Warehouse Associate

G.P De Silva Spices & De Silva Brothers and Company; Pico Rivera (CA); On-site; USD 23,000 - 31,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/dental/vision insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

De Silva Brothers in Pico Rivera, CA is hiring a Warehouse Associate to keep material moving safely and accurately in a food-grade operation. You will receive inbound shipments, stage and store products under QA direction, and support blending, packaging, and order fulfillment.

The role emphasizes documentation accuracy, lot traceability, and adherence to GMPs, HACCP-like controls, and SQF standards. Forklift experience and forklift certification are valued and training is provided where needed.

Qualifications

• 1–3 years of warehouse experience in a regulated food/beverage environment.
• Knowledge of GMPs, sanitation, and lot traceability.
• Able to read pick tickets, packing lists, BOLs, and batch sheets; logs accurately.

Responsibilities

• Unload inbound containers and LTL freight; inspect for damage and non-conformities.
• Stage product per QA disposition; maintain FIFO/FEFO and lot segregation.

Skills

Warehouse experience

GMPs knowledge

Lot traceability

Paperwork literacy

WMS/ERP familiarity

Basic math

Lift 50 lbs

Dusty spice environment

Overtime willingness

US work authorization

Tools

WMS/ERP system

Job description

De Silva Brothers | Pico Rivera, California

Reports to: Warehouse Supervisor / Operations Manager

Status: Full-time, non-exempt (hourly)

Schedule: Monday–Friday, 7:00 AM – 3:30 PM, with overtime and occasional Saturday coverage during peak import and production periods

Pay range: $17.00 – $22.50 per hour, depending on experience

About Us

De Silva Brothers is a family-owned importer, blender, co-packer, and distributor of dried chiles, spices, herbs, grains, and seeds. Our roots trace back to 1955, when our founder began selling Ceylon cinnamon in Sri Lanka. Today we serve customers across the United States, Mexico, and Brazil from our facilities in Pico Rivera, California.

We are SQF-, HACCP-, GMP-, and Kosher-certified, and we operate on a simple principle: product safety and product integrity come before speed.

The Role

The Warehouse Associate keeps material moving accurately and safely — receiving inbound containers and freight, staging and storing products under food-safe conditions, supporting blending and packaging runs, pulling and building outbound orders, and keeping the paperwork behind every movement correct.

This is a hands‑on role in a food-grade environment. Every pallet you touch has a lot number attached to it, and the accuracy of what you record is what allows us to trace product back to its source. We are looking for someone who understands that a warehouse in this industry runs on documentation as much as it runs on forklifts.

What You'll Do

Receiving

• Unload inbound containers, trailers, and LTL freight
• Inspect incoming loads for damage, pest activity, odor, moisture, seal integrity, and trailer condition; document findings and flag non-conforming loads to QA before product is put away
• Verify quantities, weights, lot codes, and country of origin against packing lists and purchase orders
• Stage received product in designated hold or release locations per QA disposition

Storage and Inventory

• Put away product to assigned locations following FIFO/FEFO and lot segregation rules
• Maintain allergen, Kosher, organic, and customer-specific segregation requirements
• Maintain lot and container-level identity from receipt through shipment to support traceability and supply-chain records
• Keep product off floors and walls, properly stacked, covered, and labeled
• Perform cycle counts, reconcile discrepancies, and maintain accurate inventory records in the WMS/ERP system

Production Support

• Stage and weigh raw materials for blending and packaging runs against batch sheets
• Move work-in-process and finished goods between production and storage, maintaining lot identity throughout
• Support line changeovers, cleaning between runs, and packaging material staging

Order Fulfillment and Shipping

• Pick, weigh, palletize, stretch-wrap, and label outbound orders against pick tickets
• Verify lot codes and quantities on every outbound shipment and record them on shipping documents
• Load trailers, complete bills of lading, and conduct outbound trailer inspections
• Report short-picks, damages, and inventory shortfalls promptly rather than substituting on your own

Food Safety, Sanitation, and Safety

• Follow GMPs at all times: hygiene, hairnets/beard nets, jewelry policy, no glass or brittle plastic, approved footwear
• Perform daily and weekly sanitation of racking, floors, dock areas, and equipment; complete sanitation logs
• Support pest control, glass and brittle plastic, and food defense programs; report any pest sightings, leaks, or foreign material immediately
• Complete all required records legibly and in real time — logs are not filled in at the end of the shift
• Support internal, customer, third-party, and SQF audits by keeping the floor audit-ready every day
• Follow all lockout/tagout, forklift, and PPE requirements; report near-misses and injuries the same day

What You Bring

Required

• 1–3 years of warehouse experience in a food, beverage, ingredient, or other regulated manufacturing or distribution environment
• Working knowledge of GMPs, sanitation practices, and lot traceability
• Comfort with paperwork: able to read pick tickets, packing lists, BOLs, and batch sheets, and to complete logs accurately and legibly
• Basic computer skills and experience with a WMS, ERP, or scanning system
• Ability to do basic math reliably — unit conversions, weights, and count verification
• Able to lift up to 50 lbs repeatedly, stand and walk for a full shift, and work at heights on a lift when trained
• Able to work in a dusty environment with airborne spice and chile particulate, and in non-climate-controlled warehouse conditions
• Dependable attendance and willingness to work occasional overtime as volume requires
• Authorized to work in the United States

Preferred

• Forklift or reach truck experience (sit-down counterbalance, electric pallet jack) — certification is preferred, not required; we train and certify in-house
• Experience in spices, dried chiles, produce, grains, or other agricultural commodities
• Prior exposure to SQF, HACCP, or customer audits

What Success Looks Like

First 30 days — You know our receiving process cold, complete inspections and logs without prompting, and can pick and stage a standard order accurately.

First 90 days — You are forklift-certified, moving product independently across the operation, and your inventory accuracy holds up under cycle count without corrections.

First year — You catch problems before QA does: the pallet with the wrong lot code, the trailer that shouldn't be unloaded, the location that's out of sequence. You're someone the team trusts to be right about what's in the building.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment

Warehouse setting with concrete floors, forklift traffic, and seasonal temperature variation. Regular lifting, bending, reaching, and climbing. Frequent exposure to airborne dust from spices, chiles, and dried botanicals; respiratory protection is provided where required. Required PPE includes safety-toe footwear, high-visibility vest, hearing protection in designated areas, and hairnets/beard nets in food-contact zones.

Compensation and Benefits

$17.00 – $22.50 per hour, depending on experience. Pay progresses with forklift certification and demonstrated inventory accuracy.

Medical / dental / vision, paid time off, holidays, retirement plan and PPE provided. Forklift certification and food safety training are paid by the company.

De Silva Brothers is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.