Director Warehouse Systems

About RS Group

Across the industrial design, manufacturing and maintenance worlds, we’re the digital destination for product and service solutions to help our customers with the maintenance, repair and operation of their businesses. We provide global access to an unrivalled range of over 750,000 stocked industrial products. Each day our team of experts deliver solutions to resolve our customer’s challenges across design, procurement, inventory and maintenance. We consistently strive to deliver the best possible service to all of our customers and challenge ourselves to provide a seamless procurement experience.

We are one team. We deliver brilliantly. We do the right thing. We make every day better. These are our values. They unite our c.9,000 global colleagues and differentiate us from our competition. They are a mix of how we work today and how we must step up for the future. Most importantly, it is one set of values shaped by our people, for our people.

Together, we can make great things happen. Aim for amazing and beyond.

This role is part of RS Americas, Warehouse Operations team, a function that receives, stores and maintains 275,000 stocked products, and processes and dispatches all customer orders that originate in North America. It operates from a fully automated, climate-controlled distribution center in Texas, with an engaged and dedicated team, passionate to serve our customers every single day.

About the Role

Role Purpose

The role will enhance and maintain, existing and future Warehouse Management and Automation Systems, and lead the development and implementation of innovative technologies, processes and performance data.

This individual will possess excellent business partnering skills, with the ability to influence and support other leaders, focusing on data driven enhancements, controlled by effective inputs, outputs and actions, to deliver our strategic growth plans.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and assess current Warehouse systems technology landscape, to provide consistent uptime, identify improvement opportunities, and recommend innovative solutions to enhance efficiency and performance.
• Develop and implement enhancements to the overall Warehouse Management Systems (WMS/WCS/Sub-systems) and DC network technology strategy, in conjunction with IT, aligned with the organization's objectives and growth plans.
• Support and develop an Operations Systems and Technology team to lead the implementation of new processes and technologies and foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning.
• Drive future selection, sponsorship, implementation, and integration of Warehouse Systems, Automated Technologies & Labor Management Solutions, in collaboration with cross-functional teams including IT, Operations, Supply Chain and Finance.
• Proactively identify potential risks, challenges, and dependencies across infrastructures and programs, and develop mitigation strategies to ensure successful outcomes and operational system integrity.
• Stay abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in operations technology and apply relevant knowledge to drive continuous improvement.
• Responsible for planning and delivery of short- and long-term storage and throughput capacity requirements, to support commercial product strategies and the global DC network.
• Overall responsibility for maintenance and evolving of Warehouse Operations performance dashboards, reporting scorecards and data provision.
• Operate as role model for end-to-end process management and operational excellence, through data led improvements, providing seamless and positive internal and external customer experiences.
• Drive innovation in process by continually benchmarking against external leading practices and across regions, establishing ongoing initiatives to enhance capability and efficiency
• Effectively forecast and manage budgets, ensure services are provided at competitive costs and process improvement initiatives have project management disciplines applied.

How I make a difference in this role

Leading and driving change of our automation and technology capabilities, to ensure our strategic distribution strategies are achieved, through effective partnerships and team building, to exceed our customer, supplier and stakeholders expectations.

Organization Structure

Reporting to Senior Director of Distribution & logistics, as part of the Warehouse Management Team, with c15 direct reports.

Candidate Requirements

Essential Skills & Experience

• Fully comprehends all warehouse activities and has broad-based technology mindset in working in various WMS, ERP, Automated Solutions, Systems Integration and reporting tool applications, with established industry relationship and partnering expertise.
• Extensive leadership experience (7+ years), working in a distribution/logistics or manufacturing environment, of effectively executing and supporting critical operations deliverables.
• Proven record of creating ROIs, RFPs and delivering projects within scope, time, budget and quality, within a large-scale organization
• Highly skilled in building strong external and internal strategic relationships across all business levels, to influence and drive proactive change or issue resolution.
• Strong Business acumen and experience, adept at looking cross functionally, to prioritize  and create business solutions that deliver genuine value.
• Motivates self and team to learn, grow and achieve. Builds knowledge and capability of others, through listening, constructive feedback, coaching and expertise sharing.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, using appropriate applications and methods, to identify challenges and develop effective solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to assess and use data to identify business opportunities, delivered through effective prioritization and change management techniques.
• Highly proficient PC skills using MS Office and relevant database and reporting applications.
• Must be a results-oriented professional with excellent verbal/written communication skills using diplomacy and discretion to lead and communicate with different functional leaders
• Bachelor's Degree Business, Supply Chain, Engineering or related work experience
   

Desirable Skills & Experience

• Experienced in continuous improvement (CI/Lean/Six Sigma) and/or Change Management methodologies
• Working knowledge of SAP LE/MM/SD application
• Understanding of WMS database structures, environments and system specific coding overview

Equal Employment Opportunity

RS Americas is an equal opportunity employer and maintains policies and practices that are designed to prevent and prohibit unlawful discrimination against any qualified employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, military/veteran status, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other unlawful classification to the extent protected by law. This policy of non-discrimination applies to all employment practices, including hiring, compensation, benefits, promotion, training and termination. Employees who engage in unlawful discrimination will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

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