Cold Chain and Warehouse Executive job description
A cold chain and warehouse executive in pharma receives, stores and dispatches medicines and keeps temperature-controlled stock within the storage conditions its labels require.
Why the role exists
The role exists because many medicines, vaccines and biologicals lose quality if stored or moved outside their stated temperature range. In an Indian pharma warehouse or distributor depot the executive reports to the warehouse or supply chain head and works with quality, logistics and cold room staff.
What the person does
- Receive inbound consignments, check them against the invoice and purchase order and record temperature on arrival for cold stock.
- Store materials in the correct area, such as ambient, cold room, cool zone or quarantine, as per the storage conditions on the label.
- Monitor cold room and freezer temperature readings and alarms through the day and act at once on any excursion.
- Pack temperature-controlled consignments with the right shippers, gel packs and data loggers and dispatch them to schedule.
- Pick and issue stock on a first expiry first out basis, and keep the stock register and system record in step.
- Run daily and periodic stock checks, count cold stock and report discrepancies, near-expiry batches and damage.
- Keep temperature mapping, calibration and maintenance records current for cold rooms, loggers and thermometers.
- Raise a deviation with quality for any excursion, handle the affected stock as quality instructs and update the log.
Skills and tools
- Understanding of ambient, cool and cold storage conditions and how they are monitored
- Use of data loggers, temperature recorders and cold room alarm systems
- Warehouse management software or ERP for stock, batch and expiry tracking
- Packing of cold shipments with correct shippers and coolants
- First expiry first out discipline and clear stock labelling
- Basic knowledge of good storage and distribution practices in a pharma setting
- Coordination with transporters and courier partners on timelines and conditions
- Careful record keeping that stands up in an audit
Education and experience
Preferred, never a bar: equivalent experience counts.
- Graduate in science, commerce or logistics preferred; a diploma in supply chain or warehousing is also useful
- Experience in a pharma warehouse, distributor depot or cold storage facility is preferred
- Familiarity with an ERP or warehouse software is useful
- Any training or licence needs depend on the employer and site; confirm with your own adviser
How the work is judged
- Number and handling of temperature excursions, including how quickly they are noticed and escalated
- Stock accuracy between the register, the system and the physical count
- On-time and correctly packed dispatches of cold consignments
- Management of expiry, with near-expiry stock flagged early
- Completeness of temperature, calibration and receipt records
Where the role can lead
- Senior warehouse executive or shift in charge for a depot or cold room
- Warehouse manager or supply chain manager for a plant or distribution centre
- Move into quality assurance, logistics planning or distribution management
Interview questions to ask
Ask every candidate the same questions in the same order and score them against written anchors, so the decision rests on the work and not the impression.
- The cold room alarm sounds at night and the engineer is unreachable. What are your first steps?
- A consignment arrives with the logger showing a reading outside range. What do you do with the stock?
- How do you set up a cold shipment for a long road journey in the summer months?
- Your system shows more stock than the shelf holds. How do you trace the difference?
- How do you make sure the oldest expiry goes out first when pickers are in a hurry?
- What records would you keep ready for an inspection of the cold storage area?
Hiring tips for this role
- Visit or simulate the site: ask what they would do in an alarm situation. People who have only handled ambient stock often miss urgency.
- Check understanding of records. A cold chain without temperature logs is a risk even if the stock looks fine.
- Test basic system skills on a stock entry, since many warehouse errors begin with data entry.
- State night or alarm call duty clearly at the offer stage, as cold rooms may need after-hours response.
Questions about hiring a cold chain and warehouse executive
It is the controlled movement and storage of medicines that must stay within a stated temperature range, from receipt to the customer. Vaccines, insulin and many biologicals depend on it.
It can. Cold rooms may need monitoring and response outside working hours, depending on the site and alarm setup. Set the on-call arrangement and any compensation in the offer so both sides agree.
A graduate with warehouse or pharma storage experience is common. Any licence or training depends on the employer, the state and the facts, so confirm what applies with your own adviser.
GullyHR agrees the job description with you, finds and screens candidates for your warehouse and supports the offer. We hire for your permanent team and do not supply contract staff.
Hiring a cold chain and warehouse executive?
GullyHR runs talent acquisition for permanent roles. We agree the job description with you, find and screen candidates against it, and support the offer through to joining. We recruit permanent employees. We do not supply contract or temporary staff.