Senior Warehouse Manager

Here at Woods Foodservice , we are known as market leaders in the quality sector of the catering industry. We are at an exciting point of progression in the company, making it a great time for new recruits to join our journey. We provide high quality ambient, chilled, fresh, and frozen produce from around the world and supply some of the most prestigious chefs in the country. At present, most of our customer are London-based, but we have already begun the expansion process into other major UK cities such as Manchester and Bristol. The future is very promising!

A critical part of our renowned success is our exceptional level of customer service. This is an area that we are constantly looking to improve and modernise to make our customers’ experience with us as comfortable as possible.

We are a great family run business with a fantastic committed workforce who now need a leader within Operations to take the business and the people on a journey for the next part of the growth stage over the coming years which will involve both organic growth and through acquisition.

Requirements:

The Senior Warehouse Manager role has a very important role within our company and reports directly into the Managing Director.

This role will be responsible for the entire operations process, overseeing and optimising warehouse operations while driving fulfilment to customers as well as handling all goods and stock control of our high-quality products.

We are looking for someone who has a wealth of experience in working in an operational excellence standards background in particular driving efficiencies, building the right people, reviewing and implementing systems as well as reviewing processes/procedures whilst a business is growing.

The warehouse sites are a clean, lean environment with a lot of the foundations in place as well as a warehouse management system. We operate a bespoke warehouse management system for stock control and all movements are controlled by hand-held scanners. Our facility must be kept to a high standard of cleanliness and is run in a safe and efficient manner. You will be a proactive leader with a strategic “seeing the bigger picture” vision that is required to meet future growth .

The role will be accountable for the Warehouse Operatives and Goods-In staff as well as the night order pickers. You will be a current Senior Warehouse Manager with experience in the Food Distribution sector.

In this role, you’ll lead a dedicated team, ensuring seamless product distribution and an outstanding customer experience. Your operational expertise will be key to enhancing efficiency, achieving our company’s goals, and helping us maintain our position as an industry leader.

This is an exciting role for the right candidate to develop up to Director level and to lead all operations.

Overview:

• Take full responsibility for the effective running of warehouse operations – including goods in, storage, picking and dispatch.
• Lead, inspire, and develop a team of Managers and Supervisors to deliver high standards of performance, engagement, and service delivery .
• Ensure safety, compliance, and quality standards are always met.
• Drive continuous improvement, lean processes, and efficiency gains across the function
• Champion the use of automation and technology to improve accuracy, productivity, and ROI.
• Work closely with customer service, sales, and procurement teams to ensure seamless end-to-end operations.

Warehouse Operations

• Lead daily warehouse activities, driving process improvement and ensuring compliance with safety and quality standards, night picking accountability.
• Implement best practices to boost productivity, optimise layout, and leverage technology and machinery.
• General management and strategic planning of the department and staff whilst also being able to involve themselves in practical work on the warehouse floor.
• Communicate with senior management and attend weekly/monthly meetings as and when required
• Ensure compliance with all company policies, procedures and standards including food safety, health & safety, environment.

Team Leadership

• Mentor and develop a high-performing warehouse and operations team.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Must support within our Nightshift and Transport Department where necessary
• Partner with the key internal departments to manage inventory, service delivery and conduct regular stock checks

Customer Fulfilment

• Collaborate with the Commercial team to deliver an excellent customer experience.
• Communicate on customer orders across all channels, managing expectations around lead times and delays.

Distribution & Logistics

• Optimise the distribution network, including transportation and delivery partners, to ensure timely, cost-effective deliveries.
• Establish and monitor KPIs for logistics and fulfilment.

Risk & Compliance

• Proactively identify risks in logistics and customer operations, developing contingency plans to minimise disruption.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant regulations and quality standards, working closely with Facilities.
• Responsible for ensuring all machinery is maintained and for upholding all health, safety and security in the work place to BRC standards.

Continuous Improvement & Reporting

• Drive ongoing improvements in warehouse management systems and processes.
• To visit other wholesalers to review improving operations internally around efficiencies, space management, costs and labour as well as stock and labour
• Provide regular reporting to key business areas, including SLT, Finance, Supply Chain, Customer Services, and Sales.
• Must ensure that all staff are regularly briefed, supervised and trained at all times.

Budget & Cost Management

• Manage the operations budget, ensuring cost-effectiveness and service excellence.
• Monitor weekly labour, wastage, customer complaints, order picking
• Facilitate and report on all stock of the inventory kept; keeping systems up to date by producing regular reports and planning for future capacity requirements.

Required Attributes:

• A proven track record in senior warehouse or operational leadership role
• Strong experience in goods in, picking, dispatch, and warehouse optimisation.
• Exposure to warehouse automation and technology-driven improvements.
• A collaborative leadership style, with the ability to coach and develop large operational teams
• Excellent knowledge of Health & Safety, compliance, and quality systems.
• Experience of working in fast-paced, complex warehouse or manufacturing environments.
• Lean Six Sigma or continuous improvement experience would be a strong advantage.
• An advantage to hold relevant qualifications associated with Warehouse Management including a Counterbalance and Bendi/Flexi Truck License
• Good organisation skills are required as Warehouse Management centres on the organisation of people, stock and budgets whilst planning for the future.
• Motivating, organizing and encouraging teamwork within the workforce to ensure productivity targets are met or exceeded
• 5+ Years of Warehouse Management, ideally in a FMCG/Manufacturing
• Experience using in-house order processing platforms. Experience with ‘Swords’ software would be highly advantageous
• Passionate and upbeat with excellent telephone and email manner
• Problem-solving skills; thinking on your feet, using initiative and common sense
• Confidence, patience, politeness, tact and diplomacy, when dealing with difficult situations
• An ability to work well under pressure whilst maintaining good staff morale and team spirit
• Adaptable and flexible approach to work
• Ability to perform under pressure
• Full driving licence

The salary is negotiable as we are looking for a best in class operator, you will will also receive up to 10% bonus.

• Company pension
• Sick pay
• Life insurance
• Free parking
• Private medical insurance
• Health & wellbeing programme
• On-site parking
• Referral programme
• Employee discount

Working at Woods Foodservice means you’ll be working alongside a real team-spirited group of people. We value honesty, integrity and big ideas and ensure that work-life balance is enjoyed by all. Professionalism and a positive attitude are the key attributes that make our employees stand out. With this in mind, we provide the tools necessary to ensure our teams remain passionate about their work and deliver excellence throughout their career with us. We are big on learning & development and consistently strive to identify upcoming talent in-house. If you’re willing to work hard and looking for a long-term career opportunity, this could be the role for you!