Senior Manager, Warehouse Optimization

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Conduct rigorous technical evaluations of warehouse design, layout, and operational throughput to drive initiatives such as home slots, slot optimization, profile rebalancing, and layout reconfiguration.
• Oversee the development, implementation, and maintenance of engineered labor standards, time-and-motion studies, work measurement methodologies, and labor management system (LMS) integrations.
• Leverage operational modeling, workflow analysis, and technology (WMS/LMS) to optimize order-picking paths, travel times, and storage utilization.
• Utilize operational data, metrics, and business intelligence tools to generate technical insights, quantify operational bottlenecks, and drive scalable solutions.
• Identify and prioritize opportunities to eliminate waste, reduce costs, improve quality, and streamline processes across the operations value chain.
• Develop, implement, and maintain standardized processes, SOPs, guidelines, and operational best practices.
• Serve as a role model for continuous improvement by leveraging innovation, technology, and AI/ML where appropriate to improve operational performance.

Leadership & Culture

• Articulate complex technical concepts clearly through high-level presentations, written proposals, and executive updates to influence decision-making across all organizational tiers.
• Build and promote an organizational culture centered on engineering precision, operational accountability, and cross-functional collaboration, elevating distribution standards across the enterprise.
• Mentor operational managers, facility leaders, and engineering teams on labor measurement methodologies, slot optimization strategies, and system-driven problem-solving to build long-term operational capabilities.
• Create and deliver structured training programs focused on Engineering Labor Standards (ELS), labor management system (LMS) utilization, home slotting strategies, and data-driven process optimization to cultivate technical proficiency across all sites.
• Influence and collaborate with stakeholders at all levels of the organization to drive alignment, adoption, and sustainable change.
• Demonstrate strong leadership presence, credibility, and cultural fit while working with diverse operational and cross-functional teams.

Project Management & Reporting

• Develop, implement, and monitor project management frameworks for operational improvement initiatives.
• Lead high-impact engineering projects end-to-end, from technical evaluation and business case development through deployment, hyper care, and long-term sustainability.
• Build and maintain business intelligence reporting in partnership with analytics teams to align operational metrics with strategic objectives.
• Guide field teams through technical deployments, system adoption, and operational changes using structured change management methodologies.
• Provide updates, recommendations, and progress reporting to leadership on project status, risks, results, and next steps.
• Partner with leadership to align improvement initiatives with strategic business goals and operational priorities.

Change Management

• Lead change initiatives to ensure successful adoption of new processes, tools, technologies, and operational standards.
• Develop and execute change management plans, including communication, training, stakeholder engagement, and implementation support.
• Partner with leadership to assess business impacts, mitigate resistance, and foster adaptability across teams.
• Support distribution centers with hands-on guidance during process changes, operational reviews, and initiative implementation.

Qualifications and Educational Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Engineering, Operations Research, Systems Engineering, or a related field is preferred but not required.
• 7+ years of experience in Operational Excellence, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Engineering, or a related operational environment.
• Proven experience in warehouse evaluations, home slotting strategy, and slot optimization projects required.
• Experience developing, implementing, or supporting engineering labor standards within a distribution, warehouse, manufacturing, or logistics environment required.
• Extensive experience developing, deploying, and maintaining Engineering Labor Standards (ELS) and Labor Management Systems (LMS).
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and data interpretation skills.
• Experience leading cross-functional projects and driving measurable operational improvements.
• Experience with change management and project management practices.
• Ability to influence and facilitate change without formal authority.
• Exceptional written and oral communication, facilitation, and executive presentation skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to travel approximately 75% based on business needs.

Preferred Skills

• Advanced Industrial Engineering experience, including labor standards, time studies, process mapping, workflow analysis, and labor productivity modeling required.
• Experience with Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), Labor Management Systems (LMS), or similar operational systems required.
• Experience in food distribution, cold chain, warehouse operations, logistics, or supply chain environments preferred.
• Experience with business intelligence, operational reporting, data visualization, and analytics tools such as Power BI.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Black Belt, or equivalent Continuous Improvement certification preferred.
• Ability to leverage innovation, including AI/ML, to improve productivity, reporting, and operational decision-making.
• Strong ability to build relationships, collaborate cross-functionally, and influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Hands-on, collaborative leadership style with a strong focus on culture, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Benefits You Will Enjoy

• Comprehensive benefits packages include Medical, Dental, Prescription Drug Plan, Disability Plan, and Life Insurance Plan.
• 401(k) Savings Plan.
• Paid Holidays.
• Personal Time Off.
• Employee Discounts.