Position: Warehouse ManagerReports to: VP, DistributionDivision: DistributionNumber of Direct Reports: Various FT & PT employees Location: North York, Dufferin & SteelesWhat You'll Be Doing:You'll lead, manage, and improve day to day operations of a multi-shift unionized Toronto warehouse and Buffalo warehouse for books distributed by UTP and its client publishers. Responsible for overall warehouse productivity, efficiency, safety, budget objectives and logistics management, and management of staffing through careful balancing of full time and part time unionized staff to accommodate the surges of seasonal demands. Liaises with other departments: customer service, client services, credit department, accounting, client publishers, freight companies, and material handling suppliers, as required. Operations are market and customer driven and the product sold is service. Total volume of shipments amounts to approximately $39m per year.
Salary Range: $80,000 - $95,000
This is a current vacancy within our organization.
Key Responsibilities:Management
- Hires, trains, schedules and supervises full-time and part-time warehouse staff at the Dufferin and Tonawanda warehouses. When necessary follows progressive discipline to manage performance issues or terminate employment
- Schedules full-time and part-time staff to according to budgeted guidelines. Adjusts scheduling of part-time staff complement to meet budgeted productivity (cost / order line) guidelines. Reports anticipated material variances to Vice President
- Provides a high level of service to customers and clients on jobs that require special preparation and packaging
- Responsible for adherence to the Collective Agreement and Company policies, performance management, removing barriers to productivity and creating a positive work environment through effective employee engagement
- Ensure open and effective two way communication at all levels
- Manages monthly payroll records for the People Team and makes sure employees' time is correctly recorded in UKG
- Uses tools and reports provided (packing, picking reports, for example) to monitor, maintain, and improve staff productivity
- Motivates staff by a visible presence on the warehouse floor, regular meetings and communication
- Makes recommendations aimed at improving staff effectiveness
- Flexible with hours of work and prepared to be available for day and/or afternoon shifts on occasion to manage operations effectively
Health & Safety
- Ensure that company and legislative health and safety practices are followed through ongoing monitoring of health and safety programs and audits
- Conduct warehouse audits to ensure that the warehouse is clean, tidy and efficiently laid out
- Lead meetings to communicate expectations and direction regarding safe work practices to employees
- Investigate root cause of safety incidents, communicate and follow-up on corrective actions with key stakeholders
U.S. Operation
- Responsible for management of U.S. operation
- Ensures UTP meets Customs requirements for import and export of goods
Supplies
- Monitors stock levels of all supplies and re-orders as necessary. Secures pricing from multiple suppliers on a regular basis
- Supplies expense kept within cost/order line targets
- Keeps informed of developments in supplies, fixtures, and other materials
Equipment
- Keeps equipment in good running order through regular maintenance and pro-active troubleshooting. Service providers and V.P. informed promptly when repairs are needed
- Makes recommendations on purchase of capital equipment after researching and costing available options
Inventory
- Inventory movement (receiving, adjustments) is consistently and accurately recorded by staff to maintain a high level of inventory accuracy
- New stock is received and put away in a timely manner
- Ensures ongoing consolidation of stock in bulk and picking warehouse locations
- Manages ongoing consolidation of stock from wheeled shelving units (WSUs) to picking and bulk locations and to ensure that there is sufficient space on WSUs to expedite returns processing
- Runs regular reports to restock and replenish picking from bulk. Consolidates slow-moving and bulk inventory by location, removes slow moving stock from picking, and follow up on orders being held in 'pack' status
- Manages movement of stock to a 3rd party warehouse to ensure that there are sufficient bulk locations to put-away new stock
- Schedules year-round cycle counting of bulk inventory with the goal of at least the south warehouse being completely counted over the course of every 12 months
- Returns processing kept below 5 business days. Reports regularly on status of returns processing.
- Oversees disposal of obsolete stock
- Supervises inventory count
Freight, carriers
- Meets customers freight logistical requirements for packaging
- Attends BPC freight committee meetings to represent UTP and its clients, to keep up to date on industry trends and practices, and to participate in industry freight rates
Systems
- Becomes thoroughly familiar with AS/400 Distribution system and develops ability to manage orders, releases, inventory count, inventory management and adjustments
- Participates in large scale projects
Physical plant
- Keeps warehouse floor organized, and free of debris
- Maintains security of warehouse
- Ensures fixtures are kept in good order and do not pose a safety hazard
- Disposes of non-book materials stored in warehouse as required (computer equipment, furniture, fixtures, etc.)
Service and Quality
- Maximize quality and productivity by understanding the expectations of the company and evaluating performance variances in order to identify root cause and corrective action
- Establish and maintain key performance indicators (KPIs)
- Conduct effective problem solving/continuous improvement initiatives through analysis of information
Other
- Supervises special projects such as warehouse re-configurations, installation of new fixtures and equipment.
Education, Qualifications and Experience:- Post-secondary graduate, or equivalent combination of education/experience
- At least 5 years' experience in a distribution warehouse at the management level
- Book industry experience an asset
Knowledge, Skills and Attributes:- Knowledge of warehouse operations
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills
- Comfort with using MS Office and other software applications
- Organizational ability
- Ability to lift up to 40lbs
- Intellectual curiosity and a commitment to continuous learning - a growth mindset
- Values matter to you. You bring your whole self to work and you live our values to be the trusted collaborator, lead with intention and ingenuity, and empower many views and voices
