Forklift Operator/Labourer

Vitacore Industries Inc.; Thames Centre; On-site; CAD 33,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health & Dental benefits

2 weeks paid vacation

Tuition Assistance Program

Job summary

Vitacore Industries Inc. is seeking a dependable Forklift Operator to join our Ontario warehouse and battery-processing operation. The role combines forklift operation, material handling, and general warehouse labour in a fast-paced environment.

Candidate must be physically capable, safety-conscious, and adaptable to changing priorities, with strong attention to detail and teamwork skills. Health and safety standards are a priority.

Qualifications

• Forklift experience and safe operation
• Forklift certification or training
• Experience loading and unloading trucks and palletized materials
• Experience handling drums, Gaylords, pallets and irregular loads
• Experience using forklift attachments (drum handlers, drum tippers, bin movers, bin tippers)
• Experience with manual and electric pallet jacks

Responsibilities

• Safely operate forklifts and material-handling equipment throughout warehouse and production areas.
• Mount/dismount forklift frequently to perform hands-on duties.
• Supply battery sorting lines and production lines with materials.
• Move drums, Gaylords, pallets, bins and other containers as required.
• Load and unload trucks and shipping containers; respond to changing priorities.
• Label, stage, palletize and shrink-wrap materials for storage or outbound shipment.
• Maintain accurate inventory movement records and documentation.
• Identify products, materials, and containers and transport to correct locations.
• Perform general labour tasks when forklift duties are not required.

Job description

About Vitacore

Vitacore was founded in 2020 with a mission to strengthen Canada’s domestic manufacturing capabilities during a critical time of need. But our vision has always been bigger than any single challenge. We believe innovation happens when talented people are empowered to think differently. Today, we are a multidisciplinary innovation company focused on developing technologies that improve lives and create a more sustainable future. Our work spans advanced manufacturing, environmental sustainability, life sciences, and deep-tech innovation, where we are transforming bold ideas into real-world solutions with global impact. Joining Vitacore means becoming part of a team that moves quickly, embraces challenges, and is passionate about solving meaningful problems. If you’re looking for an opportunity to do impactful work, collaborate with exceptional people, and help build the future, we would love to hear from you.

About Vitacore

Vitacore was founded in 2020 with a mission to strengthen Canada’s domestic manufacturing capabilities during a critical time of need. But our vision has always been bigger than any single challenge. We believe innovation happens when talented people are empowered to think differently. Today, we are a multidisciplinary innovation company focused on developing technologies that improve lives and create a more sustainable future. Our work spans advanced manufacturing, environmental sustainability, life sciences, and deep-tech innovation, where we are transforming bold ideas into real-world solutions with global impact. Joining Vitacore means becoming part of a team that moves quickly, embraces challenges, and is passionate about solving meaningful problems. If you’re looking for an opportunity to do impactful work, collaborate with exceptional people, and help build the future, we would love to hear from you.

About The Role

Vitacore is seeking a dependable, versatile, and safety-focused Forklift Operator to join our growing Ontario warehouse and battery-processing operation.

This is a highly active, hands-on position that combines forklift operation, material handling, battery-line support, shipping and receiving, and general warehouse labour.

This is not a sit-down forklift role. The successful candidate must be comfortable spending a significant portion of the day on their feet, repeatedly getting on and off the forklift, performing physical work, supporting production employees, and responding quickly to changing operational priorities.

The Forklift Operator plays a key role in maintaining the flow of materials throughout the facility. This includes supplying battery sorting lines, removing full drums and Gaylords, replacing containers, moving finished product, receiving shipments, preparing outgoing loads, and assisting wherever operational needs are greatest.

The ideal candidate is experienced, physically capable, organized, safety-conscious, adaptable, and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment where priorities can change throughout the day.

Responsibilities Include

• Safely operate forklifts and other material‑handling equipment throughout the warehouse and production areas.
• Frequently mount and dismount the forklift throughout the shift to complete hands‑on warehouse and production duties.
• Support high‑volume battery sorting operations by continuously supplying production lines with incoming material.
• Remove full drums, Gaylords, bins, pallets, and other containers from production areas and replace them with empty containers as required.
• Move, load, unload, stage, stack, and organize:
• Steel drums.
• Plastic drums.
• Gaylords.
• Pallets.
• Bins.
• Bales.
• Pails.
• Recycling materials.
• Irregularly shaped or oversized materials.
• Operate forklift attachments and specialized material‑handling equipment, including drum movers, drum tippers, bin movers, bin tippers, pail movers, and similar equipment.
• Safely remove drums and Gaylords from pallets and reposition them throughout the facility.
• Load and unload trucks, trailers, containers, and incoming shipments.
• Respond to unexpected truck arrivals and changing shipping, receiving, or production priorities.
• Perform manual loading, unloading, and hand‑bombing when required.
• Move finished containers from battery sorting lines to designated storage, staging, or shipping areas.
• Apply, remove, verify, and replace labels on drums, Gaylords, pallets, and other containers.
• Ensure full containers are properly labelled and staged before being moved or shipped.
• Receive and inspect incoming shipments and verify quantities, weights, container identification, and documentation.
• Identify different materials, battery categories, containers, and products and ensure they are moved to the correct location.
• Prepare, label, stack, palletize, and shrink‑wrap materials for storage or outbound shipment.
• Manually position and adjust drums and other containers on pallets to ensure loads are safe and stable.
• Move materials using forklifts, electric pallet jacks, manual pallet jacks, dollies, and other equipment as appropriate.
• Move recyclable and waste materials to designated areas, including transporting materials outside and placing or emptying them into large recycling containers.
• Move, stack, and organize bales produced by the facility’s baler.
• Maintain safe and organized storage, production, loading, and travel areas.
• Maintain accurate records relating to inventory, weights, material movement, labels, quantities, and container identification.
• Identify damaged materials, unsafe loads, equipment issues, labelling concerns, or other operational problems and report them promptly.
• Perform routine forklift inspections and report equipment or safety concerns.
• Communicate regularly with the on‑site supervisor regarding priorities, material movement, and production requirements.
• Respond to material requests from multiple employees and production areas while maintaining safe operating practices.
• Assist in coordinating material movement during busy periods and help maintain workflow when several production employees require support at the same time.
• Provide temporary workflow support or direction when required to assist the on‑site supervisor.
• Recognize when additional assistance is required and ask for help rather than attempting to handle an unsafe or unsuitable load independently.
• Follow all health and safety, quality, operational, and material‑handling procedures.
• Keep warehouse, production, and loading areas clean, organized, and efficient.

General Labour and Battery‑Line Support

The Forklift Operator is also expected to work as a general labourer whenever forklift duties are not immediately required.

A significant portion of the workday may involve working directly alongside the battery sorting team and performing the same hands‑on duties as other production employees.

The Successful Candidate Must Be Willing To

• Work directly on battery sorting lines.
• Assist with sorting, handling, organizing, and moving batteries and other materials.
• Help employees wherever work is required.
• Transition quickly between general labour and forklift responsibilities.
• Step away from line duties when a full drum, Gaylord, bin, pallet, or other container needs to be moved or replaced.
• Return to general production work once material‑handling responsibilities are completed.
• Handle dirty, dusty, or used materials associated with an industrial battery‑processing and recycling environment.
• Perform manual material handling even when mechanical equipment is available.
• Understand that materials and containers may not always arrive perfectly positioned and may require manual adjustment before being safely moved.

Candidates should not approach this position with the expectation that they will remain on a forklift throughout the day. Flexibility and willingness to assist wherever needed are essential.

Physical Requirements

• The successful candidate must be physically capable of:
• Standing and walking for extended periods and for the majority of the workday.
• Frequently mounting and dismounting a forklift throughout the shift.
• Repeatedly bending, reaching, pushing, pulling, lifting, and repositioning materials.
• Repeatedly lifting and moving materials weighing up to 70 lbs.
• Manually handling, positioning, and moving steel and plastic drums when required.
• Placing drums and other materials onto pallets.
• Shrink‑wrapping and manually preparing pallets.
• Using manual pallet jacks, electric pallet jacks, dollies, and other material‑handling equipment.
• Performing physically demanding general warehouse and production work throughout the shift.
• Working safely around production lines, employees, trucks, equipment, stored materials, and moving forklifts.

Skills And Qualifications

• Previous forklift operating experience of 5-7 years in a warehouse, manufacturing, recycling, production, or industrial environment.
• Forklift certification or demonstrated forklift training and experience.
• Strong experience loading and unloading trucks and safely handling palletized materials.
• Experience handling drums, Gaylords, large bins, pallets, and irregularly shaped loads.
• Experience using forklift attachments such as drum handlers, drum tippers, bin movers, bin tippers, or similar equipment is strongly preferred.
• Experience using manual and electric pallet jacks and other material‑handling equipment.
• Strong situational awareness and ability to safely manoeuvre equipment in busy warehouse and production environments.
• Ability to manage multiple competing priorities and quickly change tasks when operational requirements change.
• Comfortable working in a fast‑paced, multidirectional environment where several employees or departments may require support at the same time.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Strong organisational and record‑keeping skills.
• Ability to identify different products, materials, containers, labels, and potential problems.
• Ability to follow instructions while also working independently when required.
• Ability to recognise unsafe situations and request assistance when needed.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills.
• Reliable, adaptable, responsive, and safety‑conscious.
• Comfortable taking on additional responsibility and assisting with workflow coordination when required.
• Willingness to perform general labour and production duties in addition to forklift operation.

Compensation

• $24-26 per hour.
• Health & Dental benefits.
• 2 weeks paid vacation.
• Tuition Assistance Program.