INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Distribution Manager positions are at a 5% growth rate, which is slower than average. With that said, there are currently 189,300 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 10,000 to 199,300 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Distribution Manager jobs was $108,790 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $67,100, and the highest 10% more than $181,220.
Our conclusion? The Distribution Manager job market is wide open for candidates.
Top distribution manager sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
What to include in your Distribution Manager resume experience section
distribution manager resume experience section checklist:
- Use at least 3 and no more than 7 bullet points per position;
- Make your experience sound relevant to what you’re applying for;
- Combine responsibilities, results, and critical situations that you’ve handled well;
- Show that you’re willing to take up on challenges;
- Include numbers in any form you like.
Looking for some real experience section examples? We’ve gathered the best Distribution Manager resume samples to help you. Check them out before building your own resume!
- Annual budgeting of over AED 80 million, monthly target planning and sales management.
- Stocks and demand management of over 10.000/tons per year.
- KPI's analyzes of all channels in order to make critical adjustments to achieve the company's strategic goals.
- Analyze marketing trends and market situation, adjusting strategy and tactics as necessary, as well identifying opportunities to increase sales and recommend future development.
- Create and deliver the company's strategic and operational plans.
- Head of Distribution and Customer Service team (7 fte's) for the Italian OTC & Rx pharma market (Mass, Direct and Wholesale channel).
- Driving product distribution to ensure a perfect performance in order to availability and delivery service.
- Official Supply Chain KPI's ITA Champion.
- Warehouse cost responsible.
- Inernal audit coordinator (Sox compliance procedures).
- Management of the distribution department in East London - Primary delivery and secondary delivery.
- Management of Owner driver team of 18, Team Leader team of 3, permanent driver team of 8 and 1 distribution administrator.
- Meet all daily KPI's.
- Align to the business strategy.
- Plan and resource for Distribution Effectiveness.
- Manage the distribution Function - KPI's, Daily Controls.
- Maintain a safe and healthy working enviroment.
- Provide leadership and coaching.
- Manage team performances and development.
- Ensure the maximum coverage of the area allocated by the principal for sales and distribution.
- Conduct meeting with sales representatives, direct sales officers and sales supervisors in order to meet sales targets.
- Monitor availability of the product in the market with respect of order booking.
- Implement trade offers, consumer promotions and discount schemes floated by the principal.
PRO TIP
Include quantitative data throughout your Distribution Manager resume to impress the hiring manager. Real facts and figures that show off your competency as an audit manager go a long way. Did you reduce the costs of audits? Manage a large team? Boosted efficiency? Show off the real numbers!
Action verbs for your distribution manager resume
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Top distribution manager skills for your resume
Distribution manager resume skills section checklist:
- Match your hard skills to the job description;
- Add keywords to pass applicant tracking systems;
- Don’t list soft skills such as ’teamwork’ – rather, mention how they’ve helped you gain success in some other sections of your Distribution Manager resume;
- List only skills you actually have, keep lying out of the picture.
Top skills for your distribution manager resume
Digital Fluency
Microsoft Office
Program Manufacturing Devices
Machining
Fabricating
Communication
Attention to details
Caution
Organisation
Punctuality
PRO TIP
Add a Talent Section to your resume, where you can pick your top 3 soft skills and describe how you used them to complete a project or balance departmental communication.
"Recommended Reads:":
Distribution manager resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your distribution manager resume header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
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PRO TIP
Include a link to your portfolio in your Distribution Manager resume header. Most companies will require that you include one in your resume, and even if they don’t, it’s an excellent opportunity to directly show them your proudest projects.
Craft a strong distribution manager resume summary
Distribution manager resume summary checklist:
- Your total years of experience
- The industry you’re coming from
- One or two most remarkable accomplishments that have helped you - turn into a great professional
- Short sentences that add value – avoid filler words and phrases
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
When writing a resume summary or objective, avoid first-person narrative.
Recommended reads:
Highlight your education, certifications, and courses
What to include in your education and courses sections:
- Your highest education degree – this includes institution, course, and duration
- Certifications and courses that have helped you gain additional expertise
- Awards you’ve received as part of your education
- Entry-level positions only: relevant classes and projects
Top Certifications for your Distribution Manager resume

Management Skills: New Manager Training Update 2022
Management Skills Certification in Developing People, Leading Teams & Process Improvement in the New Hybrid Work Culture

New Manager: The Basics and More of Being a Great Leader
Go from a slightly uncertain, confused newbie to a confident, skilled manager who builds and leads effective teams.

Become a Product Manager | Learn the Skills & Get the Job
The most complete course available on Product Management. 13+ hours of videos, activities, interviews, & more

The Project Management Course: Beginner to PROject Manager
The Complete Course for becoming a Successful Project Manager

Management Skills - Team Leadership Skills Masterclass 2022
Leadership & Management Skills - Change Management- Lean BPM Management Skills - Team Management - Team Building
Recommended reads.":
PRO TIP
If you hold a certain major and a minor, your majors should be mentioned first.
Drafting a Job-winning Distribution Manager Resume
When drafting your resume, you can choose between three well-known formats:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
Which format you decide to go for depends on two things: your personal preference and how experienced you are.
The reverse-chronological format is ideal for both really experienced people and those who joined the workforce just a couple of years ago. It’s also great if your experience combines different industries and jobs. Here, your most recent position comes at the top of your resume.
The functional skills-based resume format, on the other hand, is ideal for recent graduates or people who have no work experience whatsoever. It’s built around your skills, interests, and expertise. Ultimately, its goal is to show recruiters your biggest strengths and practical skills.
Combination resumes (also known as hybrid resumes) are great for all types of candidates – be they graduates, experienced professionals, or brave career changers. They usually follow a double-column format – one side focuses on your experience, while the other emphasizes your education, skills, interests, and accomplishments.
Here’s our resume format and style checklist:
- Choose a traditional resume font sized 12p;
- Go for standard 1-inch resume margins;
- Match the length of your Distribution Manager resume with your experience – choose a one-page template if you have less than 10 years of experience, and be careful with two-page templates;
- Send your resume in PDF – in this way, you’ll avoid formatting issues and potential editing from third parties.
And in case you want to go the extra mile, check out our guide for crafting a resume that stands out.
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Sometimes you’ll want to go after a job which requires more experience than you have. Instead of using a typical Distribution Manager resume layout, you can use a creative layout. Getting noticed is the most important challenge and a creative resume layout might help you get invited for an interview as most of other accountants have boring resume designs.
Other sections worth including in your distribution manager resume
Including other sections in your resume depends on the company, the position, and, ultimately, the industry. Here are some sections that will help you spice things up:
A distribution manager resume that stands out
Recruiters look at tens of resumes every day. That’s why helping them remember yours is crucial for landing an interview.
A creative resume can help you show off both your personality and your expertise at the same time.
Creative sections about passions, favorite books, quotes, and even your daily routine are a great way to make your resume feel like a breath of fresh air.
What’s more, it will also point recruiters to the fact that you’re attentive to detail and can think outside the box of Word-generated black and white resumes.
What makes a great distribution manager resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.