Area Manager
Kannapolis Fulfillment Center | Kannapolis, NC
As Senior Operations Manager, you own the budget, people development, and operational objectives for a major function of the Kannapolis FC - Inbound or Outbound - across throughput, accuracy, safety, cost, and customer experience. You'll report directly to the General Manager, develop a team of Operations and Area Managers, drive the Lean and process initiatives that move the business plan, and partner across the company to keep operations running as a strength rather than a constraint.
Key Responsibilities
- Own the safety, quality, performance, and customer experience of your function, sustaining 5S discipline and leading root-cause corrective action across shifts.
- Lead, coach, and develop a team of Operations and Area Managers - setting expectations, measuring performance, and building leadership bench strength within the FC.
- Own weekly and monthly performance across multiple shifts, driving consistent throughput from inbound receiving through condition grading, put-away, pick/pack, and outbound shipping against unit cost, processing time, and time-to-fulfill goals.
- Plan three to six months out on capacity, labor, and seasonality, including contingent labor through peak.
- Partner with Merchandising, Tech, and Customer Experience to resolve deal-batch, purchase order, Shopify order, and product database issues before they hit the floor.
- Drive quality, process change, and Lean initiatives that help the FC exceed plan; use operational data to surface trends, test solutions, and share best practices across the network.
- Work closely with HR, Finance, Facilities, Safety, and Technology to secure resources for your initiatives.
- Apply AI tools to surface bottlenecks, optimize inventory flows, and support labor and volume planning.
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree, or equivalent operations leadership experience.
- 7+ years of direct management experience, including a salaried workforce, in a fulfillment, distribution, manufacturing, or production environment - with experience leading other people leaders.
- Track record with performance metrics, process improvement, and Lean techniques.
- Experience across the full staffing lifecycle: interviewing, hiring, performance management, promotions, and termination.
- Strong data fluency - proficient in Excel, comfortable in a WMS, able to turn data into clear recommendations.
- Must be authorized to work in the United States. Sponsorship not available.
Preferred Qualifications
- Degree in Engineering or Operations
- Experience in recommerce, returns processing, or any environment where product condition is variable.
- Continuous improvement credentials (Lean, Six Sigma) and experience managing a contingent workforce through peak.
Working Conditions
- Non-climate-controlled warehouse environment; temperature varies seasonally.
- Flexible schedule required - hours align with production volume; weekend availability expected.
- Regular physical activity: standing, walking, bending, and lifting up to 50 lbs throughout the shift.
Pay Transparency
This is a full-time, exempt position eligible to receive a base salary. Final salary offered will be determined based on factors including but not limited to the candidate's skills and experience.
Initial base salary range for this on-site position = $75,000 - $100,000