Salvage Material Handler

The ReBuilding Center; United States; On-site; USD 22,000 - 31,000; Full time

Job summary

The ReBuilding Center is seeking a Salvage Material Handler to unload, sort, price, stock, and move salvaged materials within a busy store, yard, and warehouse environment.

This hands-on role supports sustainable reuse and community access to affordable building materials, with duties spanning customer service, merchandising, and maintaining a safe, organized workspace.

Qualifications

• Ability to safely lift up to 75 pounds throughout the workday.
• Ability to work in outdoor/open-air environment with dust, weather exposure, and seasonal changes.
• Ability to wear steel-toed or safety shoes from day one.
• Strong reliability, punctuality, and follow-through.
• Clear, respectful communication skills.
• Ability to work well with coworkers, volunteers, donors, customers, and community members.

Responsibilities

• Safely unload donated and salvaged materials from vehicles.
• Sort, clean, price, stock, and organize reusable building materials.
• Move and place materials throughout the store, warehouse, and outdoor yard areas.
• Assist with merchandising and maintaining well-stocked, organized sales areas.
• Help keep the store, warehouse, and outdoor areas clean, accessible, and safe.

Job description

Job Description

Salvage Material Handler

Position Title: Salvage Material Handler
Department: Store
Status: Hourly, non-exempt
Schedule: Tuesday-Saturday

Pay: $19.00 per hour
Additional Pay: Bilingual pay differential, if applicable. Driving differential of $1.50 per hour for hours/shifts when assigned to drive ReBuilding Center vehicles.

Job Summary:

This is a hands-on, physically active role for someone who enjoys working with materials, people, and purpose. Salvage Material Handlers help keep reusable building materials in circulation by unloading, sorting, pricing, moving, and stocking items in a fast paced warehouse, retail, and outdoor work environment. This role supports ReBuilding Center’s mission by helping reduce waste, advance sustainability, and expand community access to affordable building materials.

Work Environment:

Salvage Material Handlers work in an active store, warehouse, lumberyard, and open-air/outdoor environment. This position requires comfort working in changing weather conditions, including cold, heat, rain, and seasonal temperature changes.

The role may include:

• Frequent handling of heavy, bulky, dusty, or dirty materials, such as doors, cabinets, sinks, lumber, appliances, and architectural salvage
• Work on concrete floors and in open-air areas that may be colder in winter and warmer in summer
• Exposure to dust, dirt, mold, construction residue, and outdoor elements
• Low potential for exposure to lead, asbestos, or other hazardous materials found in salvaged building materials
• Use of equipment such as hand trucks, carts, furniture dollies, pallet jacks, and other material-handling tools

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

Store and Material Operations

• Safely unload donated and salvaged materials from vehicles
• Sort, clean, price, stock, and organize reusable building materials
• Move and place materials throughout the store, warehouse, and outdoor yard areas, including lumber, doors, cabinets, appliances, hardware, and other departments.
• Assist with merchandising and maintaining well-stocked, organized sales areas
• Help keep the store, warehouse, and outdoor areas clean, accessible, and safe for staff, volunteers, donors, and customers

Customer and Community Support

• Provide respectful, helpful service and support a welcoming, accessible environment for customers, donors, volunteers, and visitors.
• Answer basic questions about materials, store processes, and where items are located
• Help customers safely access, move, or load materials when appropriate

Teamwork and Communication

• Arrive on time, ready to work, and prepared for an active physical shift
• Work collaboratively with coworkers, volunteers, and supervisors
• Communicate clearly and respectfully with team members and visitors
• Support daily store priorities and adapt to changing material flow, staffing needs, and customer activity

Safety

• Follow safety procedures when handling materials, including using required safety footwear/PPE and proper lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, and team-lift techniques.
• Help identify and report hazards, spills, blocked pathways, damaged materials, or unsafe conditions
• Support safe loading and unloading practices for staff, volunteers, customers, and donors

Occasional Driving

• This role may include occasional driving of ReBuilding Center vehicles for store-related material movement, pickups, or deliveries. Driving is not required for all shifts. Employees assigned to drive must have a valid driver’s license.

Required Qualifications:

• Ability to safely lift, push, pull, and carry up to 75 pounds throughout the workday, including repetitive bending, lifting, carrying, stacking, pushing, pulling, standing, and walking.
• Ability to work in an outdoor/open-air environment with dust, dirt, weather exposure, and seasonal temperature changes
• Ability to wear steel-toed or safety shoes from the first day of employment
• Strong reliability, punctuality, and follow-through
• Clear, respectful communication skills
• Ability to work well with coworkers, volunteers, donors, customers, and community members

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in a warehouse, lumberyard, reuse/salvage, construction materials, retail operations, or other physically active w