About Mercana  

Mercana is one of North America's leading home furnishings wholesalers, supplying interior designer and retail partners around the globe. As a design-first company, we produce unique pieces for the home each season — wall art, furniture, lighting, and décor accessories. 

Position Summary 

The Warehouse Manager is accountable for the full operation of the Newport News site — receiving, put-away, storage, picking, packing, shipping, dropship, inventory control, and the facility itself. The role turns the Director of Distribution’s plan into a site that runs safely, accurately, and on time, and reports performance against KPI and budget targets. 

The Manager leads the site’s Supervisors directly and the frontline team through them: setting expectations, developing Supervisors into capable people leaders, making hiring decisions within approved headcount, and resolving performance issues with Human Resources. Supervisors manage the people on the floor; the Manager makes sure they are doing it well. 

The Manager owns the site labour plan and operating budget, leads workflow and layout improvement, and sets the standard for safety and customer commitment across every shift. 

Key Responsibilities 

Site Operations Leadership 

• Own the daily, weekly, and monthly performance of the site across inbound and outbound, including pick/pack, shipping, receiving, dropship, transfers, and put-away. 

• Set daily priorities with Supervisors, protecting urgent, aging, and deadline-sensitive orders and maintaining the highest service standards for customers. 

• Plan capacity ahead of container arrivals, seasonal peaks, and promotional volume, adjusting labour and dock schedules in advance rather than in reaction. 

• Work closely with Customer Operations, Logistics Coordination, and Operations team members to ensure timely delivery of goods to customers. 

• Communicate expectations and ensure adherence to proper handling procedures and safety protocols across all staff, Leads, and Supervisors. 

People Management, Development & Coaching 

• Lead, manage, and hold accountable the site’s Supervisors; through them, ensure Leads and Associates are scheduled, trained, and managed to standard. 

• Hold regular one-to-ones with each Supervisor, review their team’s performance and people metrics, and coach them on scheduling, feedback, documentation, and difficult conversations. 

• Make hiring decisions for site roles within approved headcount, in partnership with Human Resources, and ensure onboarding, training, and certification are completed. 

• Review disciplinary documentation prepared by Supervisors, lead escalated cases with Human Resources, and make termination recommendations to the Director of Distribution. 

• Conduct mid-year and annual performance reviews for direct reports and calibrate ratings across the site so standards are applied consistently. 

• Work with Human Resources to identify coaching and training needs, build succession for Supervisor and Lead roles, and act on engagement survey results. 

Inventory Management & Control 

• Own the cycle count program and annual inventory; investigate discrepancies to root cause with the Director of Distribution and Finance. 

• Maintain inventory control procedures that keep system and physical inventory aligned at bin level. 

• Ensure accurate reception and delivery of all inbound materials, including supplies; inventory warehouse supplies and communicate stock levels to the Director of Procurement. 

• Oversee QC and quarantined inventory with the Quality Control Manager so disposition is decided promptly. 

Budget, Labour & Cost Control 

• Build and manage the site labour plan and operating budget with the Director of Distribution; approve overtime and temporary labour against plan. 

• Track labour productivity and cost per unit; explain variances and implement corrective action. 

• Manage the use of staffing agency labour against agreed terms and volume needs. 

Workflow Optimization & Continuous Improvement 

• Execute warehouse realignment and slotting to create an efficient, streamlined workflow, with a focus on bin optimization. 

• Create an environment of continual improvement, both strategically and tactically, applying Lean and 5S principles and standardizing changes in SOPs. 

• Use Business Central and Power BI to identify trends; prepare weekly and monthly KPI reporting for the Director of Distribution. 

• Recommend equipment, layout, and system changes to the Director, supported by a business case. 

Health, Safety & Facility 

• Own the site health and safety program: risk assessments, inspections, incident investigation, and corrective action follow-up under WorkSafeBC requirements. 

• Provide regular safety talks, support the joint health and safety committee, and promote a culture of safety within the department. 

• Ensure equipment is maintained, operator certifications are current, and the building and stock are secured.

   

  Qualifications 

  Required 

  • Five to seven years of progressive warehouse leadership experience, including at least two years managing supervisors or team leads. 

  • Post-secondary degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. 

  • Proven record of managing to KPI, labour, and budget targets in a high-volume warehouse. 

  • Strong understanding of warehouse operations, inventory control principles, and cycle counting. 

   

  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including leading performance conversations and documentation. 

   Preferred 

  • Experience with MS Dynamics 365 Business Central or Navision, and Power BI. 

   

  • Experience handling furniture, home décor, or other bulky and fragile goods. 

  • Forklift certification. 

  Physical Requirements & Work Environment 

  • Warehouse environment with regular exposure to dock conditions, seasonal temperature variation, and equipment noise; PPE required in designated areas. 

  • Regular time on the warehouse floor, including standing, walking, and bending, alternating with desk-based planning, budgeting, and reporting. 

  • Occasional lifting up to 50 lbs (23 kg). 

  • Availability to flex hours around container arrivals, peak volume, and incidents, including early starts and extended hours. 

  • Responsibility for the security of the facility, which may require attendance outside standard hours. 

  Strong technical skills with spreadsheets and data management tools. Experience with import container receiving, dropship programs, and LTL and third-party logistics coordination.