Warehouse Planning & Expansion

• Review warehouse utilization and future capacity requirements.
• Design warehouse layouts that maximize productivity and storage efficiency.
• Recommend investment in equipment, racking, and automation.
• Produce warehouse expansion plans ahead of business growth.
• Ensure operational infrastructure scales before capacity becomes a constraint.
• Continuously review warehouse workflows to maximize productivity and minimize waste.

Cross Functional Leadership

• Act as the primary operational link between Head Office and the warehouse.
• Build strong relationships across Buying, Merchandising, Customer Experience, and Finance.
• Develop processes that improve communication between departments.
• Ensure stock movements, launches, and operational priorities are communicated clearly.
• Improve stock accuracy and inventory visibility through stronger cross-functional processes.
• Ensure warehouse operations fully support the wider commercial objectives of the business.

Operational Planning & Launch Readiness

• Develop operational plans for every product launch.
• Ensure the warehouse is fully prepared for all launches well in advance.
• Implement operational rules, timelines, and cut-off points that allow the warehouse to achieve service standards without unnecessary pressure or last-minute changes.
• Protect warehouse priorities by ensuring work is planned effectively across departments.
• Create scalable launch processes capable of supporting significantly higher order volumes.
• Identify operational risks ahead of launches and proactively implement solutions.

Standards & Accountability

• Define, implement, and continually improve warehouse operating standards.
• Create a culture of accountability where expectations are clearly understood and consistently achieved.
• Hold Team Leaders and warehouse colleagues accountable for performance, behaviors, and standards.
• Ensure warehouse organization, cleanliness, and safety standards are maintained at all times.
• Drive consistency across every warehouse process regardless of trading volume.
• Continuously raise operational standards as the business evolves.

People Leadership & Development

• Recruit, coach, and develop a high-performing warehouse team.
• Build a culture where individuals are trusted with autonomy while remaining accountable for results.
• Identify future leaders and create succession plans.
• Upskill and cross-train the team to create a flexible, multi-skilled workforce.
• Carry out regular one-on-ones, coaching sessions, and performance reviews.
• Create personal development plans that encourage long-term career progression.

Workforce Planning

• Develop warehouse resource plans aligned with business growth forecasts.
• Forecast future headcount requirements alongside sales projections and operational demand.
• Build recruitment plans to support future warehouse expansion.
• Hire exceptional warehouse talent aligned with company values.
• Ensure staffing levels remain within agreed budgets while delivering operational excellence.
• Continuously review team structure to ensure it supports future growth efficiently.

Strategic Capacity Planning

• Work closely with Buying and Merchandising to understand future intake, sales forecasts, and promotional activity.
• Translate commercial forecasts into warehouse capacity, labor, and storage plans.
• Ensure the warehouse is prepared for future growth rather than reacting to demand.
• Identify operational bottlenecks before they impact service.
• Build scalable operational plans that support long-term growth.

Facilities Management

Own the day-to-day management of the warehouse premises, including:

• Building maintenance
• Roller shutters
• Alarm and security systems
• Utilities
• Waste management
• External contractors
• Operational suppliers
• Health & Safety compliance
• General warehouse upkeep

Ensure the warehouse remains safe, compliant, and operational at all times.

Commercial & Financial Responsibility

• Own the warehouse and operations budget.
• Manage the warehouse operational P&L.
• Monitor labor costs and operational expenditure.
• Deliver efficiency improvements that reduce cost per order.
• Evaluate the return on investment for new systems, equipment, and operational improvements.
• Build commercial business cases for future operational investment.

Ownership of the Warehouse

The Head of Warehouse Operations has overall responsibility for ensuring the warehouse operates as a high-performing, scalable function that supports the wider business.

This includes ownership of:

• Warehouse strategy
• People and culture
• Warehouse standards
• Operational systems
• Warehouse layout and expansion
• Facilities and contractors
• Health & Safety
• Operational budgets and P&L
• Continuous improvement
• Productivity and efficiency
• Inventory accuracy
• Goods In and Goods Out
• Service levels
• Cross-functional communication
• Workforce planning
• Future operational strategy

Success Measures (KPIs)

Customer

• 99.8%+ pick accuracy.
• 99.8%+ dispatch accuracy.
• Orders despatched within agreed SLA.
• Customer fulfillment complaints maintained below target.

Operational Performance

• Continuous improvements in warehouse efficiency.
• Reduced fulfillment times.
• Increased picks and packs per labor hour.
• Inventory accuracy maintained above 99.5%.
• Warehouse capacity consistently ahead of forecast demand.

Systems

• Successful implementation of WMS, barcode scanning, and operational technology.
• Reduction in manual processes.
• Increased warehouse automation.
• Improved operational reporting and visibility.

Financial

• Warehouse operating within agreed budget.
• Reduced cost per order.
• Improved labor productivity.
• Positive ROI delivered on warehouse improvement projects.

People

• High employee engagement and retention.
• Clear succession plans for key roles.
• Multi-skilled workforce with effective cross-training.
• Strong leadership capability developed across Team Leaders.

Strategic Growth

• Warehouse infrastructure scaled ahead of business growth.
• Successful delivery of warehouse expansion projects.
• Continuous pipeline of operational improvements implemented throughout the year.
• Strong collaboration between Head Office and warehouse teams, resulting in improved communication, stock accuracy, and operational flow.