Warehouse Manager

UpMerch is a full-service custom-branded merchandise provider based in Chicago. We run end-to-end merchandise programs for B2B teams: custom merch stores, gifting and onboarding kits, trade show programs, real-time order and inventory dashboards, secure warehousing, and global fulfillment. We're a small, fast-growing team, and the inventory in our warehouse belongs to companies you'd recognize. When we ship, the stakes are real. A box that shows up late or short can cost us the relationship. We're also becoming a technology company. The merch industry runs on spreadsheets, email chains, and disorganization, and we're building an operating system to replace all of it. Our own warehouse is the next piece to get built properly, which is exactly why this role exists. We value high integrity, meritocracy, and a strong work ethic, and we hire people who thrive on ownership. THE ROLE We're hiring our first Warehouse Manager to own everything that happens after product arrives at our door. You will design the warehouse, choose the software that runs it, hire the team, and buy the equipment you need. You report directly to the CEO. This fall we move into a new, dedicated warehouse and office space in Chicago, and you will lead that move. There is no playbook here and nobody telling you how to build it. That's the appeal of this job, and it's also the whole job. We brought warehousing in-house a couple of years ago and the business has outgrown how we run it. We track inventory in spreadsheets and we ship two days a week. That worked when we were smaller. It won't work at the size we're headed. This is a management role, not a floor job. You'll spend your days building systems, hiring and developing your team, working in software, and holding the operation to a high standard. You'll put your hands on the product mostly to show your team how something should be done, not to pick and pack orders yourself. That's the team you're building. When a client's order goes out, you are accountable for it being complete, correct, packed beautifully, and on time. Most days, you will be running this warehouse on your own. Nobody is going to check your work before it goes out the door. This role works if you can take an assignment, figure out what you don't know, and drive it to done. We're looking for someone who learns quickly, is resourceful with every tool available including AI, and would rather solve a problem than wait for direction. Your scope is our Chicago warehouse: the building, the inventory in it, the team that runs it, and everything that ships out, domestic and international. WHAT YOU'LL OWN Inventory and warehouse systems Select and implement a warehouse management system. Build the case, bring us the plan, own the rollout, and get every SKU into it. Design the physical organization of the warehouse: zones, racking, bin locations, labeling, put-away logic, pick paths Build a receiving and check-in process: counting, verifying against the PO, flagging discrepancies before they reach a client invoice Build a quality control process for outbound orders: pack standards, folding standards, checklists, final inspection Own inventory accuracy, cycle counts, and the client-facing inventory numbers our account team relies on Shipping and fulfillment Own daily outbound. Labels, picking, packing, kitting, and bundling get done by your team, on your schedule, to your standard. Move us to a five-day shipping schedule and hold a 1 business day ship SLA on store orders Own inbound and outbound freight, pallet handling, and the loading dock Handle claims, damages, returns, and carrier failures Cost, carriers, and purchasing Negotiate our carrier rates and find the most economical route for every shipment. We ship domestic through UPS, FedEx, USPS, and Amazon, and international through Passport and DHL. Buy everything the warehouse runs on. Packaging, racking, pallet systems, and equipment. You find the suppliers, you negotiate the pricing, and you keep us stocked without overpaying. You will be measured on this. Cost per shipment and packaging cost are your numbers, and starting in 2027, part of your compensation is tied to them. Standards and presentation We ship high-value gifts to executives at companies that care about their brand. Presentation is part of the product, and you own what our work looks like the moment a box is opened. Set the standard for how product is stored, folded, and packed, then teach it. How a t-shirt gets folded is not a small thing here. Build the checklists, photo standards, and training that make everyone on the floor pack the way you would. Building the team Hire our first permanent, full-time warehouse employees. Today the floor runs on a rotating part-time crew, two days a week. You'll build a core of one to two full-time people who know the operation cold and can run a day without you. Keep the part-time bench staffed and scheduled around the permanent core Train everyone to your standard, and write the SOPs so the standard survives your day off The move Plan and execute our move to the new space this fall: trucks, crew, sequencing, and moving our racking Design the new layout from a blank floor, then spec and buy what we need: racking, pallet systems, packing stations, and equipment Get us operational in the new space without a gap in client shipments SUCCESS AT 12 MONTHS A warehouse management system is live, and inventory accuracy is above 98% We ship five days a week and hold our 1 business day commitment on store orders One to two full-time employees are hired, trained, and running days without you Cost per shipment and packaging cost are lower than when you started We can walk any client through the warehouse and have them leave impressed REQUIREMENTS Legally authorized to work in the US, and able to work on-site in Chicago five days a week Comfortable being on the warehouse floor every day Comfortable learning and configuring software. You'll be implementing a WMS and living in shipping platforms daily. Bachelor's degree preferred, not required Nice to have. Experience running a warehouse, fulfillment center, or 3PL Hands-on implementation of a WMS or inventory system Carrier rate negotiation and sourcing or negotiating with suppliers Experience hiring and managing an hourly team Ecommerce, apparel, or kitting and pick-and-pack background WHO IS A GOOD FIT Relentlessly organized. This is the single most important thing. Organization isn't a skill you turn on at work. It's how you live. You cannot walk past a mess without fixing it. High standards. You notice the tape job, the fold, the label that's crooked. "Good enough" makes you uncomfortable. You'd rather redo it than ship it. Systems-minded and tech-savvy. You don't solve a problem twice. You build the process, write it down, and train it. Commercially minded. You treat the company's money like it's your own. You'll spend an hour on the phone with a supplier to save 15% on boxes. Takes the bull by the horns. Nobody tells you what to do every morning. You see what needs to happen and you go do it. A leader people follow. You can hire well, train patiently, and hold a standard without being a jerk about it. Calm under volume. Q4 is loud. Deadlines stack. You get more focused, not more frantic. High integrity. When something goes wrong, you say so immediately. THIS ISN'T THE RIGHT FIT IF You aren't naturally organized. It's the one thing we can't train. You need detailed instructions and daily check-ins to stay on track You'd rather step into a defined role with established processes than build both You want a remote or hybrid schedule BENEFITS 401(k) with company matching. We match 100% of your first 3% and 50% of the next 2%. Contribute 5% and you get the full 4% match. Health, dental, and vision insurance. $250/month employer contribution toward your premium. Flexible paid time off Company bonus program starting in 2027, tied to hitting company goals Laptop with a $1,500 budget, yours to keep after 6 months and refreshed every 3 years, plus a full workstation at the warehouse Monthly stipends. $100 commuter and $50 cell phone. Pet-friendly office COMPENSATION Base salary: $60,000 to $100,000, based on experience and demonstrated skills. The range is wide on purpose. Two different people could do this job well. $60,000 to $80,000. You're organized, driven, and hungry, and you'll learn the operational side here. You've run a shift or a team but not a whole building. We're betting on how you're wired. $80,000 to $100,000. You've done this before. You've implemented a WMS, negotiated carrier rates, and built and led a fulfillment team. At this level you're not learning the job here. You're bringing it. We expect compensation in this role to grow aggressively as the warehouse scales. In 2027 we'll add a KPI-based incentive tied to objective metrics like cost per shipment, inventory accuracy, and on-time ship rate. We would much rather promote the person already doing the work than hire someone in above them. If you want to own something and watch it get significantly bigger, this is that job. LOGISTICS Schedule: Full-time, on-site, Monday through Friday. Not hybrid, not remote. Start date: As soon as possible Location: Downtown Chicago in River North through the fall, then our new warehouse and office space in Chicago's Goose Island. #J-18808-Ljbffr