Warehouse Operations Excellence Lead

Zipline

Warehouse Operations Excellence Lead at Zipline managing medical storage and order fulfillment across Africa's network of distribution centers. Responsible for quality service and efficient inventory management and logistics.

Posted 7/19/2026full-timeRemote • 🦁 Anywhere in AfricaSeniorWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in managing multi-site warehouse and fulfillment operations within regulated environments, focusing on inventory control, cold-chain compliance, and performance management. Proven ability to translate regulatory requirements into actionable controls while driving continuous improvement and operational excellence.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Multi-Site Warehouse ManagementInventory ControlWMS ConfigurationCold-Chain ComplianceContinuous Improvement

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Inventory AccuracyOrder Fill RateCycle CountingRoot-Cause AnalysisLean/Six Sigma ToolsPerformance Management SystemsSOP DevelopmentTraceabilityCold-Chain HandlingOperational Fixes

Soft Skills

Attention to DetailSystems ThinkingCoachingCross-Functional CollaborationProblem-Solving

Tools & Technologies

Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)Mobile ToolsAutomation RequirementsDashboardsPerformance Metrics

Certifications & Qualifications

Pharmaceutical License

Industry Keywords

PharmaceuticalsHealthcareMedical DevicesRegulated Supply ChainsQuality Compliance

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Own the operating model and site standards for medical warehousing and fulfillment across a multi-country network: SOPs, quality gates, layouts, storage & cold-chain controls, tooling, and maturity expectations to support growth from ~13 to 30+ sites.
Set and own network-level performance targets (inventory accuracy, order fill rate, cold-chain compliance, picking/packing cycle time, on-time dispatch) and drive measurable improvement against those metrics.
Conduct regular field audits, cycle counts, and workflow observations; lead root-cause analysis and verification of corrective actions until issues are closed.
Design repeatable launch and upgrade packages (site layouts, racking, temperature-control design, WMS configurations, SOPs, training) so sites can be deployed and improved consistently and rapidly.
Translate clinical, regulatory, and product constraints into auditable, operator-executable controls; lead readiness for regulatory and customer audits and own corrective action closure.
Partner with Product and Engineering to define WMS, mobile tools, and automation requirements that remove operator burden and materially improve throughput and traceability; prioritize fixes by operational impact.
Build and run performance-management systems: KPIs, dashboards, operating reviews, escalation paths, and continuous-improvement routines that make problems visible and actionable.
Coach and upskill site leaders and frontline teams to establish local ownership of quality and reliability; serve as the senior escalation owner for warehousing incidents that threaten fulfillment reliability, compliance, or patient safety.

Requirements

What you’ll need

6+ years leading multi-site warehouse, fulfillment, or distribution operations; experience in pharmaceuticals, healthcare, medical devices, or regulated supply chains required.
Proven track record scaling standardized operating models across multiple sites or countries with measurable gains in inventory accuracy, fill rate, throughput, or cold-chain compliance.
Deep, practical knowledge of inventory control, cycle counting, reconciliation, WMS configuration and integrations, traceability, and cold-chain handling; a pharmaceutical license is a significant plus.
Experience specifying or implementing WMS/technology and the judgment to choose operational fixes vs. technical fixes.
Direct experience working with pharmacy, quality, or regulatory partners to convert compliance requirements into frontline-executable controls and audit-ready documentation.
Demonstrated continuous-improvement capability (root-cause analysis, Lean/Six Sigma tools) with examples of delivered operational impact.
Clear evidence of ownership: led cross-functional rollouts, resolved major operational failures, or owned network-level performance outcomes.
High attention to detail, systems thinking, and the willingness to work in active operational environments to validate solutions.
Ability and willingness to spend up to 50% of time in the field, including extended visits across multiple African countries; comfortable working across time zones and cultures.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Equal opportunity employer
Prohibits discrimination and harassment
Welcomes applications from underrepresented groups