About this role
Job Summary
The Senior Warehouse Operations Manager is responsible for planning, directing, and overseeing all pharmaceutical warehouse operations to ensure the safe, secure, compliant, and efficient receipt, storage, inventory management, and distribution of pharmaceutical products. This position ensures compliance with Good Distribution Practices (GDP), manufacturer quality standards, regulatory requirements, and company policies while maintaining the highest standards of inventory accuracy, operational efficiency, product integrity, customer service, and employee performance. The Warehouse Operations Manager provides strategic and operational leadership to warehouse personnel, drives continuous process improvement initiatives, and collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to support the organization's business objectives.
Duties and Responsibilities
• Plan, organize, and oversee all pharmaceutical warehouse operations, including receiving, storage, inventory control, picking, dispatch, and distribution activities.
• Serve as a member of the Quality Management Team by ensuring compliance with Good Distribution Practices (GDP), maintaining warehouse documentation, coordinating staff training, and collaborating on the development and continuous improvement of warehouse SOPs, quality systems, and regulatory requirements.
• Manage all inventory control activities, including receiving, storage, stock rotation, cycle counts, inventory reconciliations, product recalls, expired product destruction, and investigations into inventory discrepancies.
• Oversee the storage, handling, security, and distribution of pharmaceutical products, including controlled drugs, cold chain products, hazardous materials, and other products requiring special handling.
• Oversee cold chain operations by ensuring temperature monitoring, supplier release approvals, storage, transportation, and customer deliveries comply with manufacturer specifications and regulatory requirements.
• Manage warehouse quality systems, including audits, self-inspections, Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPAs), non-conformance investigations, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Monitor warehouse performance through operational reports and KPIs, implementing strategies to improve productivity, inventory accuracy, service levels, quality, and cost efficiency.
• Oversee the effective use and continuous improvement of warehouse management systems, including AS400, ZAP, and related technologies.
• Identify workflow inefficiencies and implement process improvements to simplify operations, eliminate bottlenecks, and improve productivity.
• Collaborate with Procurement, Logistics, Sales, Information Technology, and other departments to support efficient supply chain operations.
• Oversee dispatch operations to ensure customer orders are accurately prepared, transported, and delivered according to company service standards.
• Investigate inventory discrepancies, customer complaints, delivery issues, product deviations, and operational failures, implementing corrective and preventive actions where necessary.
• Lead, coach, develop, and evaluate warehouse supervisors and employees while addressing employee relations matters in collaboration with Human Resources.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with manufacturers, suppliers, logistics providers, medical representatives, regulatory agencies, and other key stakeholders.
• Promote a culture of safety by ensuring compliance with occupational health and safety standards, maintaining warehouse facilities and equipment, and ensuring the warehouse remains inspection-ready at all times.
• Ensure the warehouse is inspection-ready at all times by maintaining compliance with internal quality standards, manufacturer audits, Ministry of Health inspections, and regulatory requirements.
• Keeps appropriate records relating to the discharge of his/her responsibilities.
• Executes any other duty assigned by management to support warehouse operations.
Organizational Relationships
This position reports directly to the Pharmaceutical Director. He/She supervises all pharmaceutical warehouse personnel, including warehouse supervisors and support staff. The Warehouse Operations Manager works closely with Procurement, Logistics, and Sales.
Requirements - Education and Experience
• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Systems Management, Operations Management, or a related discipline.
• Minimum of five (5) years' progressive experience in warehouse, logistics, or supply chain operations, including at least three (3) years in a management or supervisory role.
• Experience within a pharmaceutical, healthcare, medical device, or other regulated distribution environment is strongly preferred.
• Certification or formal training in Good Distribution Practices (GDP), Professional certification in Supply Chain Management, Warehouse Management, Project Management, or Lean Six Sigma is an asset.
• Thorough knowledge of warehouse operations, inventory management, distribution, transportation, and warehouse management systems (WMS).
• Strong understanding of Good Distribution Practices (GDP), pharmaceutical warehousing standards, cold chain management, inventory control, and regulatory compliance.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, develop, and motivate teams while effectively managing employee performance, accountability, and workplace discipline.
• Proven experience analyzing warehouse performance metrics (KPIs) and implementing process improvements to improve productivity, accuracy, service levels, and operational efficiency.
• Strong project management, planning, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Proficiency in warehouse management systems, Microsoft Office applications (particularly Excel), and data analysis and reporting tools.
• Excellent leadership, communication, interpersonal, and relationship management skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across all levels of the organization and with external stakeholders.
Physical and Emotional Demands
He/she must have the physical ability and emotional intelligence to perform the essential duties and responsibilities of the job, which may include, but are not limited to, standing, bending, lifting, and carrying loads up to 40 pounds. This is a demanding position that requires excellent communication at all levels. The successful candidate must be willing to lead by example, adopt a hands-on approach, and readily assist with operational tasks whenever business needs require.