Product Manager - WMS

The Product Manager – Warehouse Management System (WMS) is responsible for the strategic direction, operational support, and continuous enhancement of the organization's Warehouse Management System (WMS) and related warehouse technologies. This role serves as the primary liaison between Distribution Center Operations, Information Technology, business stakeholders, and third-party software vendors to ensure warehouse applications support efficient, accurate, and scalable distribution operations.

The Product Manager oversees the complete application lifecycle, including production support, system enhancements, vendor management, implementations, upgrades, testing, documentation, and end-user training. This individual plays a critical role in aligning technology solutions with business objectives while supporting a growing and evolving distribution network.

Key Responsibilities

Warehouse Management System Ownership

• Serve as the primary owner of the Warehouse Management System (WMS) and related warehouse applications.
• Act as the primary point of contact between warehouse operations, business users, IT, and third-party support organizations.
• Ensure system availability, stability, performance, and reliability across all distribution facilities.
• Manage the full application lifecycle, including production support, incident management, enhancements, testing, deployments, and ongoing maintenance.
• Maintain system documentation, business process workflows, and application standards.

Business Partnership

• Build strong relationships with warehouse operations, distribution leadership, transportation, customer service, and IT teams.
• Gather business requirements and translate them into functional specifications for external development partners.
• Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency through technology and process automation.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives involving receiving, put-away, replenishment, picking, packing, shipping, inventory management, cycle counting, and returns processing.

Production Support & Incident Management

• Serve as the primary escalation point for complex production issues that cannot be resolved through standard support channels.
• Coordinate root cause analysis and resolution of warehouse system incidents.
• Prioritize issues based on operational impact and business urgency.
• Manage communications between business stakeholders and third-party support teams during critical incidents.
• Ensure timely resolution of application defects while minimizing operational disruption.

Vendor Management

• Manage relationships with external WMS software vendors and implementation partners.
• Monitor vendor performance, including service levels, response times, deliverables, and support quality.
• Coordinate enhancement requests, software updates, testing, and production deployments.
• Review and validate proposed technical solutions prior to implementation.
• Hold vendors accountable for quality, documentation, timelines, and operational excellence.

Project Leadership

• Lead WMS-related initiatives, including system upgrades, enhancements, warehouse implementations, and process optimization projects.
• Coordinate User Acceptance Testing (UAT), regression testing, and production readiness activities.
• Develop project plans and facilitate cross-functional collaboration.
• Ensure successful implementation of new functionality with minimal disruption to warehouse operations.
• Manage multiple concurrent projects while balancing priorities and deadlines.

Documentation & Training

• Develop and maintain system documentation, operational procedures, and support materials.
• Create user guides and knowledge base documentation.
• Deliver training and knowledge transfer to warehouse personnel and support teams.
• Promote best practices for system utilization and operational efficiency.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Supply Chain Management, Business, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience supporting Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), Warehouse Execution Systems (WES), warehouse automation, robotic technologies, conveyor systems, and API integrations.
• Experience serving as a Product Manager, Product Owner, Business Systems Analyst, or similar technology leadership role supporting warehouse operations.
• Strong understanding of product lifecycle management, business process analysis, and solution delivery.
• Excellent communication, leadership, collaboration, and stakeholder management skills.
• Proven ability to prioritize competing initiatives and manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience working within Agile or other iterative software development methodologies.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with warehouse automation technologies, robotic fulfillment solutions, and material handling systems.
• Familiarity with Warehouse Execution Systems (WES), print-and-apply labeling solutions, KPI reporting applications, and warehouse automation platforms.
• Experience with AI-enabled, analytics-driven, or data-centric operational solutions.
• Knowledge of distribution, logistics, and supply chain best practices.
• Experience supporting enterprise application integrations across ERP, transportation, and warehouse platforms.
• Familiarity with industry regulations and operational standards affecting warehouse and distribution environments.