Operations Manager

Operations Manager – Distribution Center

Location:

Greater Cleveland Area

Department:

Operations

About the Company:

We are a growing, fast-paced national organization operating a multi-site distribution network that supports customers across the U.S. The company is experiencing continued growth and expansion and places a strong emphasis on operational excellence, accountability, and safety.

Position Summary:

The Operations Manager is accountable for the daily execution, performance, and culture of a distribution center located in the Greater Cleveland Area. This role sets the operational standard for the broader network by ensuring safe, efficient, and accurate execution across inbound, inventory, outbound, quality, and specialty shipping operations.

This is a hands-on leadership role that requires strong ownership, consistent follow-up, and the ability to address performance and behavioral issues directly. The Operations Manager is expected to drive results through people—not around them.

Key Responsibilities:

Operational Execution

• Own daily performance across inbound receiving, putaway, inventory control, quality assurance, and outbound operations (picking, packing, shipping)
• Lead staffing plans, scheduling, and labor allocation
• Monitor workflow, capacity, and throughput across all functions
• Enforce SOPs, policies, safety standards, and standard work
• Actively manage operational exceptions and disruptions
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives
• Develop team leaders and reinforce a culture of accountability
• Pilot and test process improvements prior to broader rollout
• Manage operational spend including labor, supplies, packing materials, and facility-related costs

Labor, Staffing \& Cost Control

• Workforce planning, scheduling, and labor optimization
• Monitor payroll vs. budget and take corrective action as needed
• Track and control material usage vs. budget
• Identify cost-saving opportunities without sacrificing service or safety

Leadership \& Culture

• Lead with a solutions-first mindset; challenges are expected to come with action plans
• Take ownership of results; avoid excuse-based thinking
• Demonstrate strong follow-up and follow-through
• Hold leaders and hourly team members accountable to expectations
• Personally handle difficult performance and behavioral conversations
• Do not defer people issues to inexperienced supervisors or leads
• Coach and develop managers, supervisors, and team leads
• Build a culture of ownership, respect, accountability, and results

Leadership Expectations (Non-Negotiable)

• Leads from the front; visible and engaged on the floor
• Holds self and others accountable
• Communicates clearly and directly
• Follows up until issues are fully closed
• Builds leaders, not dependency
• Prioritizes safety, accuracy, and service over shortcuts

Safety \& Housekeeping

• Own site safety compliance and housekeeping standards
• Ensure safety training, audits, and corrective actions are completed
• Address unsafe behaviors immediately
• Promote a clean, organized, and professional facility

Continuous Improvement

• Identify and lead process improvement initiatives
• Pilot new workflows, tools, and standards
• Partner cross-functionally to improve end-to-end operational flow
• Drive standardization and scalability

Performance \& Accountability

• Own and deliver site-level KPIs
• Investigate missed KPIs, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions
• Review daily and weekly performance dashboards
• Partner with internal reporting teams to ensure accurate data
• Drive regular employee touchpoints, including:
• Supervisor-to-employee scorecard reviews
• 1:1s with managers and supervisors

Required Qualifications:

• 5\+ years of distribution center or warehouse operations leadership experience
• Proven experience managing multi-functional operations teams
• Strong working knowledge of inbound, outbound, inventory, and shipping functions
• Demonstrated ability to lead people, not just processes
• Comfortable addressing performance and accountability issues directly
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Experience managing labor, productivity, and operational costs

Why Join Us:

• Direct hire, Leadership role
• High-impact position within a growing national organization
• Opportunity to set standards and influence a broader network
• Competitive compensation with performance-based incentives
• Culture focused on accountability, safety, and operational excellence