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Inbound/Outbound Operations Manager Job Descriptions, Average Salary, Interview Questions

What Does an Inbound Outbound Operations Manager Do?

An inbound/outbound operations manager, sometimes simply called an operations manager is a leader within the supply chain and logistics sector that oversees the storage and flow of goods through a distribution center.

Inbound/outbound operations managers are responsible for managing and coordinating all activities within a warehouse or distribution center so that they work together seamlessly and efficiently. Everything from receiving and shipping orders, managing warehouse space allocation and staffing to making sure equipment is maintained might fall within the duties of an operations manager. 

This is a vitally important job that requires planning and leadership experience, as well as a thorough understanding of warehousing and logistics. 

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National Average Salary

Inbound outbound operations manager salaries vary by experience, industry, organization size, and geography. To explore salary ranges by local market, please visit our sister site zengig.com.

The average U.S. salary for an Inbound Outbound Operations Manager is:

$68,400

Inbound Outbound Operations Manager Job Descriptions

It’s important to include the right content in your job description when hiring an inbound outbound operations manager. The following examples can serve as templates for attracting the best available talent for your team.

Example 1

The Inbound Operations Manager will manage internal logistic projects and programs and provide reverse logistic leadership in cross-functional improvement initiatives.

Position responsibilities

  • Manage global operational strategy for products including developing, implementing, and managing reverse logistic service operations
  • Work with third-party service providers and internal teams to ensure effective delivery of reverse logistic services
  • Responsible for the Consumer Returns Disposition Strategy, defining recovery directives for all the products, optimizing inventory, turnaround time, and maximizing recovery rates
  • After Sales Quality management, responsible to drive the operations teams in charge of defining and implementing recovery plans, tracking tasks execution and costs across the supply chain, and providing regular updates and KPI to stakeholders until completion
  • Drive product and operational improvement thru use of KIP to optimize and reduce overall end-to-end reverse logistic cycle time and inventory
  • Collaborate with regional hub managers to align reverse logistic processes and KPI

Essential skills and experience

  • BA/BS degree or equivalent practical experience
  • 3+ year experience in consumer product logistics
  • Confidence with complex data analysis and using data to drive improvements
  • Strong written & verbal communication skills, including ability to communicate complex findings in a structured and clear manner
  • Knowledge of manufacturing, quality and, supply chain metrics
  • Experience in program or project management

Example 2

Role and responsibilities

ABC Company is looking for an Outbound Operations Manager within the Logistics Account Management team. They will be responsible for resolving any obstacles that arise to ensure KPI expectations are met within all reasonable logistics abilities. This role will maintain relationships across internal and external logistics network to ensure shipments are delivered to the customer within the requested delivery window.

  • Lead a team of cross department logistics coordinators, providing direction, and continuous feedback
  • Developing, implementing, and maintaining policies and procedures for operations such as on-time delivery, OTRQ, and aging AR reconciliation
  • Cross-Departmental collaboration with internal business partners
  • Manage 3PL/carrier’s performance to timely appointment setting, on-time delivery, and reconcile exception issues
  • Manage revenue recognition to meet monthly and quarterly company goals
  • Manage aging AR relating to delivery issues
  • Manage, report, and provide an action plan to support carrier score card target
  • Implement specific KPIs related to employee’s job duties and hold employee reviews, providing additional training for performance improvement
  • Manage employees to IOD/POD metrics, including but not limited to, internal and external communication, daily tasks completion, and 3PL KPI metrics
  • Developing a long-term strategy for increasing efficiency of operations and improving customer satisfaction and experience
  • Reporting on progress toward goals and making adjustments to improve performance

Skills and qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Business, or a related field
  • 6 years of relevant experience
  • This position requires an individual with a high degree of organization and initiative, excellent communication skills, detail-oriented, and a self-starter with a positive attitude
  • Superior analytical and problem-solving skills with a focus on attention to detail while delivering against tight deadlines
  • Strong interpersonal and consensus-building skills
  • Prior strong experience with SAP and TMS
  • Must have Microsoft Office Suite of PC software applications experience with Excel spreadsheet and PowerPoint preparation skills operating in an NT LAN/WAN systems environment
  • 5+ years of experience in 3PL/carrier operations

Example 3

ABC Company is looking for an Inbound/ Outbound Operations Manager This leader works independently to identify, document, and communicate solutions that will enable the customer experience and ensure our processes support the overall supply chain.

Essential functions, key areas of responsibility

  • Ensure global achievement of both revenue and inventory goals, while collaborating with S&OP actors and other supply chain functions
  • Lead the cross-functional weekly & monthly Inventory Management cadence, tracking progress on inventory reduction initiatives, and inventory levels by various segments
  • Identify how to efficiently tag inventory under various categories such as surplus, excess, obsolete/strategic, etc. with the goal to improve control and management of stock
  • Collaborate with IT and other functions to implement process improvement strategies that will allow for easy inventory gate controls at both upstream processes such as purchasing, demand capture, etc. as well as downstream processes such as managing inventory aging, scrap, obsolescence, etc.
  • Collaborate with Supply Chain logistics teams to implement right warehouse bin strategies and batch management process to ensure inventory aging can be easily tracked
  • Collaborate with supply chain purchasing and procurement teams to mitigate high MOQ, long lead times from key suppliers
  • Partner with forecasting, planning, purchasing, and logistics teams to manage receipts and shipments to maximize inventory turns
  • Work with standard exchange and central supply chain teams to optimize standard exchange stock pool, while ensuring maximum parts availability
  • Implement processes that will improve supply chain agility to quickly respond to sudden shifts in demand/supply, as well as mitigating risks of excess inventory
  • Lead process for supply-demand balancing, in-quarter execution, constraints, allocations, and forward-looking projections
  • In collaboration with forecasting and planning teams, manage an annual inventory forecast, and track progress on a weekly basis
  • Design, analyze, and present KPI’s to key stakeholders. Help stakeholders develop plans to meet and exceed KPI targets
  • Aggregate large amounts of data, filter for importance, and tie together in a context relevant story designed to drive action

Minimum requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, industrial engineering, business, or other related field with 5+ years experience or Master’s degree with 3+ years experience.
  • 2+ years experience in Supply Chain inventory reduction or planning and forecasting function
  • Experience with large-scale change management projects
  • Capable of influencing and driving decisions across all levels
  • Ability to be successful driving change in a highly matrixed environment
  • Leadership presence and the ability to lead a process in a highly matrixed environment
  • Demonstrated abilities to coach develop and mentor team members on inventory reduction methodologies
  • Experience leading Inventory optimization functional area (supply, demand, and/or Finance)
  • Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills
  • Strong analytical, organizational, decision-making skills

Sample Interview Questions

  • What is your experience with supply chain management and logistics?
  • When it comes to logistics operations, how do you ensure that they are completed within the allocated budget and timeframe?
  • Could you tell me about a time when you had to manage a complex shipping operation? What steps did you take to ensure its success?
  • What do you do in a warehouse or distribution center to manage risk and mitigate disruptions?
  • Have you implemented new technologies or processes to improve logistics operations?
  • What is the best way to track and measure shipping performance?
  • How have you stayed educated on new supply chain trends?
  • Have you ever had to resolve a conflict between logistics and another department?
  • In order to ensure efficient and effective logistics operations, how do you maintain relationships with suppliers and vendors?
  • How have you dealt with regulatory compliance in supply chain management?

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