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Job Title
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Warehouse Supervisor
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Reporting To
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Supply Chain Manager
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ABOUT UPL:
UPL is focused on emerging as a premier global provider of total crop solutions designed to secure the world's long-term food supply. UPL develops innovative products and services that support more sustainable agriculture and create value for growers, customers, communities and stakeholders.
Our purpose is OpenAg: an agriculture network that feeds sustainable growth for all. No limits, no borders.
Role Summary
Lead and control all warehouse operations for Finished Goods, Packaging Materials, Labels and Bulk Raw Materials, ensuring safe and efficient receipt, storage, picking, dispatch and inventory control in compliance with company SOPs, HSE requirements and SAP/stock-management processes. Ensure high stock accuracy, reliable transaction discipline, timely service to Production and Customers, effective supervision of warehouse personnel and robust operational reporting to the Supply Chain Manager.
Scope of Authority
Reports to the Supply Chain Manager. Supervises permanent warehouse staff, temporary staff, handling teams and third-party service providers operating within warehouse activities.
Role Responsibilities
Warehouse Operations
- Plan, coordinate and supervise daily warehouse operations including container offloading, truck loading, storage, picking, staging, transfers and dispatch.
- Ensure adequate warehouse capacity, proper product segregation, identification, location management and housekeeping.
- Coordinate priorities with Supply Chain, Sales, Production, Procurement and Logistics teams to ensure timely availability and delivery of products.
- Enforce FIFO/FEFO principles where applicable and ensure proper management of NCM, damaged, blocked, ageing and excess stock.
- Supervise warehouse employees and service providers, allocate tasks, monitor productivity and ensure compliance with agreed working methods.
- Ensure all warehouse activities comply with site HSE requirements, SOPs and internal control procedures.
Receiving Process
- Plan incoming receipts and ensure receiving areas, manpower and handling equipment are available before truck/container arrival.
- Verify all incoming goods against approved documents such as PO, delivery note, packing list, transfer note and relevant shipping documents.
- Control item code/description, batch or lot number, quantity, packaging condition, expiry date where applicable and visible quality before acceptance.
- Record shortages, excess, damage, wrong items or other discrepancies immediately, take photographs/evidence where required, and escalate exceptions to the Supply Chain Manager and relevant stakeholders before stock is released
- Ensure receiving documents are properly signed, dated and include clear reservations whenever discrepancies are identified.
- Ensure goods receipts and stock movements are posted accurately and on time in SAP/ERP and reconcile physical receipt with system posting and supporting documentation.
- Ensure received goods are labelled, assigned to the correct storage location and physically put away promptly after acceptance.
Distribution & Dispatch Process
- Receive and review approved delivery/transfer requests and ensure availability of stock before picking.
- Supervise accurate picking using item, batch/lot, quantity and FIFO/FEFO controls, followed by independent verification before loading.
- Ensure goods are properly staged, counted, protected and loaded according to delivery requirements and safe-loading standards.
- Verify that delivery notes, transfer notes and other dispatch documents match the physical goods before truck departure.
- Ensure dispatch transactions are posted in SAP/ERP on time and that system stock reflects the physical movement.
- Maintain traceability of each dispatch from approved request through picking, loading, transporter handover and Proof of Delivery (POD).
- Monitor outstanding PODs and delivery exceptions and escalate delays, returns, shortages, damages or customer discrepancies promptly.
Inventory Accuracy & Control
- Maintain alignment between physical stock and SAP/ERP stock through disciplined transaction posting, location control and routine reconciliation.
- Prepare and execute a structured cycle-count programme based on SKU criticality/risk and participate in periodic wall-to-wall inventories.
- Investigate all stock variances, identify root causes, document corrective actions and follow actions to closure.
- Control stock movements, transfers, adjustments, returns, write-offs and blocked/NCM stock with appropriate authorisation and supporting documents.
- Review stock by location, batch, status and ageing to identify obsolete, excess, damaged, slow-moving and near-expiry inventory.
- Prevent unauthorised stock movements and maintain clear segregation of saleable, quarantine, damaged, returned and NCM stock.
- Drive continuous improvement actions to achieve and sustain the agreed stock-accuracy target.
Reporting & Performance Management
- Prepare and submit accurate daily, weekly and monthly warehouse reports to the Supply Chain Manager within agreed deadlines.
- Daily reporting: receipts, dispatches, pending deliveries, stock movements, operational incidents, stock discrepancies, stock-outs/critical stock, blocked/NCM items and key priorities for the next day.
- Weekly reporting: warehouse activity volumes, cycle-count results and variances, stock accuracy, ageing/excess/NCM status, outstanding PODs, pending receipts/dispatches, warehouse utilisation, safety observations and open corrective actions.
- Monthly reporting: KPI dashboard, inventory accuracy trend, inventory adjustments, receiving/dispatch performance, ageing and excess stock, NCM/write-off status, space utilisation, productivity, audit/control issues, service-provider performance and improvement/cost-saving actions.
- Ensure all reported figures are reconciled with SAP/ERP and supporting warehouse documents before submission.
- Maintain an action tracker for operational issues, audit findings and stock discrepancies, with owner, due date and status; escalate overdue/high-risk items.
- Conduct regular warehouse performance reviews with the team and propose corrective/preventive improvement actions.
Documentation & Internal Controls
- Maintain complete, accurate and auditable warehouse records for receipts, deliveries, transfers, returns, stock counts and adjustments.
- Ensure delivery documents and PODs are signed, archived and readily traceable.
- Keep stock/location records updated and ensure timely closure of incomplete warehouse transactions.
- Support internal/external audits and provide requested inventory and warehouse evidence.
People Management
- Supervise, coach and develop warehouse personnel on SOPs, good warehousing practices, stock-control principles, HSE and SAP/ERP transaction discipline.
- Set clear daily priorities, monitor execution and address performance or compliance gaps.
- Promote accountability, teamwork, continuous improvement and cost-conscious operations.
Key Stakeholder Relationships
Internal Stakeholders
- Supply Chain Manager
- Supply Chain, Sales, Production, Procurement and Logistics teams
- HSE, Finance and other control functions
- Warehouse personnel and temporary handling teams
External Interactions
- Third-party warehouse and handling service providers
- Transporters and delivery partners
- Suppliers and customers in relation to receipt, dispatch and discrepancy resolution
- Internal and external auditors
Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required
Technical Requirements
- Strong knowledge of inventory-control and warehouse-management principles.
- Good understanding of receiving, put-away, picking, dispatch, returns and stock-count processes.
- Strong analytical and reporting skills, including advanced use of Microsoft Excel for KPI monitoring and reconciliation.
- Working knowledge of SAP ERP Inventory Management/Warehouse transactions is highly desirable.
- Good space-management, capacity-planning and warehouse-layout skills.
- Ability to perform root-cause analysis and implement corrective actions.
Behavioural Requirements
- Strong team leadership and operational supervision skills.
- High level of rigour, integrity, accountability and attention to detail.
- Strong organisation, prioritisation, analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Effective communication and ability to work with multiple departments and external service providers.
- Proactive escalation of risks and exceptions.
- Continuous-improvement and cost-saving mindset.
UPL Competencies
- Adaptability & Resilience: Responds constructively to changing circumstances and operational priorities.
- Entrepreneurial Mindset: Identifies practical opportunities to improve warehouse efficiency and cost control.
- Results Orientation: Pursues operational goals with persistence and delivers reliable outcomes.
- Execution Excellence: Improves speed, quality and efficiency through disciplined processes, systems and people leadership.
- Strategic Orientation: Understands operational risks and connects warehouse priorities to wider business requirements.
- Building Teams and Talent: Develops others through coaching, knowledge sharing, delegation and recognition.
- Customer Centricity: Supports reliable service to internal and external customers through accurate, timely warehouse execution.
Success Measures
- Inventory accuracy: physical stock versus SAP/ERP stock.
- Cycle-count completion rate and timely closure of variances.
- Receiving accuracy and timely posting of goods receipts.
- Picking/dispatch accuracy and on-time preparation of deliveries.
- Timeliness and accuracy of daily, weekly and monthly reports.
- POD/document completeness and traceability.
- Ageing, excess, damaged and NCM stock control.
- Warehouse space utilisation and housekeeping standards.
- Audit compliance and closure of corrective actions.
- Safety compliance, incidents and near-miss reporting.
- Warehouse productivity and cost-improvement initiatives.