JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE: ZSL Commercial Warehouse Manager

SECTION: Retail

DEPARTMENT: Commercial

DIVISION: Commercial & Communications

RESPONSIBLE TO:Merchandising and Distribution Manager

JOB DESCRIPTION REFERENCE NUMBER:

GRADE ALLOCATED:

Organogram

Main Purpose of Role

The ZSL Commercial Warehouse Managerwill manage a busy, fast paced, high volume warehouse distribution and logistics operation. The successful candidate will oversee the efficient dispatch of a wide range of products. To achieve this, they will have proven experience of managing a mix of warehouse and stock control personnel, ensuring productivity targets are met and to oversee the maintenance of warehouse operations and stock control management systems.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Motivating, organizing and encouraging teamwork within the workforce to ensure set productivity targets are met.
  • Training staff and monitoring their performance and progress.
  • Communicating with other departments, staff groups and customers.
  • Overseeing stock control and processing orders.
  • Ensuring quality, delivery and budget objectives are met.
  • Delivering and fulfilling objectives and directions from the ZSL Commercial Merchandising team.
  • Carrying out responsibilities for the use of automated and computerized systems.
  • Responding to and dealing with supplier & internal customer communication by email, fax and telephone.
  • Keeping stock control systems up to date and planning future capacity requirements.
  • Producing regular reports and statistics on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
  • Briefing their teamon the issues & priorities for that particular day.
  • Visiting internal customers to monitor the quality of service they are receiving.

Expectations of the Job Holder

  • To ensure workplace health and safety requirements are met and take responsibility for the security of the commercial warehouse building(s), containers and stock.
  • The job holder will take full ownership & responsible for the Top Yard (Old Works Yard) at Whipsnade (excluding the vets area), ensuring that standards are maintained.
  • To plan the efficiently plan the warehouse layout and organize special.
  • requirements for certain stock, such as chilled goods or fragile products.
  • They will ensure productivity targets are met and maintain computerized administration and ensure that work is completed accurately.
  • They will oversee all picking, packing and distribution activity. This will include e-commerce fulfillment & distribution through our courier partners.
  • They will manage teams of workers and deal with personnel issues such as the recruitment, training and discipline of staff.

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Person Specification
Knowledge and Experience

Desirable:

  • Ideally suitably trained on using a counterbalance forklift.

Essential:

  • The postholder will require warehouse Management experience, however other Management experience would be considered if over a longer time frame (e.g. Assistant Warehouse Manager for 4+ years)
  • Minimum GCSE’s in Maths & English, however experience in this role would be more relevant.
  • Requires a clean driving licence allowing then to use a LGV.
  • GoodnumeracyandITskills, particularlyspreadsheetsanddatabases
  • Theabilitytoplanandorganisework schedules
  • Acalm,level­headedapproach
  • Theabilitytoworkunderpressureand meetdeadlines
  • Gooddecision­makingskills
  • Leadership,motivationalandteamworkingskills
  • Goodspokenandwrittencommunicationskills.

The postholder will also be:

  • Experienced being the daily main point of contact for suppliers to arrange goods in, and for ZSL operational teams to liaise with regarding their deliveries.
  • The postholder will also be responsible for liaising with other ZSL departments, as their will be items stored for them.
  • The postholder will need to be a strong people manager to ensure that all actions required on a daily basis are completed and fulfilled, by leading a team of warehouse assistants (both permanent & seasonal). They will need to ensure that morale is kept strong throughout the year.
Responsibility
  • This postholder will be responsible for 2 x full time & 2 x part time permanent warehouse assistants (grade 8), and up to an additional 1 x full time & 2 x part time seasonal warehouse assistants.
  • They will be required to participate in recruitment & performance management as required, along with undertaking PDR’s.
  • This role reports into the Retail Merchandise Manager (grade 4).
  • The job holder will be responsible for 2 of the largest warehouses within ZSL, containing up to £300,000 of stock (at cost price, £1 million retail).
  • The position will be supervising the storage of equipment for other departments, and ensuring that it is stored to prevent damage occurring.
  • They will be responsible for at least 1 van that will be running to / from London Zoo (worth £20k+).
  • They will be responsible for general warehouse equipment including forklift truck x 1, pallet trucks x 2, roll cages x 20, warehouse steps x 2.
  • There will be at least 2 pc’s, and additional warehouse specific electronic equipment (e.g. scanning guns £1,700 each x 4).

Communication

  • The majority of this Job Holders day will be involved in communication, as they will need to lead and motivate a team of staff that work with them.
  • This role will involve telephone & email communication with suppliers, commercial team members, and wider ZSL staff.
  • Ensuring that information is received, accurately recorded, and then acted upon by the warehouse team is an absolute pre-requisite for this job.

Liason

  • This role will be the main key to getting stock into all ZSL stores, and without proper liaison with the whole supply chain ZSL income will be put at risk.
  • Liaison with Suppliers to ensure that deliveries are booked in accurately and on time. Failure to do this could lead to out of stock situations & lost sales.
  • Liaison with Retail Merchandise team to ensure that stock is distributed to stores accordingly. Failure to do this will lead to lost sales & revenue.
  • Liaison with other departments who have their equipment stored in this area. Failure to act on request for equipment could impact on visitor experience & revenue.
  • Liaising with customers, suppliers and transport companies.
  • Problem-solving skills and an ability to work on a tactical and strategic level.
  • Planning, coordinating and monitoring the receipt, order assembly and dispatch of goods.
  • Ability to openly discuss issues with internal and external customer and resolve.

Judgement and Decision Making

  • This job holder will be planning the daily operation of the warehouse & the team therein.
  • They will be expected to change any plans should the business dictate, using previous knowledge to ensure that the best course of action is taken.
  • Clear prioritisation of tasks will be the main decision that will have to be made. These decisions will be made throughout the day.
  • Absolute accuracy in the work done is imperative, and concentration during many tasks is very important.
  • Be expected to liaise with relevant teams to get these issues resolved in a fast manner.

The main problems that will occur within this area will be:

  • Checking off a delivery and picking an allocation for a store.
  • Breakdown of equipment (physical) and/or Breakdown / loss of power (electrical / IT).
  • Weather conditions impacting on deliveries.
Working Conditions
  • All buildings are non-smoking.
  • There will be regular lifting of boxes, and the role will be quite physically demanding.
  • This role will involve interruptions from suppliers (booking stock in) to departments wanting equipment.
  • There will be reasonable periods of time (1 - 2 hours) where the job can be done without interruptions though.

This role is based in the Top Yard at Whipsnade, and will involve:

  • working outside throughout the year (unloading vehicles).
  • working within a warehouse space (heated).
  • Working within an office space.

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