Warehouse & Distribution Operations Manager

Position Summary

Leads warehouse, shipping, receiving, inventory control, product handling, environmental services, and related distribution operations across multiple locations. This role ensures products move safely, accurately, efficiently, and on schedule from receipt through storage, handling, order selection, loading, and shipment.

Partners with Production, Sales/Customer Service, Transportation, Food Safety/Quality, Accounting, People & Culture, and senior leadership. This is a hands-on role that balances daily execution, people development, process improvement, and long-term planning.

• Oversee and develop supervisors and leaders responsible for Shipping, Receiving, Inventory Control, Dipper/Packing House Operations, Operational Coordination, Environmental Services, and other assigned functions.

• Support shipping operations in Florida and Michigan while establishing consistent standards and accountability across locations.

• Ensure complete, accurate, and on-time orders by effectively managing order selection, loading, docks, yard activity, product flow, and labor.

• Lead receiving and inventory activities, including dock scheduling, staging, put-away, system transactions, cycle counts, reconciliation, traceability, FIFO, and discrepancy resolution.

• Establish clear expectations, KPIs, procedures, standard work, and management routines that improve safety, service, inventory accuracy, productivity, and cost performance.

• Develop volume-based labor plans and optimize staffing, overtime, labor productivity, and cost per case.

• Coach and hold supervisors and leaders accountable while supporting employee training, development, retention, performance management, and succession planning.

• Promote a safe workplace through training, incident investigation, corrective action, and consistent safety accountability.

• Support food safety and product quality requirements, including GMP compliance, housekeeping/5S, environmental services, waste management, and custodial activities.

• Use Famous, WMS, and related systems to improve reporting, system accuracy, workflow, and operational accountability.

• Partner with other departments and senior leadership to resolve operational issues and support business objectives.

• Lead root-cause analysis, process improvement, standardization, automation, and cost-saving initiatives.

• Develop a two- to three-year roadmap for warehouse capacity, staffing, technology, equipment, and operational growth.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Operations Management, Business, Agriculture, or a related field. Equivalent substantial operating experience may be considered.

• 8-10+ years of progressively responsible warehouse, distribution, supply chain, or operations experience.

• At least five years of experience leading supervisors and frontline teams.

• Demonstrated success managing high-volume operations, preferably across multiple locations.

• Strong knowledge of receiving, inventory management, order selection, shipping, labor management, product handling, and warehouse operations.

• Experience using ERP, WMS, or other warehouse and operational management systems.

• Strong analytical, financial, communication, problem-solving, and leadership skills.

• Demonstrated success improving safety, service, productivity, inventory accuracy, and operating costs.

• Ability to develop leaders, build accountability, and create a high-performing team.

• Ability to balance daily operational needs with long-term planning and continuous improvement.

• Ability to make sound decisions and manage changing priorities in a fast-paced, seasonal environment.

• Ability to travel between company locations as operational needs require (10%-15%).

Experience in fresh produce, agriculture, food distribution, seasonal operations, GMP/food safety, Lean/5S, or automation is highly desirable.

This position works in both office and warehouse/distribution environments. It requires frequent presence in shipping, receiving, inventory, loading dock, yard, and product-handling areas. The role may involve exposure to refrigerated environments, warehouse traffic, equipment, noise, and seasonal high-volume conditions.

Frequent walking, standing, employee interaction, computer use, reporting, data analysis, and operational monitoring are required. Occasional travel to other WP Rawl locations and the use of PPE in designated areas may also be required.

You are a visible, hands-on, and accountable leader who develops strong supervisors, uses data and KPIs to guide decisions, and communicates effectively across teams and locations. You can balance customer needs, production demands, inventory constraints, transportation requirements, and operating costs while building sustainable processes instead of relying on short-term fixes.

You bring a strong commitment to safety, service, employee development, operational excellence, and continuous improvement in a fast-paced, seasonal environment.