There are many different warehouse supervisor jobs available in companies around the world. The role of the warehouse supervisor is vital to the overall success of the workflow, production and control of a warehouse environment. A well-trained warehouse supervisor can ensure that a company delivers on promises to customers and produces superior results, while maintaining a safe workplace for employees.

Duties of a warehouse supervisor include being able to manage people and inventory within a warehouse environment. Warehouse supervisors often work in harsh conditions in where they must be in many places at one time to maintain compliance with company rules and regulations. This can include effectively overseeing production methods, addressing safety concerns and handling employee management.

In addition to managing the workflow and environment of the warehouse environment, warehouse supervisor jobs control supply chain management. This includes tracking and keeping inventory and production levels current to meet the demands of customer orders. The warehouse supervisor generally works with project managers, engineers and production staff to insure inventory keeps up with production needs.

Another function of the warehouse supervisor's job is to keep the warehouse environment safe for employees. This may involve training employees, monitoring workplace performance, observing and correcting employees who don’t follow procedure, and maintaining skill and licensure requirements. The warehouse manager also inspects all equipment and works with safety officers to correct any faulty equipment, environmental issues or damaged structures within the warehouse.

Many warehouse supervisor jobs are held by upper level employees that have had years of prior experience working in a warehouse environment or are industry experts. Warehouse supervisor jobs can be found across all fields, including but not limited to manufacturing, food production, agriculture, metalworking or transportation industries. Warehouse supervisors may have worked their way up over years or may have special education in the effective management of warehouse functions.

The warehouse supervisor may also be referred to as operations manager, warehouse boss or department director. Warehouse supervisors may be assigned to one portion of the production line, or they may be in charge of the warehouse as a whole. Many warehouse supervisors work on teams to better coordinate efforts and monitor employees.

Warehouse supervisor’s salary is generally higher than the floor employees, but lower than executive management. This salary is dependent upon the type of industry and the scope of the warehouse supervisor’s responsibilities. The higher the level of responsibility, generally the higher the salary level provided to the warehouse supervisor.