Occupations and Terms of Reference › Warehouse manager
Universal terms of reference · POS-173 · version 1.0 · status: draft · next review 2027-10-27
Warehouse manager
To run the warehouse and stores, so that stock is available, safe to use, correctly recorded and never allowed to expire or go missing.
Each part of this page links to the related trainings, competencies and policies. The links are the same for every facility, so an organisation can see at a glance what a role requires and what it is trained in.
Job description
Job summary. You run the warehouse. You manage stock levels, storage conditions, deliveries, stock counts and expiry dates, and make sure stock moves safely and is correctly recorded.
Reports to: Procurement manager.
Leads or supervises: Storekeepers and inventory controllers.
What you do on a typical day
- Check deliveries against orders and receive stock.
- Manage stock levels and reorder points.
- Check storage conditions and expiry dates.
- Run stock counts and resolve differences.
- Report stock losses and write-offs.
Working conditions and demands
- Physical work and heavy lifting.
- Shortages can disrupt care quickly.
- Works with hazardous and temperature-sensitive stock.
What good looks like
- Stock is available and safe to use.
- Stock counts match the records.
- Expired stock is rare and controlled.
Place in the organogram
Reporting line, from the top: see the organogram on the Occupations page. The lines above and below this role are listed in section 3.
1. Golden rules
These rules apply in every setting.
- Services are provided safely, on time and with no shortcuts that put patients or staff at risk.
- Supplies, equipment and systems are fit for purpose before use and are checked regularly.
- Money, stock and data are handled with integrity and recorded fully.
- Every incident or near miss is reported, and learning is shared.
- Staff are trained for their task before they work alone.
- Contractors and suppliers meet the same standards as staff.
- Concerns are raised and investigated without reprisal.
- Support functions are judged by how well they help clinical services deliver safe care.
2. Identification
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position code | POS-173 |
| ISCO-08 | 1324 (skill level 4) |
| ESCO | to map |
| Department | Supply and logistics |
| Facility types | Hospital, Ambulatory, Transport, Medevac, Fitness, Aesthetic |
3. Reporting line and working relationships
Reports to: POS-171. Supervises: POS-174, POS-175.
| Works with | Nature of the relationship |
|---|---|
| Procurement manager | Stock levels and purchasing. |
| Infection prevention and control (IPC) lead | Storage and handling rules. |
| Finance manager | Stock valuation and write-offs. |
4. Key accountabilities
| Domain | Accountability | Evidence of delivery | Checked | Linked competencies | Linked trainings | Linked policies | Standards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock | Keeps stock levels and reorder points correct. | Stock accuracy 98% or more at count | Monthly | C-01 · C-02 | T-06 | – | 1 |
| Storage and expiry | Makes sure storage conditions and expiry dates are controlled. | No unrecorded excursions; expired items removed | Weekly | C-03 | T-05 | POL-SAFEG | 1 |
| Losses | Investigates stock losses and write-offs. | Losses investigated and reported | Monthly | C-02 | T-06 | POL-WHISTLE | 1 |
5. Decision rights
| The post holder decides | Consults or escalates |
|---|---|
| Stock reorder within agreed levels | Stock losses above agreed limits (procurement manager and finance manager) |
| Storage arrangements within the safety standard | Storage failures affecting patient safety (CQO) |
6. Qualifications and experience
| ID | Qualification | Mandatory | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q-01 | Warehousing, supply chain or logistics qualification | No | Lifetime |
| ID | Experience | Minimum years | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-01 | Warehouse or stores management, ideally in a health or regulated setting | 4 | Yes |
7. Training requirements
Recommended common practice. Each facility adapts the list to its national law. Essential items apply in every setting; recommended items apply where resources allow.
| ID | Training | Tier | When | Validity | Linked policies | Linked competencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-01 | Facility induction | essential | at_entry | Once | POL-WHISTLE · POL-EQUAL · POL-DATA | – |
| T-02 | Safeguarding adults | essential | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | POL-SAFEG | – |
| T-03 | Safeguarding children | essential | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | POL-SAFEG | – |
| T-04 | Data protection and confidentiality | essential | annual | Every 1 year(s) | POL-DATA | – |
| T-05 | Incident reporting and open disclosure | essential | periodic | Every 2 year(s) | POL-INC | C-03 |
| T-06 | Governance, accountability and assurance | recommended | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | – | C-01 · C-02 |
| T-07 | Emergency and major incident command | essential | annual | Every 1 year(s) | POL-INC | – |
| T-08 | Speaking up, inclusion and equality leadership | essential | periodic | Every 2 year(s) | POL-WHISTLE · POL-EQUAL | – |
8. Health, fitness and language
| ID | Requirement | Frequency | Tier | Minimum in low-resource settings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H-03 | Fitness-to-work assessment at entry and after serious illness or injury | Every 12 months | recommended | Fitness check at entry |
| Language | Level | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|
| Official language of the country of practice | professional | Yes |
| English | working | Yes |
9. Competencies by level
| ID | Competency | Foundation | Practitioner | Expert | Assessed by | Revalidate | Linked trainings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-01 | Stock management and storage | Handles stock safely | Manages stock levels | Designs warehouse systems | Warehouse audit | Every 12 months | T-06 |
| C-02 | Stock counting and reconciliation | Counts stock | Reconciles differences | Designs control checks | Count audit | Every 12 months | T-06 |
| C-03 | Storage safety and expiry control | Checks expiry | Manages temperature-controlled storage | Designs storage safety standards | Storage audit | Every 12 months | T-05 |
10. Performance evaluation
- Probation: 6 months, with a sign-off review (recommended value).
- Appraisal: every 12 months against the competencies and indicators below.
| ID | Indicator | Target | Data source | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PI-01 | Stock count accuracy | 98% or more | stock count | Monthly |
| PI-02 | Expired stock | 0 in use | expiry check | Weekly |
| PI-03 | Temperature excursions recorded and acted on | 100% | temperature log | Weekly |
11. Career ladder and promotion
| Level | Role | Minimum experience to move on | Qualifications | Competency minimums | Trainings required | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive | Warehouse manager | 4 years (recommended) | Q-01 | C-01 practitioner, C-03 practitioner | T-05 · T-06 | Executive appointment and performance review |
12. Policies the post holder follows
Each policy is a standard template that the facility adopts and adapts. Templates are maintained centrally, so every facility works from the same version.
POL-SAFEG · Safeguarding adults and children
Purpose: Protect patients from abuse, neglect and harm, and make sure every concern is recognised and acted on.
Scope: All staff, volunteers and contractors.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff, volunteers and contractors.
Key rules:
- Recognise signs of abuse and neglect and record them factually.
- Report every concern to the designated safeguarding lead the same shift.
- Do not investigate alone.
- Share information only as the safeguarding procedure allows.
POL-DATA · Data protection and confidentiality
Purpose: Keep patient and staff information private, secure and used only for care and legal purposes.
Scope: All staff who access records or systems.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff who access records or systems.
Key rules:
- Access only the records needed for your work.
- Keep records secure; do not leave screens or paper unattended.
- Do not share information without a lawful basis.
- Report any breach to the data protection officer within 24 hours.
Linked trainings: T-10 · Review every 12 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-WHISTLE · Speaking up (whistleblowing)
Purpose: Let staff raise patient safety or conduct concerns without fear of reprisal.
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
- Raise a concern with your line manager or the named speaking-up officer.
- If that route fails, escalate to the board or the national regulator.
- Retaliation against anyone who speaks up is a disciplinary offence.
- Concerns are recorded, investigated and the outcome given to the person raising them.
Linked trainings: T-01 · Review every 12 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-EQUAL · Equality, diversity and inclusion
Purpose: Give every patient and colleague fair access, respectful treatment and reasonable adjustments.
Scope: All staff and patients.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff and patients.
Key rules:
- Treat every person with dignity regardless of background.
- Make reasonable adjustments, including interpreters, for language and disability.
- Report discrimination through the speaking-up route.
- Monitor access and outcomes by group.
Linked trainings: T-01 · Review every 24 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-INC · Incident reporting and open disclosure
Purpose: Report and learn from incidents and near misses, and tell patients honestly when things go wrong.
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
- Report every incident and near miss the same shift.
- Give the patient and family an honest account and an apology where appropriate (open disclosure).
- Take immediate action to protect others.
- Learn: contribute to the review and follow the agreed actions.
13. Standards that name this role
14. Record history
| Date | Change | Approved by |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-27 | Draft record, batch 1 of the position build | Awaiting approval |