Distribution Operations Manager

Expeditors•Milpitas, CA

About The Position

The Distribution Operations Manager leads the day-to-day execution and performance of Distribution operations, ensuring safe, efficient, accurate, and customer-focused service across warehouse and customer-facing activities. The role leads operational supervisors, warehouse leads and personnel, and customer service functions, with accountability for service performance, inventory accuracy, labor utilization, process compliance, employee development, and continuous improvement. The manager connects Distribution leadership, customers, Customer Service, Inventory Control, warehouse operations, and other departments. This is a hands-on leadership role balancing daily operational execution with longer-term improvements and business growth. It covers warehouse workflows and customer programs, employee development, inventory and quality control, KPI management, continuous improvement, systems and technology, safety, security, and compliance.

Requirements

Demonstrated experience in warehouse, distribution, logistics, fulfillment, or supply-chain operations.
Previous experience leading employees in an operational environment.
Strong understanding of warehouse processes, including receiving, inventory management, order fulfillment, and shipping.
Strong organizational and prioritization skills; ability to manage multiple customers, priorities, and operational issues simultaneously.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, customer-service mindset, and ability to manage escalations professionally.
Ability to investigate problems, determine root causes, and implement corrective actions.
Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Outlook, Teams, and other Microsoft 365 applications.
Comfort working directly within warehouse operations rather than exclusively in an office environment.
Strong understanding of software development principles; experience with automation platforms such as Power Automate; experience with Microsoft Copilot and M365 technologies.
Familiarity with data structures, APIs, integrations, and system architecture; basic understanding of AI, machine learning, LLMs, and prompt engineering.
Ability to troubleshoot technical issues independently.
Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, understanding of complex operational processes, and ability to translate business requirements into technical solutions.
Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a third-party logistics (3PL) environment.
Experience managing high-value, technology, semiconductor, healthcare, or other complex customer programs.
Experience with warehouse management systems and ERP platforms such as SAP EWM or SAP S/4HANA.
Experience supporting inventory audits, cycle-count programs, or formal inventory-control processes.
Experience with Lean, 5S, continuous improvement, or structured root-cause analysis.
Experience leading supervisors and/or warehouse leads.
Experience supporting new customer implementations, facility expansions, system implementations, or operational startups.
Experience developing automations, applications, or digital solutions.
Experience leading cross-functional projects.
Experience in operations, logistics, finance, or enterprise shared services environments.
Certifications in Microsoft Power Platform, Azure AI, Microsoft Copilot, or related technologies.

Responsibilities

Provide daily leadership and direction for Distribution operations, including receiving, put-away, inventory management, picking, packing, staging, shipping, RMA, and value-added services.
Ensure customer requirements, service commitments, and operational cutoff times are met; set daily priorities, monitor workload and capacity, identify potential service failures, and drive corrective action.
Maintain communication among warehouse operations, Customer Service, Inventory Control, and leadership; support customer-specific SOPs and work instructions.
Lead, coach, and develop Operations Supervisors, Warehouse Leads, and operational team members; set expectations, conduct development discussions, identify training and cross-training needs, and build succession opportunities.
Partner with leadership on staffing needs and ensure effective use of permanent and temporary labor.
Partner with Customer Service on operational status, exceptions, and customer requests; participate in customer reviews and meetings, lead responses to escalations, and support customer onboarding and service implementations.
Maintain inventory accuracy and transactional discipline; partner with Inventory Control on cycle counts, reconciliations, audits, and root-cause investigations; establish corrective and preventive actions for discrepancies.
Reinforce customer-specific handling, serialization, lot control, RMA, high-value product, and other special requirements; ensure accurate documentation and operational records.
Establish and monitor operational KPIs, review performance trends, use data to inform staffing and process decisions, develop action plans, and communicate performance, risks, and improvement activities to leadership.
Identify and implement improvements to productivity, accuracy, safety, and customer experience; standardize processes and work instructions; champion 5S, visual management, standard work, root-cause analysis, and continuous improvement.
Improve workflow efficiency, reduce unnecessary manual processes, and support warehouse layout, capacity, racking, equipment, process-flow, and technology improvements.
Develop working knowledge of warehouse management and customer systems; ensure employee system training; participate in system testing, implementations, upgrades, and operational readiness; support integrations and improve reporting and operational visibility.
Maintain a safe, organized, and professional warehouse; enforce safety requirements, address unsafe conditions, protect customer inventory, prepare for audits, reinforce housekeeping and 5S, and partner on security, facility, and compliance requirements.
Apply technical and business skills to troubleshoot issues and translate operational requirements into technical solutions; support automation and digital solution opportunities when applicable.

Benefits

Paid vacation (first year prorated based on month of hire, then eligible for 15 days)
10 holidays
2 flexible days
Paid sick time (accrual rate of 1 hour per 30 hours paid)
401(k) retirement savings plan with employer match
Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
Medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage
Health Savings Account (HSA)
Life and disability insurance
Paid parental leave (additional eligibility criteria apply)
Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DC FSA)
Commuter benefit
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Learning & Development Program
Educational assistance and reimbursement
Eligible for bonus