Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Warehouse Support Supervisor

🎯 Role Definition

The Warehouse Support Supervisor is a front-line leader responsible for coordinating day-to-day warehouse operations, ensuring safe and efficient receipt, storage and distribution of goods, and supporting inventory accuracy and customer service objectives. This role supervises warehouse staff, enforces safety and quality standards, drives KPI performance, resolves operational bottlenecks, and acts as a liaison between operations, inventory control, transportation and management. The ideal candidate combines hands-on warehouse experience, proficiency with WMS and material handling equipment, and strong people leadership to maintain high throughput with minimal errors.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Warehouse Associate / Lead
Shipping & Receiving Clerk
Material Handler / Forklift Operator

Advancement To:

Warehouse Manager / Distribution Manager
Operations Manager (Distribution)
Supply Chain Supervisor or Logistics Manager

Lateral Moves:

Inventory Control Supervisor
Logistics Coordinator
Safety & Compliance Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Supervise and coordinate daily warehouse activities including receiving, put-away, picking, packing, staging, and shipping to meet service level agreements and customer delivery deadlines while maintaining accuracy and throughput targets.
Lead, train and mentor a team of warehouse associates and leads by assigning daily tasks, conducting on‑the‑job coaching, running toolbox talks, and maintaining staffing plans to ensure coverage during peak periods and shift changes.
Operate and oversee the use of material handling equipment (forklifts, pallet jacks, reach trucks) and coordinate equipment maintenance to minimize downtime and ensure OSHA-compliant operation.
Monitor and manage inventory accuracy through cycle counts, reconciliation of discrepancies, investigating root causes of variance, and working with Inventory Control to update records in the Warehouse Management System (WMS).
Maintain and enforce safety programs, conduct regular safety audits, incident investigations, and ensure all employees follow PPE requirements, lockout/tagout procedures and safe operating practices.
Oversee quality control checks for inbound and outbound shipments to detect product damage, incorrect labeling, and non-conforming items; initiate corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
Manage shipping schedules and carrier coordination, prepare shipping documentation (bills of lading, packing lists), and work with freight carriers and 3PL partners to optimize transport costs and on-time delivery.
Ensure compliance with company policies, regulatory requirements (OSHA, DOT, hazardous materials handling), and customer-specific requirements for handling and storage.
Track, analyze and report operational KPIs (order accuracy, on-time shipments, dock-to-stock cycle time, picking productivity, shrinkage) and implement action plans to meet or exceed targets.
Participate in labor planning, forecasting and daily stand-ups to align workforce levels with workload, adjust priorities as needed, and escalate capacity issues to operations management.
Coordinate returns processing (RMA), disposition of damaged goods, and liaise with procurement and vendors for warranty or replacement claims.
Implement and sustain continuous improvement initiatives using lean principles and Kaizen events to streamline picking paths, reduce travel time, and improve process reliability.
Maintain and optimize warehouse layout and slotting strategies to improve space utilization and reduce pick times; propose capital projects for racking or automation when needed.
Support IT and systems teams during WMS upgrades, RF scanning rollouts, and data integrity initiatives; serve as subject matter expert for warehouse workflows during testing and go-live.
Prepare and maintain shift reports, inventory transaction reconciliations, and daily operational logs for handovers between shifts and for audit readiness.
Manage disciplinary, performance review, and recognition processes for warehouse staff, and support recruiting, interviewing and onboarding of new hires to build a high-performing team.
Enforce FIFO/FEFO and other stock rotation practices, monitor expiration-dated inventory, and coordinate quarantine procedures to minimize write-offs and ensure product integrity.
Facilitate cross-functional communication with Procurement, Customer Service, Quality, and Transportation to quickly resolve exceptions and meet customer commitments.
Oversee special projects such as seasonal ramp-ups, inventory counts, facility moves, promotions or new SKU introductions and ensure project milestones are met on time and within budget.
Drive cost control measures by monitoring overtime, reducing shrinkage, improving packing efficiency, and minimizing damage and handling errors.
Coach associates on data entry accuracy, barcode scanning discipline and standard work to ensure high-quality transaction data within the WMS and ERP systems.
Ensure proper labeling, documentation and compliance for hazardous materials, temperature-controlled goods, and regulated product categories when applicable.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc operational reporting requests and conduct exploratory analysis of throughput, labor efficiency, and cost per order to inform short-term decisions.
Contribute to the organization's warehouse strategy and roadmap, including recommendations for automation, racking improvements and process reengineering.
Collaborate with business units to translate operational needs into WMS configuration changes, RF workflows, and SOP updates.
Participate in sprint planning, pilot testing, and change management activities with continuous improvement and IT teams during deployments of new tools or processes.
Assist in developing training materials, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and operator certifications to scale consistent practices across shifts and locations.
Act as escalation point for complex customer order exceptions, partnering with Customer Service and Sales to restore service and communicate expected resolution timelines.
Maintain documentation and records for audits, certifications and customer site visits; prepare operational summaries for leadership review meetings.
Support sustainability initiatives by recommending packaging reductions, recycling programs and energy-saving practices in the warehouse.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) — hands-on experience with systems such as Manhattan, Blue Yonder (JDA), SAP EWM, HighJump or Oracle.
RF scanning and barcode data capture proficiency, including troubleshooting common scanner and label issues.
Inventory control techniques — cycle counting, reconciliation, variance analysis and root cause identification.
Material handling equipment operation and certification oversight (sit-down forklift, reach truck, pallet jack).
Shipping & receiving processes — carrier coordination, freight documentation, palletization and load optimization.
Regulatory and safety compliance — OSHA, DOT, hazardous materials handling, and company-specific safety programs.
MS Office proficiency with advanced Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, basic macros) for reporting and data analysis.
KPI tracking and performance analytics — experience setting targets, generating dashboards and driving continuous improvement.
Basic ERP transaction knowledge (receipts, transfers, adjustments) and data integrity best practices.
Lean, Kaizen or Six Sigma awareness — ability to lead small improvement projects and implement standardized work.

Soft Skills

People leadership and coaching — experience building engaged, accountable warehouse teams and managing frontline performance.
Clear verbal and written communication — able to convey expectations, create SOPs, and coordinate cross-functional stakeholders.
Problem-solving and decision-making — troubleshoot operational disruptions quickly and implement durable fixes.
Time management and prioritization — adept at sequencing tasks in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
Conflict resolution and interpersonal skills — handle employee relations and performance conversations professionally.
Adaptability and resilience — comfortable with shifting priorities, seasonal spikes and continuous process changes.
Attention to detail and quality orientation — commits to accuracy in inventory and shipping processes.
Customer-focused mindset — understands the impact of warehouse performance on customer satisfaction and service levels.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or GED required.

Preferred Education:

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

Relevant Fields of Study:

Supply Chain / Logistics
Operations Management
Business Administration
Industrial Engineering
Safety & Occupational Health

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3 to 7 years of progressive warehouse experience with at least 1–3 years in a supervisory or lead role.

Preferred:

5+ years in distribution center operations, demonstrated leadership managing teams of 10–50 associates, experience with WMS implementation or major process improvements, and proven track record improving KPIs such as order accuracy, on-time shipments and labor productivity.