Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Warehouse Production Coordinator

🎯 Role Definition

The Warehouse Production Coordinator is a hands-on operational role responsible for coordinating daily production and warehouse activities to ensure timely fulfillment, inventory accuracy, and compliance with safety and quality standards. This role acts as the central point between production, shipping/receiving, inventory control, and supply chain functions—leveraging WMS and ERP systems to plan production runs, prioritize orders, allocate resources, and report on KPIs. The ideal candidate brings strong organizational skills, process improvement mindset (Lean/Waste reduction), and proven experience managing cross-functional priorities in fast-paced distribution or manufacturing environments.

Key SEO keywords: Warehouse Production Coordinator, production scheduling, inventory management, WMS, ERP, logistics, shipping & receiving, supply chain coordination, FIFO, cycle counting, warehouse KPIs, OSHA compliance.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Warehouse Associate / Material Handler
Production Assistant / Line Coordinator
Logistics Coordinator or Shipping Clerk

Advancement To:

Warehouse Supervisor / Lead
Production Manager / Operations Supervisor
Operations Manager or Supply Chain Planner

Lateral Moves:

Inventory Analyst / Inventory Control Specialist
Quality Assurance / Compliance Coordinator
Logistics Planner / Transportation Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop, maintain and execute daily and weekly production schedules in coordination with manufacturing, shipping, and procurement teams to meet customer delivery windows and production throughput targets using WMS/ERP scheduling tools.
Coordinate order prioritization by reviewing order manifests, customer SLAs, and inventory availability; sequence production and picking activities to maximize on-time shipments and minimize expedited freight.
Manage inbound receiving and outbound shipping workflows, including staging, staging confirmations, bill of lading reviews, carrier coordination, and manifest reconciliation to ensure accurate and timely movement of goods.
Oversee inventory control processes such as cycle counts, bin reconciliations, discrepancy investigations, and root-cause analysis to maintain >99% inventory accuracy and support financial audits.
Direct daily warehouse operations, including allocation of personnel, equipment (forklifts, pallet jacks, RF scanners) and staging areas to balance labor utilization and throughput while reducing bottlenecks.
Operate and administer Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) and ERP modules: process transactions, adjust inventory, generate pick/pack lists, and coordinate system-driven replenishment and putaway strategies.
Monitor and report key operational metrics (OTD, inventory accuracy, pick error rate, dock-to-stock time, production yield) and prepare actionable insights for continuous improvement initiatives and leadership review.
Implement and enforce FIFO/LIFO and expiration date controls for perishable or time-sensitive inventory; coordinate product rotations and quarantine/holds for non-conforming items.
Manage material kitting and staging for production runs, ensuring components and subassemblies are available at point-of-use to prevent downtime and support takt time.
Lead root-cause corrective actions for production disruptions, quality holds, and inventory discrepancies; document corrective action plans and verify effectiveness through follow-up metrics.
Supervise and train warehouse staff and production line support personnel on standard operating procedures (SOPs), safety protocols, equipment usage, and inventory procedures to maintain a high-performance team.
Coordinate with procurement and suppliers to expedite critical parts, manage backorders, and communicate lead-time impacts to production and customer service teams.
Schedule and communicate planned maintenance and calibration windows for warehouse equipment and production machinery to minimize impact on production schedules.
Ensure shipping documentation accuracy, including packing lists, commercial invoices, export paperwork and hazardous material declarations, in coordination with customs and transportation partners.
Facilitate cross-functional production meetings (daily stand-ups, production planning) to align priorities, escalate constraints, and drive resolution across supply chain, quality, and customer service teams.
Manage vendor incoming quality inspections and damage claims processes for inbound freight; coordinate returns, vendor credits, and replacement shipments as needed.
Optimize layout, slotting, and storage strategies to reduce travel time, improve putaway efficiency, and increase pick density while supporting future scalability and capacity planning.
Maintain OSHA-compliant and safe warehouse environment: lead safety training, incident investigations, near-miss reporting, and continuous safety improvement projects.
Prepare and maintain production and inventory documentation for internal and external audits; ensure compliance with regulatory, customer, and corporate policies.
Lead small projects to streamline processes (Lean, 5S, Kaizen events), including measurement of pre/post performance and documentation of standard work changes.
Serve as the daily escalation point for production interruptions, system downtimes, and carrier delays—executing contingency plans and communicating status to stakeholders and customers.
Manage temporary labor scheduling and third-party warehouse or transportation vendors during peak periods to sustain service levels within budget constraints.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc operational data requests and prepare visual KPI dashboards and weekly performance reports for operations leadership.
Contribute to the organization's warehouse process improvement roadmap by documenting pain points and proposing automation or systems enhancements.
Collaborate with business units to translate changing customer demand into production plans, safety stock adjustments, and replenishment rules.
Participate in sprint planning and cross-functional improvement initiatives to prioritize automation, WMS enhancements, and labor optimization projects.
Assist with demand smoothing activities and short-term forecasting inputs to support purchasing and capacity planning decisions.
Support onboarding of new WMS modules or integrations and participate in user acceptance testing and post-deployment change management.
Coordinate with Quality to support product inspections, corrective action requests (CARs), and supplier quality improvement activities.
Provide backup support for the Inventory Control team during peak cycle count periods and month-end closings.
Maintain accurate SOPs and work instructions in the document control system; train staff on revisions and ensure version control.
Support environmental, health, and safety (EHS) audits by preparing records, corrective action plans, and evidence of training completion.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proficiency with Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) and ERP systems (examples: SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics) for inventory transactions, order allocation, and reporting.
Strong Excel skills: VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, pivot tables, data validation, and basic macros for ad-hoc reporting and data reconciliation.
Production scheduling and capacity planning experience, including demand prioritization and resource allocation.
Inventory control methodologies: cycle counting, ABC analysis, FIFO/LIFO rotation, lot tracking and expiration management.
Experience with RF scanning, barcode labeling, and RFID systems for accurate picking, receiving and putaway.
Familiarity with shipping and carrier management: freight scheduling, LTL/TL optimization, bill of lading, and carrier chargeback processes.
Knowledge of Lean manufacturing tools (5S, Kaizen, continuous improvement) and ability to lead small-scale process improvement projects.
Strong understanding of OSHA and workplace safety regulations, material handling best practices, and PPE enforcement.
Competence with production kitting, BOM staging, and pick-to-light / pick-to-cart workflows.
Basic financial acumen: cost-to-serve, labor productivity calculations, inventory valuation adjustments, and budget-conscious operations.
Experience preparing and presenting KPI dashboards and operational performance reports to stakeholders.

Soft Skills

Clear, concise communication skills with ability to interact with production staff, leadership, suppliers, and carriers.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail; capable of managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Problem-solving mindset with demonstrated ability to drive root-cause analysis and implement corrective actions.
Leadership and team development: coaching, performance feedback, and training of warehouse teams.
Time management and prioritization skills to balance reactive issues and proactive planning.
Customer-focused orientation with a drive to meet customer delivery expectations and service level agreements.
Adaptability and resilience in dynamic environments, including handling seasonal volume spikes and unexpected disruptions.
Collaborative, cross-functional approach to align operations, procurement, quality, and customer service.
Analytical mindset able to interpret data, derive insights, and recommend improvements based on measurable outcomes.
Conflict resolution and negotiation skills for working with vendors, carriers, and internal teams under pressure.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or GED; equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience accepted.

Preferred Education:

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

Relevant Fields of Study:

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

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

2–5 years of progressive warehouse or production coordination experience; includes hands-on experience with WMS and production scheduling.

Preferred:

4+ years in high-volume distribution or manufacturing operations with demonstrated leadership of warehouse teams, inventory control responsibility, and experience implementing process improvements.