SENIOR WAREHOUSE MANAGER

SUMMARY:
A leading paper merchant based in Elsies River Industrial, Cape Town is currently seeking an experienced Senior Warehouse Manager to oversee and optimise all warehouse, distribution, and logistics operations at our Cape Town facility. This is a senior leadership role requiring strong operational control, people management expertise, and the ability to work cross-functionally with sales, procurement, and vendors to ensure efficient service delivery and stock integrity. The successful candidate will bring 7–10 years of proven experience in warehouse and distribution management, ideally within environments handling paper and/or chemical products.

POSITION INFO:
Warehouse & Distribution Operations

• Full oversight of daily warehouse and distribution operations, ensuring efficiency, accuracy, and compliance.

• Plan, manage, and optimise inbound and outbound logistics.
• Ensure optimal layout, storage, and handling of stock in line with operational best practices.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance productivity and reduce operational costs.

• End-to-end responsibility for stock control, inventory accuracy, and stock integrity.
• Implement and maintain effective stock management systems and controls.
• Oversee cycle counts, stock takes, variance investigations, and reporting.
• Minimise stock losses, damages, and expiries.

• Ensure full compliance with Occupational Health & Safety legislation.
• Implement, monitor, and enforce safety procedures and policies.
• Conduct regular risk assessments, audits, and safety training.
• Manage incident reporting and corrective action processes.

• Lead, manage, and develop warehouse staff and supervisors.
• Handle staff discipline in line with labour legislation and company policies.
• Drive performance management, training, and succession planning.
• Foster a culture of accountability, safety, and operational excellence.

• Oversee fleet planning, vehicle utilisation, and route efficiency.
• Manage vehicle maintenance schedules and compliance requirements.
• Coordinate warehouse equipment and facility maintenance.

• Manage relationships with third-party service providers and vendors.
• Negotiate and monitor service level agreements (SLAs).
• Ensure cost-effective and reliable supplier performance.

• Work closely with the Sales team to support customer demand and delivery commitments.
• Coordinate with procurement, finance, and operations to ensure aligned planning and execution.
• Provide operational input into forecasting and capacity planning.

• Ensure accurate documentation, compliance records, and audit readiness.
• Contribute to budgeting and cost-control initiatives.

• 7–10 years’ experience in overall warehouse and distribution management.
• Proven experience managing large teams and handling staff discipline.
• Strong knowledge of Health & Safety legislation and compliance.
• Solid experience in stock management and inventory control.
• Fleet planning and maintenance management experience.
• Vendor and service provider management experience.
• Ability to work closely with sales and operational stakeholders.
• Own reliable vehicle.
• Fluent in English and Afrikaans (spoken and written).

• Experience handling paper products and/or chemical products.
• Exposure to high-volume or complex distribution environments.
• Experience implementing process improvements or system enhancements.