Warehouse Lead in Sunderland

Ready to lead, inspire and drive warehouse excellence?

At Curaleaf International, we're passionate about delivering high-quality medicinal products and ensuring patients have access to the medicines they need. Behind every successful operation is a team of dedicated people, working together to deliver excellence.

We're looking for an experienced and proactive Warehouse Lead to oversee warehouse operations across two of our Sunderland sites.

This is an exciting opportunity for a strong operational leader who enjoys developing people, driving performance and ensuring everything runs safely, efficiently and compliantly.

You’ll take responsibility for the day-to-day running of both warehouses, leading our Warehouse Supervisors and their teams to ensure the accurate receipt, storage and distribution of pharmaceutical products, including Controlled Drugs.

Working closely with the Warehouse Manager and wider business, you’ll play a key role in maintaining high standards of Good Distribution Practice (GDP), improving operational performance and ensuring our customers receive an excellent service.

About us

Curaleaf International is shaping the future of cannabis through its commitment to research and product excellence. Powered by a strong presence at all stages of the supply chain, its unique distribution network throughout Europe, Canada and Australasia brings together pioneering research with cutting‑edge cultivation, extraction, and production. Amidst a rapid growth trajectory, the emphasis on quality and expertise aims to ensure the delivery of safe and legal cannabis.

Curaleaf International’s network includes a clinic, pharmacy, and laboratory in the UK; cultivation and EU‑GMP processing facilities in Portugal; an EU‑GMP processing, quality assurance and research site in Spain; Four 20 Pharma wholesaler and distributor in Germany; a Polish wholesaler and clinic; and the EU‑GMP producer Northern Green Canada.

Curaleaf International is part of Curaleaf Holdings, Inc., a leading international producer and distributor of consumer cannabis products.

Our Values: Lead & Inspire, Commit to Win, Driven to Deliver Excellence, Customer Obsession, One Curaleaf

What you'll be doing

Leading our warehouse operations

• Oversee the day-to-day operations across both Sunderland sites, ensuring the accurate and efficient receipt, storage, picking and despatch of pharmaceutical products.
• Plan and manage workloads, staffing and resources across both locations to meet operational demands and customer expectations.
• Set clear priorities for Warehouse Supervisors, monitoring performance and ensuring service levels and stock management targets are achieved.
• Work closely with Customer Service, Supply Chain and external logistics partners to resolve operational challenges.

Leading and developing people

• Lead, motivate and develop Warehouse Supervisors, supporting them to manage their teams effectively.
• Set objectives, conduct regular one-to-ones and appraisals, and support performance and career development.
• Oversee workforce planning, recruitment, onboarding, absence management and shift cover across both sites.
• Ensure all colleagues receive appropriate training and competency assessments, maintaining accurate and up-to-date records.

Maintaining quality and compliance

• Ensure all warehouse activities meet GDP requirements, Controlled Drug regulations and company SOPs.
• Maintain accurate Controlled Drug records and ensure secure storage, access and stock control procedures are followed.
• Work with Quality Assurance to manage deviations, investigations, CAPAs and change controls.
• Ensure temperature monitoring, product recalls, returns and quarantined stock are managed correctly.
• Lead preparation for audits and regulatory inspections, including MHRA and Home Office inspections.

Driving performance and improvement

• Monitor warehouse KPIs, identify opportunities for improvement and address operational challenges.
• Provide regular performance and compliance updates to the Warehouse Manager.
• Identify ways to improve efficiency, reduce waste and optimise warehouse capacity.
• Support the implementation of new processes, systems and continuous improvement initiatives.

Maintaining a safe working environment

• Ensure both sites operate in line with Health & Safety policies, risk assessments and procedures.
• Maintain high standards of housekeeping, security and equipment management.
• Ensure incidents, near misses and potential hazards are reported and appropriate corrective actions are taken.
• Promote a strong safety culture and ensure colleagues follow safe working practices.

About you

We're looking for a confident, hands‑on leader who can balance operational delivery with people management, quality and compliance.

You’ll bring:

• Significant experience managing warehouse or distribution operations, ideally with responsibility for supervisors or team leaders.
• Experience overseeing operations across multiple sites, shifts or functions.
• A good understanding of GDP, quality management systems and regulated working environments.
• Proven ability to plan workloads, manage resources and deliver against operational KPIs.
• Experience managing, motivating and developing teams, including performance management, appraisals and absence management.
• A strong understanding of workplace health and safety, including manual handling and MHE operations.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build effective relationships across all levels.
• Strong organisational, problem‑solving and decision‑making skills.
• Good numeracy and reporting skills, with the ability to work accurately in a fast‑paced environment.
• A flexible and proactive approach, with a commitment to continuous improvement and learning.

It would be great if you also have:

• Experience handling Controlled Drugs within a GDP‑regulated environment.
• Knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry, particularly unlicensed medicines.
• Experience supporting or hosting MHRA or Home Office inspections.

Education:

GCSE English and Maths (grade 4/C or above), or equivalent.

The working environment

This is an on‑site leadership role covering two warehouse locations in Sunderland. You'll need to be comfortable working across both sites, adapting to changing operational priorities and supporting the wider warehouse team where needed.

The role requires a visible, hands‑on leadership approach, with flexibility around working hours to meet business needs.

What You’ll Get from Us

At Curaleaf International, we’re not just participating in the cannabis industry - we’re leading it!

From day one, you’ll receive a comprehensive training programme designed to help you succeed and develop in your role.