Warehouse and Logistics Manager Didcot

Your Opportunity

We are looking for a proactive and experienced Warehouse & Logistics Manager to lead our site-based book distribution operation in Didcot. This is a critical, blended role combining hands-on operational support, people development, and logistics strategy. Our site is not a typical warehouse—it’s a clean, organised production-style environment where precision matters. We handle detailed processing tasks (e.g. barcoding and labelling books for libraries) that demand 99.9% accuracy. Quality assurance, staff development, and logistics innovation are core to success in this role. You will oversee a small, dedicated team of 12, working closely with our newly promoted Assistant Warehouse Manager, providing mentoring and operational support while helping her grow into full shop floor leadership. At the same time, you’ll lead the review and improvement of our global courier-based logistics operations (primarily via DHL and UPS), supporting our mission to ship smarter and faster, while managing compliance, customs, and cost-effectiveness.

What You’ll Do

• Warehouse Operations
  • Oversee warehouse activities including book processing, goods in/out, despatch, and quality control.
  • Ensure timely and accurate order fulfilment aligned with customer specifications.
  • Support and mentor the Assistant Warehouse Manager to run day-to-day shop floor activities effectively and independently.
  • Design and manage a clear reporting structure across all warehouse functions to monitor performance, shipments, risks, and improvement opportunities.
  • Champion and maintain high-quality output through training, coaching, and monitoring against strict quality standards.
  • Ensure adherence to H&S policies and ISO requirements (e.g., ISO 9001, ISO 14001), with up-to-date SOPs and risk assessments.
• Logistics & Supply Chain
  • Own the end-to-end logistics function, with focus on courier/express shipments (70% UK/Europe, 30% RoW).
  • Analyse current routing, carrier performance, shipping costs, and customs performance—propose and implement improvements.
  • Train internal staff on logistics processes, customs formalities, and best practices.
  • Enhance shipment visibility, tracking, and customer communication through better data integration and process improvement.
  • Work with the wider Operations team to support the rollout of our new customer portal (Mosaic), influencing how supply chain services evolve in future.
• Leadership, Reporting & Strategy
  • Be an active member of the UK Operations Management Team, working closely with Purchasing, Customer Service, and Technical Services.
  • Prepare a weekly operations pack covering goods in/out, team updates, issues, risks, and KPIs.
  • Contribute to quarterly and annual performance reviews by reporting against agreed departmental objectives.
  • Promote a strong team culture on-site by building close relationships with staff and stakeholders and being visible and approachable as a leader.

About You

Essential Experience

• 3+ years in warehouse or logistics management within a precision-driven environment.
• Proven success managing small-to-medium teams (10–30 people) in a hands-on leadership role, with a people-first approach.
• Demonstrated ability to coach and support staff through growth and change.
• Strong experience in courier-based global logistics (DHL, UPS, FedEx, etc.), especially UK export customs and compliance.
• Experience managing and improving supply chain performance, cost efficiency, and shipment tracking processes.
• High proficiency in Excel; confident working with data systems (e.g. Oracle, Access) and reporting platforms like Tableau.
• Working knowledge of UK Health & Safety legislation and risk assessment practices.

Desirable

• Exposure to ISO audits and continuous improvement environments.
• Familiarity with Quality Management Systems and Lean methodologies.
• Experience with data integration or customer portal implementation would be advantageous.

What You’ll Bring

• A pragmatic, relationship-driven leadership style—able to connect with people on the warehouse floor and in strategic meetings.
• A mindset for process improvement, problem-solving, and data-driven decision making.
• A deep sense of ownership over accuracy, service quality, and customer satisfaction.
• The ability to lead from the front while developing others to take ownership of day-to-day operations.