Deta Electrical
Warehouse Operations Manager - Retail
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Department: Warehouse
Location: Chalton, Luton
Reports To: Head of Warehouse & Distribution Operations
The Company
Deta Electrical is a market leading manufacturer and distributor of wiring, lighting and electrical installation accessories. With a reputation for quality, reliability and value for money, Deta’s extensive brand and product portfolio is distributed through the electrical wholesale and retail DIY channels.
The Role
Responsible for leading the outbound warehouse operation, with direct management responsibility for the pick, pack and despatch team supporting major retail DIY customers. The role has end-to-end accountability for the safe, accurate and efficient fulfilment of retail customer orders, ensuring customer specific requirements, carrier cut off times and agreed service levels (OTIF) are consistently achieved.
As a key operational leader, the role is responsible for maintaining high safety and quality standards, developing team capability and driving performance against agreed KPIs. The postholder will embed continuous improvement initiatives across outbound processes to maximise efficiency, productivity and long term operational performance.
Responsibilities
- Retail Customer Service - own outbound fulfilment performance for major retail DIY customers, ensuring orders are completed accurately, on time and in line with agreed service levels, customer specific requirements and delivery windows.
- Outbound Operations - lead the end-to-end pick, pack and despatch operation, coordinating labour, workflow and priorities to achieve daily volume, quality and service targets.
- Order Picking - ensure efficient and accurate picking and prompt resolution of stock or system exceptions that could affect customer service.
- Packing and Customer Compliance - ensure orders are packed, labelled, palletised and presented in accordance with customer specifications, routing requirements and quality standards.
- Despatch and Carrier Management - manage staging, loading, trailer utilisation, despatch documentation and carrier handovers to meet collection schedules and cut-off times.
- Team Leadership and Performance - lead, coach and performance manage the outbound team, setting clear expectations, allocating resources, managing attendance and capability, and creating a visible, accountable and high performing culture.
- Health, Safety and Standards - maintain a safe working environment through effective controls, risk awareness, housekeeping, safe systems of work and prompt escalation and investigation of incidents or near misses.
- KPI Ownership - monitor and improve performance against agreed measures, including pick and pack productivity, order accuracy, OTIF, despatch adherence, damages, labour utilisation and customer service failures.
- Continuous Improvement - identify, lead and embed improvements to outbound processes, layout, workflow, standard work and use of systems to eliminate waste and increase sustainable efficiency, productivity and operational resilience.
- Cross-functional Coordination - work closely with inventory, sales office, customer services and other warehouse teams to resolve constraints, protect customer service and ensure a controlled end-to-end flow of orders
- Operational Control and Reporting - maintain accurate shift reporting, complete effective handovers, escalate risks promptly and implement recovery plans where performance is below target.
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Skills Required
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- Significant experience in warehouse and distribution operations, with at least three years' leadership experience managing pick, pack and despatch activities within high volume retail, DIY or similarly demanding customer environments, supported by a strong understanding of customer service, compliance and fulfilment requirements.
- A successful track record of leading, coaching and developing operational teams in a fast paced, KPI driven environment.
- Strong working knowledge of WMS/ERP systems supporting order allocation, replenishment, picking, packing, despatch and performance reporting.
- Sound understanding of outbound planning, carrier cut off management, labour deployment, order accuracy and OTIF performance.
- Practical knowledge of warehouse health and safety requirements, safe systems of work and effective shift controls.
- Experience of applying continuous improvement techniques to remove waste, standardise processes and deliver measurable gains in productivity, quality and service.
- Confident user of MS Office, including Excel, for KPI reporting, trend analysis and operational decision making.
- Strong communication, problem-solving and decision-making skills, with the ability to remain calm, visible and effective under pressure.
- A hands on, floor first leadership style, with the confidence to intervene directly in operational issues and hold teams accountable for standards and results.
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