Transportation & Logistics Supervisor II

Avantor; Carpinteria (CA); On-site; USD 62,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Avantor is seeking a Transportation & Logistics Supervisor to oversee scheduling, coordinating, and supervising material handlers and warehouse staff at our Carpinteria, CA office. The role focuses on safe, efficient operations supporting receiving, delivery, and storage of materials.

You will lead training, evaluate performance, develop process improvements, and ensure compliance with quality and safety standards while coordinating with internal teams and vendors to meet daily shipping and

Qualifications

• Education: High school diploma or equivalent; an associate’s degree preferred.
• Experience: 5+ years relevant warehouse/material handling experience (including 1+ year of leadership).
• Certifications: California Class C Driver’s License with Hazardous Material certification may be required.
• Knowledge: inventory principles, cycle counting, Lean Manufacturing, and continuous quality improvement.

Responsibilities

• Supervise the daily activities of warehouse staff and transport teams.
• Plan priorities, assign tasks, and align work with operational goals.
• Evaluate output for accuracy, efficiency, and safety; implement process improvements.
• Coordinate with internal teams and external vendors to ensure timely deliveries and receipts.
• Provide training and performance feedback; assist with hiring and performance reviews.
• Maintain inventory control through accurate records and reconciliations.
• Identify hazards and ensure compliance with safety regulations.

Skills

Leadership

Scheduling

Training

Inventory control

Safety compliance

MS Word/Excel

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Associate degree (preferred)

Tools

Hazardous Materials certification

Job description

The Opportunity: Avantor is seeking a Transportation & Logistics Supervisor to be responsible for scheduling, coordinating, supervising, training, and reviewing the work of material handlers and warehouse personnel teams. These teams are assigned to perform routine duties in support of various departments, including receiving, delivery, and storage of raw materials, intermediates, and supplies. The Supervisor is accountable for the efficient and effective use of assigned staff, supplies, equipment, and time to provide optimum service. They are also accountable for ensuring the safety of the workforce, the correct and safe use of equipment, and adherence to all quality objectives and requirements. Advancement to this position is based on need and requires the ability to optimize staff use through efficient allocation of work, conduct in‑service and workstation training, evaluate quality and safety, and conduct or assist in performance appraisals as assigned. This is a full‑time position based at our Carpinteria, CA, office.

What we’re looking for:

• Education: High school diploma or equivalent; an associate’s degree preferred.
• Experience: 5+ years relevant warehouse/material handling experience (including 1+ year of leadership experience). Experience in a chemical or mechanical manufacturing environment preferred. Working knowledge of functions within a typical business supply chain (e.g., shipping, receiving, order procurement/purchasing, scheduling and execution). Previous supervisory experience required.
• Certifications, Licenses, Registrations: May require a valid California Class C Driver’s License with Hazardous Material certification. If selected to participate in the company’s Hazardous Material Driver’s program, employees must meet and maintain all applicable California Vehicle Code requirements for a Class C license with Hazardous Material certification. May be required to pass pulmonary tests and meet requirements for the NuSil respirator program.
• Additional Qualifications: Must understand the fundamentals of how physical and perpetual inventories are related. Must understand other basic inventory principles, such as the allocation of materials as well as cycle counting. Experience and/or knowledge of continuous quality improvement systems and implementations and Lean Manufacturing concepts. Excellent oral and written communication skills. Computer literate (MS Word/Excel). Ability to read and interpret documents, draft routine reports and correspondence and to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of the organization. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations and to implement appropriate metrics and monitoring. Ability to perform calculations and record data accurately. Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

How you will thrive and create an impact:

• Delivers day‑to‑day operational objectives by supervising a team of administrative and/or operations associates within the transportation and logistics department.
• Sets daily priorities, assigns tasks, and ensures the team’s work aligns with overall operational plans and goals.
• Reviews and evaluates the team’s output to ensure efficiency, accuracy, and adherence to company standards, while making adjustments and recommending enhancements to improve processes and overall job performance.
• Tackles problems within the logistics area, analyzing relevant data and factors to resolve issues such as delays, inventory discrepancies, or workflow inefficiencies.
• Communicates regularly with internal teams, external vendors, and customers to provide support, offer solutions, and ensure the successful execution of daily logistics operations.
• Plans, prioritizes, assigns, and reviews the work of staff responsible for operating equipment and preparing materials.
• Ensure elevated staff productivity by reviewing inspections and reports and observing work performed.
• Assists in developing performance standards and evaluating staff.
• Provides or coordinates training for new and existing operators in areas such as safe work techniques, time‑saving methods, use and documentation of run sheets, and identification of safety concerns.
• Works with employees to develop additional skills and correct deficiencies.
• Persists through various working conditions to complete tasks and projects.
• Responds appropriately to meet department needs and timelines and to address team shortcomings.
• Provides work direction and appropriate feedback through multiple communication channels as deemed appropriate.
• Develops personal strategies for juggling competing demands.
• Examines the impact of current and/or upcoming changes on work group processes and provides directions to others on how to adjust accordingly.
• Responsible for interviewing, hiring, training, performance reviews, disciplinary actions, and terminations within the department.
• Performs administrative and documentation functions related to the supervision of subordinates.
• Identifies and corrects potential hazards and ensures compliance with safety regulations.
• Assists in investigating industrial accidents and/or incidents to minimize recurrence and prepares applicable reports.
• Schedules work assignments and maintain process flow to ensure timely deliveries and receipts of materials.
• Oversee all inventory control activities, ranging from storage and delivery of intermediate and raw material receipts through conversion, as well as shipping of finished products at facilities.
• Maintains quality within the scope of the job description.
• Verifies and ensures that materials/supplies are properly labeled and stored.
• Responsible for reviewing process reproducibility trends of applicable systems/guidelines and applying that knowledge to improve processes and flow.
• Responsible for problem definition, measurement, analysis, improvement, and control of processes and equipment.
• Build productive work teams, schedule, assign, and review the work of subordinates.
• Plan, organize, and prioritize work processes in a high‑volume environment to meet schedules and timelines.
• Analyze situations and accurately adopt an effective course of action.
• Quickly assess the impact of changes on one’s own job duties and work process.
• Remain focused when faced with competing demands and deadline pressures.

Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of employees assigned to this position. Avantor is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

Why Avantor?

Dare to go further in your career. Join our global team of 14,000+ associates whose passion for discovery and determination to overcome challenges relentlessly advances life‑changing science. The work we do changes people's lives for the better. It brings new patient treatments and therapies to market, giving a cancer survivor the chance to walk his daughter down the aisle. It enables medical devices that help a little boy hear his mom's voice for the first time. Outcomes such as these create unlimited opportunities for you to contribute your talents, learn new skills and grow your career at Avantor. We are committed to helping you on this journey through our diverse, equitable and inclusive culture which includes learning experiences to support your career growth and success. At Avantor, dare to go further and see how the impact of your contributions set science in motion to create a better world.

Pay Transparency: The expected pre‑tax pay for this position is $62,000.00 - $100,050.00 Actual pay may differ depending on relevant factors such as prior experience and geographic location.

EEO Statement: We are an Equal Employment/Affirmative Action employer and VEVRAA Federal Contractor. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state/province, or local law. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by email at [e-mail] and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Requests for accommodation will be considered on a case‑by‑case basis. Please note that only inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address. For more information about equal employment opportunity protections, please view the Know Your Rights poster.