International Warehouse Manager

AirLife•Glendale, AZ

12d•Onsite

About The Position

The International Warehouse Manager leads the Pickers, Finishers, and Coordinators responsible for AirLife’s International warehouse operations at its Phoenix (PHX) site, overseeing activities from receiving through shipping. The role ensures accurate, timely, and compliant fulfillment of international medical device orders worldwide, including export documentation and coordination with carriers, freight forwarders, and Transportation. This hands-on leadership position monitors operational metrics and service-level agreements, leads continuous improvement projects, and maintains a safe work environment compliant with OSHA and company standards. The manager directs and develops the warehouse team, plans staffing and workflows, manages international order fulfillment and shipping documentation, and works across functions including Transportation, Customer Service, Quality, Inventory Control, Planning, and Procurement. The role tracks performance, backorders, and aging orders; analyzes results and presents dashboards and corrective actions to the Director of Distribution and senior leadership. Occasional travel of less than 10% may be required, and schedules may need to be adjusted or extended to meet operational needs.

Requirements

At least 5 years of experience in warehouse or distribution operations, including at least 3 years in a supervisory or management role.
Experience managing international or export order fulfillment.
Track record of meeting backorder, SLA, and service-level KPIs, with demonstrated continuous improvement results.
Knowledge of warehouse operations, including receiving, inventory control, picking, finishing, and shipping.
Knowledge of international shipping and export processes, including commercial invoices, packing lists, Incoterms, customs and trade compliance, and coordination with customs brokers and freight forwarders.
Team leadership and workforce-planning skills, including scheduling, coaching, mentoring, and performance management.
Attention to detail and a continuous-improvement mindset.
Ability to collaborate with global cross-functional teams across multiple time zones.
Knowledge of facility and warehouse equipment troubleshooting, building systems, and preventive maintenance.
Ability to lead and facilitate organized meetings with clear action plans.
Familiarity with OSHA requirements and workplace safety standards.
Vendor, carrier, and contractor management skills.
Strong organizational and problem-solving skills.
Working knowledge of WMS/ERP systems and inventory accuracy practices, including cycle counting and lot/serial traceability.
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and strong analytical skills.
Excellent follow-up and follow-through with vendors and internal teams.
Ability to manage time, priorities, and projects effectively to meet deadlines.
Clear communication and coordination with cross-functional teams.
Ability to travel occasionally as business needs require (less than 10% of the time).
Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Business Management, Facilities Management, or a related field preferred; an equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.
Accountability and ownership; adaptability and sound decision-making under pressure; proactive communication; data-driven problem-solving; talent development; and collaboration across a global organization.

Nice To Haves

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt and/or Lean CI Certification.
Familiarity with quality-system and regulatory requirements for medical device distribution, such as FDA 21 CFR Part 820 and ISO 13485.
Experience in medical device, pharmaceutical, or other FDA-regulated distribution, including lot/serial tracking and controlled-environment storage.
Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Business Management, Facilities Management, or a related field.

Responsibilities

Provide direction, coaching, and performance management to support team development and achievement of company goals.
Align team objectives with company priorities, ensure compliance, promote accountability, and uphold company values.
Participate in recruitment and support fair treatment in disciplinary processes for team members.
Foster continuous improvement, innovation, operational excellence, and adoption of best practices.
Promote employee engagement, inclusion, and career development through check-ins, talent reviews, cross-training, and succession planning.
Manage the team’s budget responsibly.
Oversee daily International warehouse operations at the Phoenix site, including receiving, put-away, storage, picking, finishing, packing, staging, and outbound shipping.
Ensure international orders are processed accurately and shipped on time; prioritize and resolve order issues.
Coordinate export shipments with customs brokers and ensure commercial invoices, packing lists, labels, and export paperwork are complete and accurate.
Lead, train, schedule, coach, and manage the International warehouse team.
Plan labor, shift coverage, and workflow to meet order volumes, cutoffs, shipping deadlines, peak periods, and customer-specific requirements.
Maintain a clean, organized warehouse that complies with safety and operational standards.
Support layout optimization, space utilization, and workflow design for international product flows.
Coordinate with Transportation on routing, shipping modes, consolidation, and export documentation requirements.
Manage carrier and freight-forwarder relationships, including pickup schedules, service issues, claims, and performance reviews.
Partner with Customer Service on order status, expedites, shortages, and customer escalations.
Coordinate with Quality and Inventory Control to support compliant international shipments.
Monitor KPIs and SLAs, including order accuracy, on-time shipment, order cycle time, fill rate, inventory accuracy, and productivity.
Monitor backorders and aging orders daily, prioritize releases, and escalate constraints to Planning, Procurement, and Customer Service.
Analyze performance data to identify trends, root causes, and improvement opportunities.
Build and review dashboards and reports, and present performance and corrective actions to the Director of Distribution and senior leadership.
Lead and implement continuous improvement projects using Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and 5S methods.
Use data for structured problem-solving and keep work instructions current through established document-control processes.
Support cost reduction, productivity improvement, and operational excellence initiatives.
Uphold company values; work accurately and thoroughly; promote quality and safety; treat people with respect and dignity; and contribute to a positive team environment.
Use time and company resources efficiently, and ensure policies and guidelines are implemented and followed.
Adjust schedules or work extended hours as needed to meet operational needs.
Undertake additional duties as reasonably expected to meet company needs.

Benefits

Medical coverage
Dental coverage
Vision coverage
401(k)
Paid time off
Paid holidays
Bereavement leave
Employee Assistance Program resources
Medical leave benefits
Certain positions may be eligible for bonus, commission, or other incentive compensation, subject to applicable eligibility requirements.