implementations or major system integrations and measurable improvements in order KPIs.