Warehousing, Fulfilment & Stores Strategy Manager

Warehousing, Fulfilment & Stores Strategy Manager

3 - 6 month initial contract

Hybrid working - Birmingham and remote

Up to £510 per day inside IR35 via umbrella

About the Role

This role sits within a newly established Supply Chain function and leads a Future Stores & Fulfilment Operating Model review.

The successful candidate will define the future operating model required before long-term estate, partner or technology decisions are made. The role brings together warehousing, fulfilment, staging and configuration, returns, customer requirements, security, property and technology dependencies to create a robust, scalable and cost-effective future-state solution.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the Future Stores & Fulfilment Operating Model review and define requirements, principles, options and recommendations.
• Assess current warehousing, fulfilment, staging, configuration, returns and refurbishment activities, including volumes, costs, service levels and risks.
• Identify customer, operational, security and resilience requirements.
• Evaluate internal, outsourced and hybrid operating models using operational, financial, customer, risk and implementation criteria.
• Translate the preferred operating model into clear technology and systems requirements.
• Develop the decision-making framework, procurement strategy, mobilisation plan and implementation roadmap.
• Coordinate stakeholders across Property, Technology, Security, Procurement, Finance and Operations.
• Identify opportunities for short-term operational improvement while maintaining long-term strategic flexibility.

Key Decisions

• Define the evidence and evaluation criteria required to support operating model decisions.
• Recommend the preferred Stores & Fulfilment strategy through governance processes.
• Establish future requirements covering warehousing, fulfilment, staging, configuration, returns and refurbishment.
• Determine which near-term improvements can be implemented without constraining future strategic options.

Success Measures

• A fact-based and approved Future Stores & Fulfilment Operating Model supported by a clear business case.
• Customer, security, resilience, estate and operational requirements successfully incorporated into the future design.
• Technology and systems requirements aligned to the agreed operating model, reducing unnecessary rework and investment.
• A clear mobilisation and transition roadmap that protects customer service and operational continuity.

Skills & Experience

Essential

• Significant experience in warehousing, fulfilment, logistics strategy or operating model development.
• Strong current-state assessment, option appraisal and business case development skills.
• Comprehensive understanding of warehouse operations, staging, returns processes and outsourced partner models.
• Ability to translate complex operational, property and technology requirements into clear strategic recommendations and delivery roadmaps.
• Strong commercial, financial, programme management and risk management capabilities.

Desirable

• Experience of warehouse systems or major technology-enabled transformation programmes.
• Experience assessing outsourced, insourced and hybrid operating models.
• Experience managing large-scale warehouse or multi-site transition programmes.

Ideal Candidate

You will be an experienced supply chain, logistics or fulfilment transformation professional with a proven track record of designing operating models, evaluating strategic options and leading complex business change initiatives. You will be comfortable engaging senior stakeholders, building evidence-based business cases and translating strategy into practical delivery plans.

This is an excellent opportunity to influence the future design of a large-scale warehousing and fulfilment operation while driving meaningful operational and commercial improvements.