A warehouse manager is a key role in any distribution business. He, or she, is in charge of the overall efficiency of this vital part of the company, covering storage, and also receipt and dispatch of products.
Responsibilities
Because it covers so much, the warehouse manager’s role is critical to the success of an efficient supply chain. As well as moving goods, they will also take responsibility for the staff and the processes in place, including security and health and safety. Depending on the products involved, there might also be additional responsibility relating to cold storage or hazardous substances.
As with other managerial roles, you can expect to have to understand planning and stock control, and perhaps even have some customer contact.
Hours
Generally, this sort of role will be full time, which is classed as 35+ hours per week, though this might well include shifts and weekend work. Most businesses will have a peak trading time – for food or toy retailers for example, it might be the run-up to Christmas – and during that time required working hours might be considerably longer.
Salaries will start at around £18-20,000, moving up to £22-35,000 for experienced managers, and sometimes upwards of £40,000 for senior managers. As with any salary, that forms just part of the overall benefits package.
Skills & qualifications
There are lots of ways of getting into warehouse management, though some of the most natural routes are retail management, logistics or business systems. A degree or HND might be helpful but not necessarily required. There might be additional on-the-job training to undertake.
You should have excellent communication skills and a good working knowledge of legal requirements for running a warehouse. Teamwork skills are essential, but you should also be happy to lead a team, too. Good planning and organisational skills are also important.
An efficient warehouse can be down in some part to the layout, and to having enough shelving at the right height and depth. Experts in industrial shelving in Ireland like Rack Zone https://www.rackzone.ie/shelving/industrial-residential-shelving can help advise on maximising efficiency.
If you’re interested in finding out more about a career as a warehouse manager, look up the guide on the National Careers Service.
Of course, as with any career, it is possible to take transferable skills across sectors, or even into different careers altogether.
