Distribution Center Supervisor
Position Overview
The Distribution Center Supervisor is responsible for directing daily warehouse operations and supervising distribution center employees in accordance with company policies, safety standards, and applicable laws. This role plans, coordinates, and oversees assigned operational functions while managing personnel-related activities such as hiring, training, performance management, scheduling, and compensation. The supervisor plays a critical role in ensuring operational efficiency, accuracy, and safety across all distribution activities.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Distribution Center Supervisor oversees all inbound and outbound warehouse activities, including pulling and organizing orders by part number and quantity, packaging and labeling shipments, and coordinating delivery through various carriers such as UPS, U.S. Mail, freight services, buses, and local delivery vehicles. The role requires developing detailed schedules and timelines to ensure shipments meet required specifications and deadlines, as well as determining labor needs and adjusting staffing levels or overtime to meet changing business demands.
This position ensures that all inventory is accurately pulled, loaded, and documented in alignment with delivery schedules, maintaining a minimum order accuracy rate of 99 percent. The supervisor trains employees on proper equipment usage and facility procedures, follows up to ensure performance standards are achieved, and collaborates with other departments to meet inbound and outbound deadlines. Additional responsibilities include developing process plans for distribution receipts, establishing or adjusting work procedures to meet production goals, identifying opportunities to improve operational efficiency, and resolving workflow or employee performance issues.
The supervisor enforces company policies and safety regulations, reports equipment or machinery malfunctions to maintenance, participates in annual physical inventory counts, documents material weights and production data, assists with inventory control processes, and supports special projects as assigned by warehouse leadership.
Education Requirements
A bachelor's degree in business, supply chain management, or a related field is preferred, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience. Strong computer skills are required, including proficiency with databases, spreadsheets, and warehouse management systems such as JDA, Manhattan, or similar platforms.
Knowledge and Experience Requirements
Candidates should possess five to seven years of distribution or warehouse operations experience, with at least three to five years in a supervisory or team leadership role. A strong working knowledge of warehouse processes, labor planning, shipping and receiving operations, inventory management, and safety compliance is essential for success in this role.
Skills and Abilities
The Distribution Center Supervisor must have the physical ability to frequently lift items exceeding 40 pounds and perform work that may involve climbing on or under vehicles and assuming awkward positions while supervising physically demanding tasks. The role requires strong organizational, problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills, along with the ability to motivate teams, analyze operational challenges, and implement effective solutions. OSHA-approved steel-toed footwear is required from the first day of employment, along with eye, hearing, and any additional personal protective equipment deemed necessary.
Working Conditions
The work environment includes both indoor and outdoor warehouse conditions with varying temperatures, exposure to dust, vibration, vehicle noise, and minimal chemical hazards. The position may require extended periods on the warehouse floor and the ability to adapt to fluctuating operational demands and schedules.
FAQs
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