Warehouse Management System (WMS) Lead

As the Warehouse Management System (WMS) Lead, you will own the configuration, rollout, and ongoing support of our Nextworld CloudInventory WMS across our regional distribution center (RDC) and an expansion program to 40+ branch locations with additional RDCs. You will lead cross‑functional process discovery and documentation, ensure data quality, drive continuous improvement, and partner with Operations, IT, Supply Chain, and vendor teams to deliver scalable, reliable, and compliant warehouse solutions.

Responsibilities

·       WMS Ownership & Strategy: Serve as the product owner for Nextworld CloudInventory WMS; define roadmap, standards, and guardrails for multi‑site deployments. Establish governance for configurations, master data, and change management across all sites.

·       Implementation & Rollout: Lead discovery, fit‑gap, configuration, and testing; manage pilots and phased go‑lives. Build repeatable deployment playbooks (site readiness checklists, cutover plans, hypercare) to ensure consistent outcomes across locations.

·       Process Engineering & Documentation: Map and optimize end‑to‑end processes (receiving, putaway, slotting, replenishment, picking, packing, shipping, returns, cycle counting, inventory adjustments). Produce clear documentation (SOPs, RACI, swimlanes, value‑stream maps) and maintain a controlled repository for auditability and training. 

·       Integration & Data: Coordinate WMS integrations with ERP, ecommerce, transportation, labeling, and scanners/RF devices; partner with IT on APIs/middleware and integration with other systems. Define and monitor data quality rules (item masters, locations, units of measure, lot/serial, ASN) and corrective actions (loss, adjustments, etc.).

·       Testing, Release & Support: Own test strategy (unit, integration, UAT), release planning, and environment management; create regression suites for ongoing updates. Establish and update support processes (SLAs, incident triage, root‑cause analysis, knowledge base) and oversee vendor escalation.

·       Performance, Analytics & Continuous Improvement: Create KPI dashboards—inventory accuracy, dock‑to‑stock, order cycle time, pick productivity, perfect order %, and space/utilization. Lead Kaizen/Lean initiatives; implement slotting optimization, waves/batches, and labor management practices.

·       People Training: Mentor a small cross-functional team; upskill super‑users and site champions. Support development of training curricula for operators, supervisors, and managers; drive adoption and change readiness.

·       Compliance, Risk & Security: Support and ensure system can provide data for audit trails, role‑based access controls, and adherence to company policies and relevant regulations (e.g., inventory controls, safety). Conduct post‑implementation reviews and risk assessments; implement preventative controls.

·       Stakeholder & Vendor Management: Partner with Operations Directors, Branch Managers, Supply Chain, IT, Finance, and Quality to align priorities and outcomes. Manage vendor relationships, statements of work, and performance against deliverables.

·       Budgeting & Planning: Develop budgets for licenses, hardware (RF/scanners, printers), services, and training; track benefits realization.

Required Qualifications

·       Experience: 7+ years  in WMS project management and/or administration, process engineering, or distribution operations with direct responsibility for multi‑site systems.

·       WMS Expertise: Hands‑on configuration and support of a modern WMS (experience with Nextworld CloudInventory or another WMS).

·       Operations Knowledge: Deep understanding of warehouse processes (ASN receiving, directed putaway, slotting, replenishment, waves/batch picking, packing, shipping, cycle counts, lot/serial control, returns).

·       Data & Integration: Familiarity with ERP/WMS integrations (APIs), labeling, RF, and device management; proficiency with SQL and data analysis for troubleshooting.

·       Process Engineering: Demonstrated ability to document, standardize, and optimize business processes; experience with Lean/Kaizen methodologies.

·       Project Management: Proven success leading large efforts; strong planning, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

·       Soft Skills: Proven problem‑solving, change management, and cross‑functional collaboration; comfortable in a small, high‑impact, cross-functional team.

Preferred Qualifications

·       Multi‑site rollout and support experience.

·       Lean Six Sigma Green/Black Belt or equivalent continuous improvement credentials.

·       Experience in packaging distribution or industrial supplies networks.

·       Exposure to Azure DevOps or similar tools for backlog, releases, and CI/CD of integrations.

·       Familiarity with Power BI or equivalent analytics platforms; ability to build operational dashboards.

·       Knowledge of warehouse operations.

Success Metrics (First 12–18 Months)

·       Deployment: Successful WMS go‑lives at the RDC2 and a TBD number of branch locations, meeting cutover and hypercare targets.

·       Efficiency: Reduced dock‑to‑stock and order cycle times; improved pick productivity and space utilization.

·       Adoption: Super‑user network established, training completion rates ≥ 95%, and reduction in post‑go‑live incidents.

·       Reliability: System availability and integration stability aligned to SLAs; measurable decrease in support tickets via root‑cause fixes.

What We Offer

·       A pivotal role shaping company's warehouse and distribution capabilities across a large, growing network.

·       The opportunity to design, implement, and scale Nextworld CloudInventory with direct impact on operations.

·       A collaborative environment that values process excellence, data‑driven decisions, and continuous improvement.

·       Competitive compensation, benefits, stability, and a commitment to our people.

Travel

Potential travel to branch locations and RDCs as required to support discovery, deployment, training, and hypercare (estimated +/- 20%).