Operations Manager - 3PL Warehousing

Operations Manager – 3PL Warehousing

Location: Greenfield, Indiana, USA (east side of the Indianapolis area)
Employment type: Full-time
Experience: 5+ years
Compensation: Bonus eligible

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Operations Manager to lead operations across four food-grade, third-party logistics (3PL) warehouse facilities on the east side of Indianapolis. This role is responsible for safety, food-grade compliance, customer service, labor productivity, inventory accuracy, cost control, and consistent execution across all locations.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on, data-driven leader with experience managing multiple warehouse operations in a 3PL, food-grade, distribution, or manufacturing environment. This position requires the ability to develop site leaders, standardize processes, manage changing customer demands, and maintain audit-ready facilities.

Key Responsibilities

Multi-Site Operations Leadership

• Direct daily operations across four warehouse locations, including receiving, put-away, storage, inventory control, order fulfillment, shipping, and value-added services.
• Establish consistent operating procedures, performance expectations, and accountability across all sites.
• Conduct regular site visits, operational reviews, safety observations, and leadership meetings.
• Balance labor, equipment, space, and workload across facilities to meet customer requirements.
• Develop site managers, supervisors, and team leads through coaching, training, and performance management.
• Support new customer implementations, operational transitions, and business growth.

Food Safety, Quality, and Compliance

• Maintain clean, safe, secure, and audit-ready food-grade facilities.
• Ensure compliance with applicable FDA, OSHA, FSMA, GMP, sanitation, pest-control, allergen-management, and customer-specific requirements.
• Partner with quality and safety personnel to maintain required records, corrective-action plans, training, and inspection readiness.
• Lead or support customer, regulatory, and third-party audits.
• Investigate safety, quality, inventory, and service incidents and ensure corrective actions are completed.
• Promote a strong culture of food safety, employee safety, and continuous improvement.

Customer Service and 3PL Performance

• Serve as a senior operational contact for assigned customers and address service issues promptly.
• Ensure operations meet customer SLAs, contractual requirements, shipping schedules, and inventory standards.
• Lead customer business reviews and communicate performance, risks, and corrective actions.
• Coordinate with transportation providers, customer teams, vendors, and internal departments.
• Support pricing, labor modeling, capacity planning, and scope reviews for new or changing customer programs.

Financial and Performance Management

• Manage site operating budgets, labor costs, overtime, supplies, equipment, and facility-related expenses.
• Monitor and improve key performance indicators, including safety performance, order and shipment accuracy, inventory accuracy, on-time shipping, labor productivity, overtime and cost per unit, space utilization, damage and claims, customer service levels, and audit findings and corrective-action closure.
• Analyze operational data to identify trends, constraints, and improvement opportunities.
• Implement lean practices, process improvements, and cost-saving initiatives without compromising safety, quality, or customer service.
• Provide accurate operational forecasts, reports, and performance updates to senior leadership.

People Leadership

• Build a culture of accountability, teamwork, safety, and customer focus.
• Partner with Human Resources on recruiting, onboarding, retention, attendance, employee relations, and workforce planning.
• Ensure all employees receive appropriate safety, food-handling, equipment, and job-specific training.
• Establish succession plans and develop a strong leadership bench across all four locations.
• Manage performance issues consistently and in accordance with company policies.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, logistics, operations management, business, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience will be considered.
• At least five years of progressive warehouse, distribution, or logistics operations experience.
• At least three years of management experience with responsibility for supervisors and hourly warehouse employees.
• Experience managing multiple facilities, large operations, or several customer accounts.
• Experience in a 3PL, food-grade, food and beverage, consumer products, or regulated warehousing environment.
• Working knowledge of food-grade warehousing standards, GMPs, sanitation programs, and audit requirements.
• Strong understanding of warehouse management systems, inventory control, labor planning, and operational KPIs.
• Demonstrated ability to manage budgets, improve productivity, and lead continuous-improvement initiatives.
• Strong communication, problem-solving, decision-making, and customer-management skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, reporting tools, and warehouse management technology.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to travel regularly among four east-side Indianapolis facilities.