Warehouse Manager

Warehouse Manager – South Bend

Job Overview

The Warehouse Manager is responsible for the complete day-to-day operation of Star Nova’s South Bend warehouse. This position is the senior leader responsible for the facility and is expected to take full ownership of warehouse operations so that the warehouse can operate reliably and independently without requiring constant involvement from the Operations Manager.

The Warehouse Manager is accountable for people, productivity, safety, quality execution, receiving, storage, inventory control, picking, outbound preparation, loading, equipment, facility organization, housekeeping, and overall operational readiness.

This position works closely with the Logistics Manager, but both roles are at the same organizational level and have different responsibilities. The Logistics Manager manages logistics and transportation across the United States, including carriers, brokers, 3PLs, delivery coordination, and project/site logistics. The Warehouse Manager manages the physical South Bend warehouse operation and the execution of work inside the facility.

Whenever the South Bend warehouse is operating—including overtime, early starts, late shifts, Sundays, or other approved operating periods—either the Warehouse Manager or Warehouse Manager Assistant must be physically present and in charge of the operation.

Key Responsibilities

Overall Warehouse Ownership

• Take full responsibility for the daily operation and performance of the South Bend warehouse.
• Ensure the warehouse can operate independently, efficiently, safely, and professionally without requiring continuous direction from the Operations Manager.
• Maintain clear command of what is happening throughout the facility at all times.
• Identify operational problems early and resolve them before they affect shipments, customers, employees, quality, or project schedules.
• Establish daily priorities and ensure work is completed and closed out, not simply started.
• Maintain leadership coverage whenever warehouse operations are active.

Workforce Leadership

• Supervise warehouse employees, team leads, forklift operators, inbound/outbound staff, and repair personnel. Assign work by workload, skills, priorities, and deadlines. Lead daily startup meetings to set priorities, staffing, shipment needs, safety measures, and project plans. Monitor performance, attendance, productivity, conduct, and teamwork. Coach employees and develop accountable team leads. Address performance issues, misconduct, conflicts, and operational problems promptly. Coordinate hiring, onboarding, training, discipline, and workforce planning with Operations and HR. Foster accountability, ownership, teamwork, safety, urgency, and respect.

Scheduling and Operational Coverage

• Develop warehouse schedules around shipments, QC, repairs, deadlines, and special projects; determine staffing and overtime needs. Ensure a Warehouse Manager or Assistant supervises employees during all operations, coordinating coverage in advance for overtime, Sundays, early or late shifts, and unusual schedules. Never allow warehouse work without management oversight.

Inbound Operations

• Oversee container unloading and receiving activities.
• Ensure inbound shipments are unloaded safely and efficiently.
• Confirm material counts, identification, condition, labeling, and documentation.
• Ensure discrepancies, shortages, damage, or nonconforming material are documented and escalated promptly.
• Make sure received products are moved to the correct warehouse locations without unnecessary delays.
• Maintain staging areas so inbound operations do not interfere with outbound operations or normal warehouse traffic.

Storage and Inventory Control

• Maintain accurate physical inventory and warehouse location control.
• Ensure products are stored safely, logically, and efficiently.
• Maintain clear aisles, staging areas, loading areas, work areas, and emergency access.
• Prevent unidentified, misplaced, damaged, or unaccounted-for material from accumulating.
• Conduct spot checks and cycle counts when necessary.
• Investigate inventory discrepancies and implement corrective actions.
• Ensure material can be located quickly when required for QC, repair, picking, or shipment.

Outbound Operations

• Oversee picking, staging, verification, loading, and shipment preparation.
• Coordinate closely with the Logistics Manager regarding truck schedules, project priorities, delivery dates, and transportation requirements.
• Ensure material is physically ready before scheduled truck arrival.
• Ensure correct quantities and products are loaded onto the correct truck.
• Prevent shipment errors through appropriate verification and documentation.
• Ensure loads are secured and prepared according to company and transportation requirements.
• Keep the Logistics Manager informed immediately if warehouse conditions may affect a scheduled shipment.

Quality and Repair Coordination

• Ensure warehouse operations support the company's Quality Management System and established procedures.
• Coordinate QC inspection, repair, reinspection, segregation, and release activities within the warehouse.
• Ensure nonconforming products are clearly identified and controlled.
• Make sure products requiring repair are prioritized according to shipment schedules and customer needs.
• Ensure repaired or inspected material is properly documented before shipment.
• Work closely with Quality leadership regarding acceptance criteria and technical quality requirements.
• The Warehouse Manager owns operational execution and workflow while Quality leadership retains authority over technical quality standards and acceptance decisions.

Safety

• Maintain warehouse safety by enforcing PPE, forklift and traffic rules, loading and dock procedures, and safe material handling. Stop unsafe work, investigate incidents and near misses, document findings, and implement corrective actions. Conduct regular inspections and ensure employees are trained before operating forklifts, machinery, welding, or other specialized equipment.

Equipment and Facility Management

• Maintain readiness of warehouse equipment, tools, and facilities. Complete required daily inspections, coordinate maintenance before failures disrupt operations, and ensure company tools are checked out, returned, stored, and accounted for. Promptly report leaks, electrical or dock issues, structural concerns, and other facility damage.
• Coordinate facility matters with management, vendors, contractors, and the landlord as appropriate.

Warehouse Organization and Continuous Improvement

• Maintain professional warehouse organization and housekeeping standards.
• Establish designated areas for receiving QC, repair, storage, staging, outbound shipments, tools, scrap, and nonconforming material.
• Continuously improve warehouse layout, workflow, labor utilization, and material movement.
• Reduce unnecessary handling, searching, waiting, rework, and congestion.
• Recommend improvements to equipment, staffing, processes, systems, and warehouse infrastructure.

Communication and Reporting

• Communicate with operations, logistics, quality, office, and warehouse leaders. Provide concise updates on workload, staffing, inbound/outbound status, issues, risks, and decisions needed. Escalate significant issues promptly, ensure complete shift handoffs, and maintain accurate operational records and required documentation.

Authority and Accountability

The Warehouse Manager is expected to make routine operational decisions independently.

The position has authority to:

• Assign and reassign warehouse staff, set daily priorities, and adjust labor to workload. Approve or recommend overtime per company guidelines; stop unsafe work and hold shipments until operational or safety issues are corrected. Direct employees and team leads, require corrective action for substandard work, and escalate discipline or termination recommendations as needed.

The Warehouse Manager is accountable for the overall condition and performance of the South Bend warehouse.

If something happens inside the warehouse, the Warehouse Manager is expected to know about it, take ownership, and ensure it is resolved.

Qualifications

• Significant hands-on warehouse, distribution, manufacturing, logistics, or industrial operations experience.
• Previous experience managing employees in a warehouse or industrial environment.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple operational priorities simultaneously.
• Strong understanding of receiving, inventory, material handling, picking, staging, loading, and warehouse workflow.
• Experience managing forklift operations and industrial equipment.
• Strong leadership presence with the ability to maintain standards without unnecessary conflict or drama.
• Comfortable making decisions and taking responsibility for results.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving ability.
• Able to work effectively under changing priorities and tight project deadlines.
• Comfortable using Microsoft Excel, email, warehouse systems, and other operational software.
• Able to communicate effectively with employees, management, logistics personnel, quality personnel, drivers, vendors, and contractors.

Leadership Characteristics

The successful candidate should be:

• Dependable
• Calm under pressure
• Hands-on
• Organized
• Decisive
• Accountable
• Proactive
• Respectful but firm
• Detail-oriented
• Safety-conscious
• Able to see the big picture while still controlling day-to-day details
• Willing to step in personally when necessary to get critical work completed
• Focused on solving problems rather than explaining why something cannot be done

Schedule

This is an operations leadership position and requires flexibility based on warehouse activity.

The Warehouse Manager must coordinate with the Warehouse Manager Assistant so that at least one of the two is physically present whenever the South Bend warehouse is operating, including approved overtime or non-standard operating hours.

The position is not limited to a traditional office schedule. Leadership presence must match operational needs.