Inventory Associate

Houston Food Bank; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 25,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

Houston Food Bank is seeking an Inventory Associate to oversee day-to-day receiving, counting, binning, and sanitation within a busy warehouse. You will support first-shift receiving and related operations while delivering exceptional service to staff and volunteers.

The role requires attention to detail, basic math, and the ability to work in temperature-controlled environments. Occasional weekend coverage may be needed during large volunteer events.

Qualifications

• Must be able to work in temperature-controlled environments (dry, cooler, freezer).
• Basic math skills (addition, multiplication).
• Strong customer service and willingness to assist others.

Responsibilities

• Maintain attendance; punctuality is required.
• Assist with cycle counts and receiving as directed by the Manager.
• Tag and rack products; ensure proper bin locations and barcode tagging.
• Complete RODS and paperwork in a timely fashion.
• Communicate inventory discrepancies with staff and management.
• Support Saturday coverage and large volunteer events.
• Maintain sanitation and a clean warehouse environment.

Skills

Customer service

Attention to detail

Problem-solving

Communication

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Tools

Forklift operation

Pallet jack operation

Job description

Description

** Schedule: Monday - Friday 6:00 am - 3:00 pm **

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Inventory Associate will maintain smooth operations of all day-to-day operations as they relate to receiving, order selecting, bin slotting, and sanitation. The Inventory Associate provides exceptional customer service and supports first-shift receiving and Operations programs as needed.

Adhere to PACT values. (Purpose: Using our strengths passionately to contribute to our mission. Accountability: Choosing to rise above one’s circumstances and demonstrating ownership to achieve results. See It. Own It. Solve It. Do It. Courage: Standing up for what’s right and acting. Transparency: Doing things openly and honestly).

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Reliable, consistent, attendance is a requirement. This position requires punctuality and dependable attendance to meet the needs of the business, including attending and taking part in meetings and presentations.
• Assists with the physical count process, as directed by the Manager.
• Cycle Counts products, purchased donations, and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) commodities.
• Identifies all products not received into the system before inventory cutoff time and tags with do not count tags.
• Ensures all products are tagged, with barcode tags and pallets in bin locations.
• Completes the racking of products from the receiving area into the warehouse.
• Cycle counts pick bins and research all shortages and missed picks.
• Recoups all damaged products found during the cycle counts process.
• Maintains proper recordkeeping of missing product and pallet tags.
• Ensures old products are marked and given to the Produce Movement Specialist to ensure they are distributed on time.
• Supports Volunteer Services in pulling and verifying products for projects and helps with Saturday coverage and coverage during periods when the Houston Food Bank (HFB) has large volumes of volunteers.
• Completes Receiving Order Detail Sheets (RODS) to ensure quantities are recorded correctly.
• Completes all paperwork in a timely fashion.
• Communicates effectively with staff and management on inventory discrepancies and issues.
• Maintains a clean and friendly work environment and warehouse by completing sanitation lists.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education/Experience:

• High School Diploma from an accredited school or general education development (GED) certificate
• 1+ years’ experience in receiving or other inventory/warehousing-related work required
• Experience in food warehousing preferred

Certificates, Licenses, and Registrations:

NA

Special Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability needed. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. (For best performance, the job holder in this position would be expected to show the right knowledge, skills, and abilities in the listed areas.)

• Must be able to work in different temperature-controlled environments including dry warehouse, cooler, produce room, and freezer warehouse areas
• Must be able to perform basic mathematical functions such as addition and multiplication
• Strong customer service skills and willingness to assist others
• Able to communicate complex information clearly
• Attention to detail
• Strong problem-solving abilities
• Ability to work with a diverse population
• Able to coordinate well with other departments and staff
• Ability to operate all types of warehouse machinery standup & sit-down forklifts, long & short pallet jacks, manual jacks, computers, copiers, and other business equipment

COMPLIANCE:

Carries out responsibilities in accordance with HFB policies.

REASONING ABILITY:

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions. Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability needed. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. (For best performance, the jobholder in this position would be expected to show the right knowledge, skills, and abilities in the listed areas.)

COMPETENCIES:

Action-Oriented / Customer Focus / Drives for Results / Informing / Approachability / Learning on the Fly / Perseverance / Self-development / Listening / Peer Relationships / Integrity and Trust / Functional/Technical Skills

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. While performing the duties of the job, the employee is required daily to analyze and interpret data, communicate, and remain in a standing or stationary position for a significant amount of the workday; and often access, input, and retrieve information from the computer and other office productivity devices. The employee must regularly move about the warehouse and around the facility, use hands, wrists, and fingers to grip, type, and write. The employee must frequently lift 50 pounds. The employee will need to have the average ability to hear horns, warnings, and alerts associated with a warehouse.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. While the job is generally performed in a warehouse environment, the employee is frequently exposed to different temperature-controlled environments including the freezer, wet and/or humid conditions, strong food-related smells, and outside weather conditions. The noise level in the office environment is typically quiet, but the employee will be occasionally exposed to loud noise levels (e.g., horns, fans).

TRAVEL REQUIRED:

No travel is required for this role.

This role supports hours of operations at the Houston Food Bank facilities, as necessary, and may require flexibility (e.g., times of disaster, community events, company events).

*Is legally able to work in the United States.

Salary Description

Starting Pay: $18.50 - $20.50