| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Logistics and Warehousing |
| Level | Manager |
| Reports to | Warehouse Manager |
| Direct reports | Warehouse Supervisor, Inventory Control Supervisor, Store Keeper |
| Experience | 4 to 7 years in warehouse operations with some supervisory experience |
Assistant Warehouse Manager job description template
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Job title: Assistant Warehouse Manager
Department: Logistics and Warehousing
Reports to: Warehouse Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
An Assistant Warehouse Manager is the second in command of a warehouse. They run the shift floor day to day: allocating manpower, keeping receiving, picking, packing and dispatch on schedule, and stepping in for the Warehouse Manager when needed. They supervise team leaders and supervisors, chase the day plan, and escalate only what they cannot fix. A good one keeps the floor moving, holds accuracy and safety on their shift, and is ready to run the warehouse alone.
Key responsibilities
- Run the daily floor plan across receiving, put-away, picking, packing and dispatch and rebalance manpower as volume shifts.
- Open and close the shift, take the handover, and brief supervisors on the day targets and priority orders.
- Track order progress through the day and clear bottlenecks at inbound, picking or the dispatch dock.
- Supervise cycle counts and stock checks, and approve small adjustments while flagging large gaps to the manager.
- Enforce safety, housekeeping and correct use of forklifts and equipment on every shift.
- Check dispatch documents and gate passes so vehicles leave complete, on time and correctly recorded.
- Handle first-level people issues on the floor, mark attendance exceptions and arrange cover for absentees.
- Stand in fully for the Warehouse Manager during leave, audits and peak days.
- Train new joiners and casual staff on process, safety and system entry before they work unsupervised.
- Prepare the daily shift report on volume, productivity, accuracy and any incidents for the manager.
Requirements
- Graduate in commerce, logistics or any discipline
- Working knowledge of warehouse processes and systems
- A diploma in warehouse or supply chain operations is an advantage
- 4 to 7 years in warehouse operations with some supervisory experience
KRAs and KPIs for a Assistant Warehouse Manager
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Shift dispatch | Shift order and dispatch plan completed on time on at least 95 percent of days |
| Picking accuracy | Pick and pack accuracy above 99.5 percent on the shift |
| Manpower use | Labour deployed to plan with idle time below the agreed level |
| Safety | Zero avoidable safety incidents on shift and housekeeping audits passed |
| Stock checks | Assigned cycle counts completed daily with variances reported same day |
| Cover readiness | Runs the warehouse independently during manager absence without escalation to leadership |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Warehouse management system, RF scanners, MS Excel, Weighing and dock equipment, Label printers.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Warehouse Manager, Distribution Centre Manager, Operations Manager
Interview questions for a Assistant Warehouse Manager
- How do you plan manpower across a shift when order volume changes through the day?
- The dispatch dock is backing up an hour before cut-off. What do you do first?
- How do you keep picking accuracy high when the team is under time pressure?
- What checks do you make before a loaded vehicle is allowed to leave the gate?
- Tell me about a time you ran the warehouse alone and a problem came up.
- How do you bring a new casual worker up to speed safely during a peak?
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What does an Assistant Warehouse Manager do?
An Assistant Warehouse Manager runs the warehouse floor on a shift: allocating manpower, keeping receiving, picking, packing and dispatch on schedule, supervising team leaders, checking stock and enforcing safety. They handle first-level problems, prepare the shift report, and stand in for the Warehouse Manager during leave, audits and peak days.
What is the difference between an Assistant Warehouse Manager and a Warehouse Manager?
The Warehouse Manager owns the full site: budget, manpower plan, systems, safety and results. The Assistant Warehouse Manager runs the daily floor and shifts under the manager's plan and steps in when the manager is away. The assistant role is the training ground for managing a warehouse of your own.
What qualifications do you need to become an Assistant Warehouse Manager?
A graduate degree and a few years of hands-on warehouse experience are the usual base. Employers look for people who know receiving, picking, dispatch and stock counts, can use a warehouse system and scanners, and have started supervising a team. A diploma in logistics or supply chain operations is an advantage.