Warehouse & Logistics Manager

Warehouse Transportation ManagerGridley, IL - Gridley, IL 61744OverviewSalary Range $80,000.00 - $95,000.00 Salary Level Management Position Type Full TimeDescriptionThe Warehouse Transportation Manager is responsible for centralized warehouse operations, inventory accuracy, WMS execution, transportation coordination, and logistics process standardization across all Watershed Foods manufacturing and the warehouse facilities. The role is expected to balance centralized control with site-level execution. The manager will set company-wide warehouse standards, define inventory and logistics procedures, monitor compliance, and ensure that production, finance, customer service, quality, and supply chain leadership can trust the accuracy of inventory and shipment data.QualificationsKey Responsibilities:Warehouse Operations and Site LeadershipLead warehouse operations standards across all operating locations.Directly manage the central warehouse operation, including labor, safety, storage, receiving, staging, picking, shipping, dock flow, and daily execution.Provide dotted-line leadership to site-level warehouse and WMS leads.Establish consistent expectations for receiving, put-away, inventory movement, transfers, staging, shipping, cycle counting, and warehouse documentation.Manage warehouse layout, capacity, slotting, staging areas, traffic flow, equipment needs, and storage utilization.Ensure warehouse activity supports production schedules, customer orders, quality release status, and inventory availability.Identify and resolve issues related to space, labor, dock congestion, inventory accuracy, shipment readiness, and process compliance.Transportation and LogisticsOversee transportation coordination between production facilities, the central warehouse, 3PL providers, carriers, customers, and suppliers.Manage inter-site transfers of raw materials, packaging, WIP, and finished goods.Coordinate shipment planning, carrier scheduling, dock appointments, load planning, and freight issue resolution.Ensure BOLs, packing lists, transfer documents, shipment records, and ERP transactions are accurate and complete.Monitor on-time pickup, on-time delivery, trailer utilization, carrier reliability, detention, accessorial charges, and transportation cost trends.Improve logistics execution through better load consolidation, reduced unnecessary transfers, improved shipment visibility, and stronger carrier discipline.Inventory Control and ComplianceOwn inventory accuracy expectations across all sites and inventory categories.Lead the cycle count program, including count cadence, procedures, variance review, reconciliation, and corrective action.Ensure inventory transactions are completed accurately for receipts, transfers, production staging, goods issue, adjustments, finished goods receipts, and shipments.Monitor raw materials, packaging, WIP, finished goods, quality holds, damaged inventory, obsolete inventory, slow-moving inventory, and customer-owned inventory.Partner with Finance to ensure inventory records support valuation, reconciliation, and month-end.Partner with Quality and Food Safety to ensure warehouse practices support GMPs, FEFO, lot traceability, allergen control, organic handling, quality holds, audits, and mock recalls.ERP, WMS, and SOP StandardizationServe as the warehouse and logistics subject matter expert for the ERP and WMS implementation.Support process design for receiving, put-away, inventory moves, picking, staging, shipping, transfers, cycle counting, lot control, and inventory adjustments.Participate in testing, training, go-live preparation, user support, and post-go-live stabilization.Lead creation and implementation of centralized warehouse and logistics SOPs.Train warehouse teams and audit compliance to SOPs, WMS transactions, inventory control expectations, and shipping documentation standards.Skills & Qualifications:Experience in food and beverage, CPG, ingredients, packaging, or regulated inventory environments.Experience leading warehouse teams, logistics teams, inventory control personnel, or multi-site warehouse resources.Strong understanding of inventory accuracy, cycle counting, FIFO, FEFO, lot traceability, WMS transactions, warehouse layout, slotting, receiving, picking, staging, shipping, and dock operations.Strong knowledge of transportation coordination, carrier scheduling, shipment documentation, internal transfers, and freight execution.Ability to lead through influence across multiple sites and functions.Strong communication, problem-solving, decision-making, and organizational skills.Ability to build SOPs, train teams, audit compliance, and drive process discipline.Strong Microsoft Excel and operational reporting skills.Experience with Aptean F&B, Dynamics, SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Catalyst, or similar ERP systems.Experience with WMS implementation, WMS configuration, user acceptance testing.Experience managing warehouse and logistics processes across multiple production facilities.Experience with centralized warehousing, 3PL warehouses, and intercompany transfers.Experience supporting food safety audits, customer audits, mock recalls, and regulated traceability requirements.Experience developing warehouse KPIs, logistics dashboards, and inventory accuracy reporting.Bachelor's degree in supply chain, operations, logistics, business, or related field preferred.5 or more years of experience in warehouse operations, logistics, inventory management, transportation, distribution, or supply chain operations.CPIM, CSCP, CLTD, Lean, Six Sigma, or related certification preferred.