Warehouse Manager Job Requirements Template

Copy this list, cut what does not apply to your operation, and you have a working set of screening criteria for a warehouse manager search.

Must have

• 3+ years running a warehouse team, not just working within one
• Forklift certification program oversight, either running one or holding one directly
• Working experience with a WMS platform, named specifically rather than described in general terms
• A stated safety record, even approximate, such as an incident rate or a streak of incident free operation
• Direct experience managing shift schedules for a team of five or more

These five criteria are the load-bearing ones. A candidate missing more than one of them is worth a direct conversation before you rank them highly, not an automatic pass.

Nice to have

• Experience with more than one WMS platform, showing they can adapt to new systems rather than depending on one
• A track record of reducing labor cost per unit or improving pick rate, stated with a number
• Experience hiring and training supervisors, not only line staff
• Exposure to seasonal surge staffing or peak season planning
• Cross functional work with procurement, transportation, or customer service teams

None of these are disqualifying on their own if absent. They separate a strong candidate from an exceptional one once the must haves are already met.

Disqualifiers worth naming upfront

• No safety record mentioned anywhere in a role that clearly carried safety exposure
• No specific software named, only vague phrases like “warehouse systems”
• A title that implies management with no direct reports described anywhere on the resume

Naming these upfront, before you start reading resumes, keeps you from inventing reasons to pass on a candidate later just because something about the resume felt off without a clear cause.

Screening questions to ask against this list

• “Walk me through the last incident on your watch, from the first report to the fix.” This checks whether their safety language on the resume matches how they actually handle a real event.
• “What was your facility’s cycle count accuracy the last time you checked it?” This checks depth of systems experience, not just software familiarity.
• “Tell me about the last time you had to cut labor cost without cutting headcount.” This checks whether their productivity claims hold up under a follow up question.
• “How did you structure shift handoffs between your teams?” This checks whether they ran a single stable shift or actually coordinated across more than one.

How to use this template

Start every resume review by checking it against the must have list first, before you read anything else on the page. A resume that clears all five must haves earns a full read. A resume that is missing two or more earns a quick note about what is missing, not a full read, so you can move through a large stack efficiently without losing track of who actually fits.

Once you have a shortlist from the must have pass, use the nice to have list to rank the shortlist against each other, and use the screening questions above in the actual interview to confirm that what is on the page matches what the candidate can speak to directly. A requirements list only earns its keep if you apply it the same way to every resume in the stack, not just the ones that catch your eye first.

Adjusting the template for your operation

The numbers above assume a mid sized single site operation. Scale them up or down before you post the role. A large distribution center running multiple shifts may need to raise the years of experience requirement and add a specific headcount managed threshold. A small single shift warehouse may find the forklift oversight requirement too heavy and can soften it to direct forklift experience instead of program oversight.

Keep the core shape of the list even after adjusting the numbers: a short set of must haves that are genuinely non negotiable, a longer set of nice to haves that separate good candidates from great ones, and a short list of clear disqualifiers you name before you start reading. That structure is what makes the list useful across a stack of resumes, regardless of the exact thresholds you set for your own operation.