Warehouse Manager

Latin Specialties LLC•Houston, TX

10d

About The Position

The Warehouse Manager has end-to-end accountability for warehouse execution, including receiving, storage, inventory integrity, order picking, quality checkpoints, shipping, loading, returns, and accurate ERP transactions. This is a hands-on, floor-based leadership role requiring an active presence in warehouse operations. The manager leads by example, develops qualified team leads, plans ahead, coordinates proactively across departments, and designs, implements, and improves reliable processes. The role oversees daily warehouse operations, staffing and shift coverage, training and competency records, and communication across shifts. It coordinates with Quality Control, Production, Logistics, Sales, Procurement, and Inventory Control to anticipate operational needs and prevent bottlenecks. The manager is accountable for cold-chain execution, product quality checkpoints, traceability, accurate ERP transactions, inventory integrity, and controlled handling of returns and product disposition. The manager establishes and improves SOPs, checklists, verification points, and escalation procedures; tracks and reports operational KPIs; and summarizes performance and corrective actions for company leadership. The role promotes safe work practices, sanitation, GMP, traceability, equipment care, and compliance with food-safety and workplace procedures. Relevant experience and demonstrated leadership capability are more important than a particular college degree.

Requirements

Demonstrated hands-on leadership experience in a high-volume fresh-produce, refrigerated distribution, or comparable perishable-goods warehouse.
Proven ability to supervise and train teams, manage shift coverage, and hold leads accountable across receiving, shipping, and inventory functions.
Working knowledge of ERP warehouse transactions, lot traceability, cycle counts, reconciliations, order fulfillment, returns, and cold-chain controls.
Ability to learn and implement new systems as required.
Strong analytical judgment, attention to detail, problem-solving, and communication skills.
Ability to anticipate operational needs across departments.
Self-directed initiative to learn systems, improve processes, use technology and approved AI tools, and follow through under time pressure.
Comfort working regularly in refrigerated areas and adjusting work hours to support operational needs.
Relevant experience and demonstrated leadership capability; a particular college degree is not required.

Nice To Haves

Fresh-produce experience is strongly preferred.
Bilingual English/Spanish is preferred.

Responsibilities

Maintain a visible, active presence on the warehouse floor and demonstrate, coach, and verify work.
Direct daily operations through trained leads; assign ownership, monitor execution, correct deficiencies, and follow up on unresolved issues.
Build staffing schedules and cross-training plans based on order volume, inbound deliveries, departure times, and qualified coverage.
Establish training and competency records for critical tasks and prevent untrained or unauthorized employees from independently performing them.
Ensure trained leadership coverage and documented handoffs for early shifts, late shifts, and weekends; review work completed outside the manager’s presence.
Remain reasonably reachable for urgent escalations outside scheduled hours or establish an approved qualified backup and escalation plan.
Prepare and communicate a forward-looking daily operating plan covering workload, staffing, product availability, inspections, equipment, truck schedules, and priorities.
Coordinate proactively with Quality Control, Production, Logistics, Sales, Procurement, and Inventory Control to secure information, releases, materials, staffing, and timing.
Identify dependencies and potential bottlenecks, clarify owners and deadlines, and establish contingency plans.
Take ownership of warehouse outcomes, communicate facts, propose solutions, follow up, and escalate unresolved risks early.
Lead brief daily huddles and maintain effective shift-to-shift and interdepartmental communication.
Oversee order release, picking, staging, final verification, and loading to confirm items, quantities, lots, labels, customer specifications, and truck assignments.
Establish documented checks for product condition, customer quality requirements, shipping paperwork, trailer suitability, and required product and trailer temperatures.
Coordinate loading and departures with Logistics, investigate shipment errors and customer claims, and implement preventive actions.
Maintain traceability records and ensure timely, accurate shipping transactions in the ERP.
Direct inbound receipt, counting, inspection coordination, identification, lot control, temperature checks, put-away, storage, and FIFO/FEFO rotation.
Partner with the Inventory Control Lead on cycle counts, variance investigations, physical-to-system reconciliations, and monitoring aging or at-risk stock.
Maintain working ERP proficiency to execute, verify, troubleshoot, and audit receiving, movement, shipping, and adjustment transactions.
Ensure material movements and dispositions are recorded accurately and promptly, retaining managerial accountability for system integrity when data entry is delegated.
Establish a controlled returns workflow that identifies shipments and lots, counts and documents condition, segregates when necessary, obtains QA evaluation, records disposition, and reconciles ERP inventory.
Ensure returns are promptly routed to saleable stock, hold, sorting/repack, vendor return, donation, or disposal only under authorized criteria.
Coordinate with Quality Control on inspections, holds, releases, food safety, and disposition authority; ensure warehouse personnel follow approved handling and movement decisions.
Walk storage and staging areas to identify quality, temperature, damage, sanitation, and rotation concerns before product is selected for customers.
Create, document, train, audit, and continuously improve warehouse SOPs, checklists, verification points, shift handoffs, and escalation procedures.
Track and report weekly KPIs, including shipping accuracy, inventory accuracy, ERP posting timeliness, returns closure, quality and cold-chain compliance, labor productivity, and training coverage.
Summarize operational data and corrective actions for company financial and operational leadership, and recommend and own measurable improvements.
Use Excel, ERP reporting, and approved AI or automation tools responsibly to improve planning, analysis, documentation, and productivity while protecting confidential information.
Promote safe work practices, sanitation, GMP, traceability, equipment care, and compliance with company food-safety and workplace procedures.