| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Logistics and Warehousing |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Warehouse Manager |
| Direct reports | Picker, Packer, Warehouse Assistant, Loader |
| Experience | 3 to 6 years in warehouse work with some team leadership |
Warehouse Supervisor job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Warehouse Supervisor
Department: Logistics and Warehousing
Reports to: Warehouse Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Warehouse Supervisor leads a team on one function or shift inside a warehouse, such as picking, packing, receiving or dispatch. They allocate work, hold the pace and accuracy, check output, and enforce safety and housekeeping. They report progress to the Warehouse Manager and settle first-level issues on the floor. A good Warehouse Supervisor hits the daily plan for their area, keeps the team productive and safe, and trains new workers so quality holds even on the busiest days.
Key responsibilities
- Allocate the day's work across the team by function and adjust it as volume and priorities change.
- Keep picking, packing, receiving or dispatch running to pace and clear blockages in the flow.
- Check output for accuracy and quality before it moves to the next stage or the dispatch dock.
- Enforce safety, correct equipment use and housekeeping in the work area on every shift.
- Supervise cycle counts and stock movements in the area and report variances promptly.
- Brief the team at shift start on targets and priorities and debrief them at shift end.
- Handle first-level people issues, mark attendance exceptions and arrange cover for absentees.
- Train new and casual workers on process, system entry and safety before they work alone.
- Report area productivity, accuracy and any incidents to the Warehouse Manager each shift.
Requirements
- Graduate or diploma in any discipline
- Working knowledge of warehouse processes and systems
- A logistics or warehouse certificate is an advantage
- 3 to 6 years in warehouse work with some team leadership
KRAs and KPIs for a Warehouse Supervisor
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 |
|---|---|
| Area plan | Daily plan for the assigned area completed on time above 96 percent |
| Accuracy | Picking, packing or receiving accuracy above 99.5 percent in the area |
| Productivity | Output per man-hour at or above the standard for the function |
| Safety | Zero avoidable safety incidents with housekeeping audits passed |
| Attendance cover | Shift staffed to plan with absentee cover arranged the same day |
| Training | New workers trained to the required standard within the agreed days |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Warehouse management system, RF scanners, MS Excel, Pallet trucks, Label printers.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Assistant Warehouse Manager, Inventory Control Supervisor, Warehouse Manager
Interview questions for a Warehouse Supervisor
- How do you allocate work across your team when volume changes during the shift?
- How do you keep accuracy up when the team is rushing to meet a cut-off?
- A worker is not following the safety rules on the floor. How do you handle it?
- How do you bring a new casual worker up to speed on your line?
- What do you check before your area's output moves to dispatch?
- Tell me about a shift that fell behind and how you recovered it.
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What does a Warehouse Supervisor do?
A Warehouse Supervisor leads a team on one function or shift, such as picking, packing, receiving or dispatch. They allocate work, hold the pace and accuracy, check output, and enforce safety and housekeeping. They handle first-level issues, train new workers, and report their area's productivity and accuracy to the Warehouse Manager each shift.
What is the difference between a Warehouse Supervisor and a Warehouse Executive?
A Warehouse Supervisor leads people on the floor and delivers the physical work of an area or shift. A Warehouse Executive works more on documentation and system entries such as goods receipts and dispatch records. The supervisor runs the team and the flow; the executive keeps the paperwork and system accurate.
What qualifications do you need to become a Warehouse Supervisor?
A graduate degree or diploma and a few years of hands-on warehouse experience are the usual base. Employers want someone who knows picking, packing, receiving and dispatch, can use a scanner and system, and has begun leading a team. A logistics or warehouse certificate is an advantage.