Manager Warehouse Management Systems

General Summary

Steve Madden is seeking an experienced Manager, Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) to serve as the primary internal owner of our Manhattan Associates Warehouse Management system (WMi/PKMS). This position acts as the critical liaison between warehouse operations, business stakeholders, IT, and our third-party WMS support and development partner.

The ideal candidate combines strong technical expertise in Manhattan Associates WMi (PKMS) with a deep understanding of warehouse operations and supply chain processes. This individual will oversee daily production support, lead issue resolution, manage vendor performance, coordinate system enhancements, and ensure that warehouse technology continues to support efficient business operations.

Although software development and programming are performed by an external support partner, this position requires sufficient technical expertise to troubleshoot complex issues, validate solutions, define business requirements, and oversee implementation from design through production deployment.

The responsibilities described below are considered essential functions of the role. This position is based in our LIC office and requires working on-site.

Key Responsibilities

Warehouse Management System Ownership

• Serve as the primary internal owner of the Manhattan Associates WMi (PKMS) platform.
• Act as the primary point of contact between warehouse operations, business users, IT, and the third-party WMS support organization.
• Ensure system availability, stability, and operational performance across all warehouse locations.
• Manage application lifecycle activities including incident management, enhancements, testing, deployments, and production support.
• Maintain ownership of system documentation, business processes, and application standards.

Business Partnership

• Build strong relationships with warehouse operations, distribution leadership, transportation, customer service, inventory control, and IT teams.
• Translate business requirements into functional specifications for the external WMS development team.
• Recommend system improvements that increase operational efficiency and reduce manual processes.
• Participate in process improvement initiatives involving receiving, put-away, replenishment, picking, packing, shipping, inventory management, cycle counting, and returns.

Production Support & Escalation

• Serve as the first internal escalation point when standard help desk support is unable to resolve production issues.
• Coordinate root cause analysis for complex warehouse system incidents.
• Prioritize production issues based on business impact.
• Manage communication between business stakeholders and third-party support during critical incidents.
• Ensure timely resolution of application defects and operational issues.

Vendor Management

• Manage the relationship with the external WMS support and development partner.
• Review support quality, response times, service level agreements (SLAs), and project deliverables.
• Coordinate enhancement requests, software fixes, testing, and production deployments.
• Validate technical solutions proposed by the vendor before implementation.
• Hold vendors accountable for quality, timelines, documentation, and operational excellence.

Project Leadership

• Lead WMS-related projects including upgrades, enhancements, new warehouse implementations, and process improvements.
• Coordinate user acceptance testing (UAT), regression testing, and production readiness activities.
• Develop implementation plans and coordinate cross-functional project activities.
• Ensure successful deployment of new functionality with minimal business disruption.

Documentation & Training

• Develop and maintain operational procedures and system documentation.
• Create user guides and support documentation.
• Provide training and knowledge transfer to warehouse personnel and support teams.
• Promote best practices for system utilization and warehouse operations.
• Able to manage multiple projects and deadlines with support and resources as needed
• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Supply Chain Management, Business, or a related field (or equivalent professional experience).
• Minimum 5 years of hands-on experience supporting Manhattan Associates Warehouse Management for Open Systems (WMi/PKMS) in a production environment.
• Strong understanding of warehouse management processes including:

o Receiving

o Put-away

o Replenishment

o Picking

o Packing

o Shipping

o Inventory Control

o Cycle Counting

o Returns Processing

• Experience managing application support in a high-volume distribution environment.
• Experience working with third-party software vendors or managed service providers.
• Ability to troubleshoot complex functional and technical WMS issues.
• Experience translating business requirements into technical specifications.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting multiple distribution centers.
• Knowledge of warehouse automation technologies including RF scanners, barcode systems, printers, conveyors, or automated material handling equipment.
• Familiarity with ERP integration concepts involving warehouse management systems.
• Experience supporting system integrations using APIs, flat files, EDI, or middleware platforms.
• Experience with SQL for data validation and troubleshooting.
• Experience with change management and release management processes.
• Knowledge of ITIL service management principles.
• Experience working with ServiceNow, Jira, or similar ticketing platforms.

The expected base salary for this position ranges from $120,000 - $140,000. Ranges are based on various factors such as relevant skillset, training, years of experience related to the current job description, education, and our organizational structure. In addition to the base salary, Steve Madden offers a competitive benefits package that includes health and dental insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, 401K, paid holidays, a generous paid time-off policy, and career opportunities within a dynamic team.