Distribution Operations Manager Jobs in Lancaster, SC

The Assistant General Manager (AGM) of  Distribution Center plays a critical leadership role in ensuring that our supply chain delivers with speed, accuracy, and care. West Marine is a Drug-Free and Equal Opportunity Employer.

Reporting directly to the Sr. Director of Operations, the AGM is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of all distribution center functions and is instrumental in driving performance across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Culture. This role will lead a cross-functional team to meet key performance goals while fostering a collaborative, accountable, and high-performance environment.

In addition to operational leadership, the AGM will support facility management initiatives, drive continuous improvement efforts, and serve as a strategic thought partner—stepping in to lead the operation in the absence of the Sr. Director. This is a hands-on leadership role designed for someone passionate about people development, operational innovation, and delivering outstanding results.

Operational Oversight

• Lead all aspects of distribution center operations to ensure performance meets or exceeds KPIs in Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Culture.
• Analyze daily operational performance and collaborate with Leadership Team and support resources to implement effective, sustainable solutions.
• Champion compliance with OSHA standards, internal policies, and industry best practices.
• Manage labor planning, workflow design, and equipment utilization to maximize throughput while minimizing downtime and inefficiencies.

Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team of Managers, Team Leads, and Crew Members.
• Build a strong leadership pipeline through mentorship, performance management, and professional development.

• Drive a strong, people-focused culture built on Dignity, Respect, Responsibility, Accountability, Caring, and Candor.

• Promote a culture of inclusion, engagement, and empowerment.

Service Excellence

• Ensure the DC provides outstanding service to all West Marine retail stores and direct customers, delivering orders accurately, on time, and in full.
• Collaborate closely with internal partners in Transportation, Customer Service, Inventory, and Merchandising to improve supply chain performance and customer satisfaction.
• Act as the voice of the customer within the distribution center, driving actions that support an exceptional end-to-end experience.

Financial Stewardship & Cost Optimization

• Support performance to budgetary goals, including labor, supplies, maintenance, and capital spend.
• Identify and implement opportunities to reduce cost and operational complexity while improving efficiency and service quality.
• Monitor and manage operational expenses through proactive planning and data-driven decision-making.
• Drive alignment between cost control measures and long-term scalability of the operation.

Continuous Improvement & Strategic Initiatives

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations Management, or equivalent work experience
• 7+ years of progressive leadership experience in a high-volume Distribution Center or Supply Chain environment.
• Proven ability to lead diverse teams and manage complex warehouse operations.
• Experience in leading Lean / Continuous Improvement efforts and change management.
• Must be at least 21 years old
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to inspire and motivate teams to achieve performance targets and drive continuous improvement.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Knowledge of health and safety regulations and best practices in warehouse operations.

Physical Description

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a Crew Member encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.

• While performing the duties of this job, the Crew Member regularly works near moving equipment.
• Position is routinely exposed to hot and cold temperatures during Summer and Winter months in the Distribution Center

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a Crew Member to successfully perform the essential functions of this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, depth perception, color vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

• The Crew Member is occasionally required to climb stairs, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, and bend. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds or team lift items greater than 50 pounds.
• While performing the duties of this job, the Crew Member is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, talk, hear, reach with hands and arms, use hands to handle or feel.

• This job description is only meant to be a representative summary of the major responsibilities and accountabilities performed by the incumbents of this job.  The incumbents may be requested to perform job-related tasks other than those in this description.

West Marine offers a wide range of benefits, which include medical/dental/vision, various voluntary benefits, 401k, and paid time off. To view eligibility and additional information on these benefits, along with starting pay ranges for select states, please visit our benefits page at www.embbenefits.com/wm-home/. Join us at West Marine and help us provide the best boating experience for our customers!