Production Associate V - Warehouse Operations Lead Operator

Smithfield Foods, Inc.; Junction City (KS); Hybrid; USD 67,502,000 - 70,258,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement benefits

Career growth opportunities

Job summary

Smithfield Foods, Inc. is seeking a Warehouse Operations Lead to support day-to-day production warehouse activities. You will coordinate packaging and manufacturing material flow, verify SAP transactions, and maintain inventory accuracy while ensuring FIFO and lot traceability.

The role emphasizes safety, audit readiness, and collaboration with the Corporate Buyer. Applicants should have strong Excel skills, experience with SAP PO receipts, and the ability to work in a fast-paced production

Qualifications

• Production warehouse experience in a manufacturing environment
• Working knowledge of SAP inventory transactions and PO receipts
• Strong Excel skills for tracking, auditing, and reporting
• Knowledge of ingredient and packaging material control, FIFO, and lot traceability
• Strong attention to detail and documentation accuracy
• Effective communication and issue escalation skills

Responsibilities

• Coordinate tasks related to packaging and manufacturing materials to ensure on-time supply to production lines
• Stage, issue, return, and organize materials aligned with production schedules
• Perform and verify SAP transactions including PO receipts, inventory movements, material issues, reversals, and adjustments
• Maintain oversight of ingredients and packaging material inventory, ensuring FIFO and lot traceability
• Monitor material flow from receiving through production usage and return
• Use Excel and tracking tools to maintain inventory logs, shortage trackers, and audit documentation
• Identify discrepancies, research root causes, and escalate to management for resolution
• Conduct routine warehouse audits focusing on inventory accuracy, FIFO compliance, and lot traceability

Skills

Warehouse experience

SAP inventory transactions

Excel

FIFO & lot traceability

Attention to detail

Communication

Tools

SAP

Job description

Position Summary

The Warehouse Operations Lead is an advanced hourly role responsible for supporting day-to-day operations within the production warehouse, including packaging and manufacturing materials. This position works alongside other hourly associates and provides task coordination to ensure materials are accurately received, stored, issued, and transacted to support production. The role supports inventory accuracy, audit readiness, and compliance and maintains a dotted-line working relationship with the Corporate Buyer for purchasing, inventory, and supplier-related activities.

Your Opportunity

Our team members receive industry-leading wages and are eligible for great benefits packages: Hourly Competitive Starting Pay – $23.85/hour Comprehensive Health Insurance, Retirement Benefits and More. In addition, we offer opportunities for career growth and professional development.

Key Responsibilities

• The Warehouse Operations Lead supports daily production warehouse operations by coordinating tasks related to packaging and manufacturing materials ensuring production lines are supplied accurately and on time.
• This includes staging, issuing, returning, and organizing materials in alignment with production schedules.
• This position performs and verifies SAP transactions, including purchase order receipts, inventory movements, material issues, reversals, and adjustments for both manufacturing and packaging materials.
• Accuracy and timeliness of system transactions are critical expectations of this role.
• The role maintains oversight of ingredients and inventory of packaging materials, ensuring FIFO, lot control, and proper storage practices are followed.
• This includes monitoring material flow from receiving through production usage and return.
• The Warehouse Operations Lead uses Microsoft Excel and approved tracking tools to maintain inventory logs, shortage trackers, audit documentation, and daily warehouse activity reports.
• Discrepancies are identified, researched, and escalated to the management team for resolution.
• The position conducts routine production warehouse audits, including inventory accuracy, location accuracy, FIFO compliance, lot traceability, housekeeping, and documentation reviews for both packaging and manufacturing material areas.
• Audit findings are documented and followed through to closure.
• The Warehouse Operations Lead supports receiving operations by verifying incoming manufacturing and packaging materials against purchase orders, coordinating inspection or QA requirements, ensuring correct labeling and storage, and completing accurate PO receipts in SAP.
• This role maintains a dotted line working relationship with the Corporate Buyer, supporting purchasing activities, inventory visibility, supplier coordination, and resolution of receiving or material discrepancies.
• Safety, quality, and compliance are core expectations.
• The Warehouse Operations Lead models safe behaviors, reinforces PPE and equipment standards, and supports continuous audit readiness for internal, customer, and regulatory inspections.

Required Skills & Experience

• Production warehouse experience in a manufacturing environment
• Working knowledge of SAP inventory transactions and PO receipts
• Strong Excel skills for tracking, auditing, and reporting
• Knowledge of ingredient and packaging material control, FIFO, and lot traceability
• Strong attention to detail and documentation accuracy
• Effective communication and issue escalation skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in food manufacturing or a regulated environment
• Familiarity with audit, traceability, and recall readiness requirements.
• Forklift / PIT certification or ability to obtain.

Work Requirements

• Ability to perform essential warehouse functions, including lifting, standing, walking, and PIT operation.
• Ability to work in refrigerated, frozen, or ambient environments as required.
• Flexibility to support production schedules, including weekends or overtime.

Role Expectations

This is an advanced hourly role within the production warehouse. The Warehouse Operations Lead is expected to demonstrate a high level of system accuracy, material control, and compliance while supporting packaging and manufacturing materials operations and collaborating with plant leadership and Corporate Buyer. Physical Demands: The plant environment will include wet or humid conditions (non-weather related), extreme cold and heat (non-weather related), working near moving mechanical parts, exposure to fumes or airborne particles, and chemicals. Noise level in the work environment is usually loud when in the production area. Must be able to work in cramped spaces and in poor lighting and ventilation. Occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance, vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus. Frequently required to stand, walk, sit, and use hands.

IndSPR-Ops Relocation Package Available

No EEO Information

Smithfield is an equal opportunity employer committed to workplace diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, gender identity, protected veterans status, status as a disabled individual or any other protected group status or non-job characteristic as directed by law.

If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment selection process, please call us at 757-357-1595.

At Smithfield, good food starts with good people. "Good food. Responsibly.®" is more than what we do.

We provide good jobs. We take good care of our animals. We are good stewards of the environment. We do good in our local communities.

Smithfield is proud to offer robust, flexible and affordable benefit plans and programs to support our team members and their loved ones, and with out-of-pocket costs, on average, 20 percent less than plans offered by other employers.

Beyond our medical plans, our Be Well programs offer tools and resources to enhance your quality of life, at no additional cost. These programs are uniquely tailored to our Smithfield team and provide support for elective surgeries, weight loss, mental health, cancer, kidney disease, diabetes, smoking cessation, asthma, maternity management and more.

We also offer unique benefits like our Smithfield Scholarship Program for employees’ children.

Headquartered inSmithfield, Virginia,since 1936,Smithfield Foods, Inc. is an American food company with a leading position in packaged meats and fresh pork products. With a diverse brand portfolio and strong relationships with U.S. farmers and customers, we responsibly meet demand for quality protein around the world.

For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.

We believe in the power of protein to end food insecurity and have donated hundreds of millions of food servings to our communities.

Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield®, Eckrich® and Nathan's Famous®, among many others.

For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com and connect with us on Facebook, X, formerly known as Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.