About the role:
Joining pre–go-live, the DC Manager will support commissioning, testing, and the development of operational processes before taking full ownership of a high-reliability, 24/7 operation. This role is suited to leaders who can build structure and discipline from first principles within a complex, technology-led environment.
Working closely with OEMs and technical partners, you will ensure system performance across mechanical, process and control layers. You will also lead a small, high-performing team while holding full accountability for safety, service, cost and overall site performance (P&L).
Key responsibilities
- Support commissioning, start-up and transition into steady-state operations, including user acceptance testing, defect identification and operational readiness activities.
- Hold full accountability for site performance across safety, service, throughput, uptime, cost and financial outcomes, including budgets, forecasts and EBIT.
- Own end-to-end flow across inbound, storage, shuffling and outbound operations within the constraints of the automated system.
- Build capability and accountability across a small 24×7 operations team, with particular focus on flow control, escalation and SOP adherence.
- Maintain a strong on-floor presence, identifying exceptions, congestion, bottlenecks and emerging risks before they escalate.
- Act as the primary customer-facing operational leader for service delivery, escalations and expectation management.
- Act as the primary operational interface with OEMs, automation vendors, WMS/WCS teams, IT support and maintenance partners.
- Drive continuous improvement through disciplined operation, reduction of exceptions, root cause analysis and system optimisation.
About you:
Must-have:
- Experience in an automated DC, ASRS or advanced manufacturing environment
- Strong understanding of WMS/WCS-driven operations
- Proven ability to manage end-to-end flow and real-time decision making
- Technical understanding of automation systems and ability to troubleshoot across mechanical, system and process issues
- Experience in high-risk or automated safety environments
- Capability to lead a small team in a 24×7 operation
- Demonstrated ownership of site performance and financial outcomes (P&L)
- Strong problem-solving capability (Lean, CI, root cause analysis)
Highly desirable:
- Experience in greenfield start-up, commissioning or major transformation
- Background in ASRS, flow control or automation-heavy operations
- Proven ability to stabilise and optimise operations post go-live
- Relevant tertiary qualification in Supply Chain, Engineering, Logistics, Manufacturing or a related field (desirable).
- Formal training in Lean, Six Sigma or CI methodologies (desirable).
- Current forklift licence and/or high‑risk work exposure (advantageous).
ArkNexus is launching a greenfield, fully automated distribution centre powered by a shuttle-based ASRS with high pallet density and tightly controlled system logic.
This is not a traditional, labour-heavy DC leadership role. Success requires strong systems thinking, technical credibility and real-time decision making within a highly constrained automated environment.
You will join during commissioning, shaping operational readiness before taking full ownership of a 24×7 automated site .