Warehouse Lead

Craftsmith Beverage; Naperville (IL); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Craftsmith Beverage is seeking a Warehouse Lead to oversee day-to-day warehouse operations, including dock scheduling, receiving, staging, picking, and loading orders. The role requires leading a team, coordinating with Production, QA, Planning, and the logistics lead to meet production and delivery timelines.

Responsibilities include maintaining ERP records, ensuring inventory accuracy with regular counts, and upholding GMP and food safety standards.

Qualifications

• Experience leading warehouse operations and safety compliance.
• Proficiency with ERP systems and inventory control.
• Forklift/PIT operation and PPE adherence.
• Ability to coordinate dock scheduling and inbound/outbound shipments.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily warehouse activities including dock scheduling, receiving, staging, and order fulfillment.
• Supervise warehouse associate and collaborate with Production, Quality, Planning, and the Go Logistics Lead.
• Maintain ERP records with goods receipts, BOLs, COAs, and lot/expiration data.
• Ensure inventory accuracy, perform monthly blind counts and assist month-end close.
• Enforce GMP, 5S, and food safety standards; log near misses and incidents.
• Coordinate maintenance of racking, docks, forklifts, and equipment.

Skills

Leadership

Forklift operation

ERP systems

GMP compliance

Safety training

Inventory management

Scheduling

Cross-functional coordination

Tools

ERP software

Google Drive

Job description

Warehouse Lead Roles & Responsibilities Lead Craftsmith warehouse operations—dock control, receiving, order fulfillment, and inventory accuracy—while upholding safety, quality/GMP, and food safety standards. Reports to the Director of Operations

About the Role

We are a rapidly expanding brewery and beverage contract manufacturer. As the Warehouse Lead, you will run the Craftsmith warehouse day to day: scheduling the dock, receiving materials, staging production, picking and loading orders, and keeping inventory accurate in the ERP. This is a working lead role. You will supervise the warehouse associate and partner closely with Production, Quality, Planning, and the Go Brewing Logistics Lead, who books Craftsmith's carriers and handles its freight claims.

Core Responsibilities

1. Leadership & People Lead, schedule, and coach the warehouse associate; ensure coverage during posted dock hours. Train on SOPs, PIT (forklift/pallet jack), GMP, trailer inspection, and incident reporting; keep Gusto training current for yourself and the team. Ensure the warehouse team has access to and uses Slack and the ERP. Attend production, planning, and GMP meetings;
2. Dock Control & Scheduling Schedule all inbound and outbound appointments via [e-mail] within posted dock hours. Every appointment must be visible on the Trucks calendar. Confirm appointment times with the Go Logistics Lead for the carriers and transfers they book. Inspect trailers before loading or unloading and record results in the trailer inspection log.
3. Receiving (Inbound) Receive ingredients, packaging, and finished goods accurately: inspect counts and condition, capture COAs and packing lists, and quarantine non-conforming material. Post goods receipts in the ERP same day with BOL, photos, and lot/expiration data. Document damage or shortages at receipt and hand them to the Go Logistics Lead for claims.
4. Order Fulfillment (Outbound) Pick, pack, and load customer orders, distributor pickups, and inter-site transfers to spec (pick tickets, case counts, pallet patterns, wrap, documentation). Verify lots and code dates; attach COAs and packing lists when required. Confirm shipments in the ERP same day; save BOL and photos to the company Google Drive.
5. Inventory Management & ERP Accuracy Own Craftsmith warehouse inventory integrity: locations, FIFO, and cooler rotation. Maintain ERP transaction discipline: transfers, adjustments, and shipment confirmations. Lead monthly blind counts and support month-end close. Monitor pallet, wrap, and label stock and trigger reorders at set reorder points; flag tray and corrugate shortages to Planning, which owns their procurement.
6. Safety, Quality, GMP & Food Safety Enforce PIT safety, PPE (seat belt and eye protection on equipment), dock lockout/chocks, traffic flow, and housekeeping (5S), including dunnage after depal. Ensure GMP compliance: labeled and segregated allergen storage (never above other product), pest-sensitive storage, FIFO, and a clean, segregated returns area. Support QA on holds, retains, and release; secure quarantined product and manage rework and returns. Log every near miss and incident in the safety tracker; close corrective actions and GMP walk findings by their due dates.
7. Facilities & Equipment Coordinate and oversee maintenance on racking, docks, forklifts, and pallet jacks. Maintain critical items (batteries, charger cables) and housekeeping supplies.
8. Cross‑Functional Coordination Partner with Production on staging, changeovers, material calls, can pulls and put‑away for same‑day and next‑day runs, and repack priorities. Work with Planning on the order queue and ship dates. Work with the Go Logistics Lead on appointments, carrier changes, transfers, and damage documentation. Work with Quality on holds, releases, and GMP walk findings.

Communication and Cadence

Daily: Confirm the next‑day dock schedule and order queue with Production and the Go Logistics Lead.

Weekly: Provide a recap of receipts, shipments, inventory issues, and safety to the Head of Production.

Escalation (same day): Missed appointments, material discrepancies, and safety incidents notify the Head of Production immediately.

Authority and Approvals

Approve dock appointment sequencing within policy; reprioritize picks to meet ship‑date commitments. Hold unscheduled or uninspected trailers until they are scheduled and inspected. Quarantine any suspect materials or finished goods; release only with QA authorization.

Handoffs & Coverage

Develop and maintain written SOPs for receiving, picking, shipping, counts, returns, and trailer inspection. Train at least one backup for dock control and ERP receiving to cover PTO and absences.