Warehouse Lead
Department: Warehouse
Reports To: Warehouse Manager
Location: Greenville, SC
Employment Type: Full-Time
Position Summary
The Warehouse Lead is responsible for coordinating the day-to-day activities of the warehouse and ensuring materials, parts, and inventory are received, stored, picked, staged, and delivered accurately and efficiently. This position serves as a working lead for Warehouse Material Handlers and provides direction and support to the warehouse team.
The Warehouse Lead helps maintain a safe, organized, and productive warehouse while supporting production schedules, inventory accuracy, material flow, and company policies and procedures.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Lead and coordinate daily activities of warehouse personnel.
- Assign daily work and prioritize tasks based on production and operational requirements.
- Receive, inspect, identify, and properly store incoming materials and components.
- Pick, stage, and deliver materials to production areas according to schedules and work orders.
- Ensure materials are properly labeled, organized, and stored.
- Maintain accurate inventory records and assist with cycle counts and physical inventories.
- Investigate inventory discrepancies and communicate issues to the Warehouse Manager.
- Monitor material shortages and communicate potential production impacts.
- Coordinate with Production, Purchasing, Quality, Engineering, and Supply Chain teams to ensure timely material availability.
- Assist with shipping, receiving, and material movement activities.
- Operate forklifts, pallet jacks, carts, and other material-handling equipment as authorized.
- Ensure proper handling and storage of materials to prevent damage.
- Maintain warehouse organization, housekeeping, and 5S standards.
- Ensure employees follow safety procedures and company policies.
- Identify unsafe conditions and immediately report or correct them when appropriate.
- Assist with training and onboarding of new warehouse employees.
- Provide day-to-day coaching and direction to warehouse team members.
- Monitor employee attendance, productivity, work quality, and adherence to procedures.
- Escalate employee performance or conduct concerns to the Warehouse Manager.
- Assist in developing and improving warehouse processes and material-flow procedures.
- Ensure accurate completion of receiving, inventory, picking, and shipping documentation.
- Support lean manufacturing and continuous-improvement initiatives.
- Maintain confidentiality of company, customer, supplier, and inventory information.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
- Oversized material handling requiring crane operation.
Leadership Responsibilities
The Warehouse Lead provides day-to-day direction to warehouse employees and is expected to:
- Set clear expectations for daily work.
- Coordinate workflow and manpower.
- Lead by example in safety, attendance, productivity, and professionalism.
- Help resolve routine operational issues.
- Train employees on warehouse procedures and equipment.
- Communicate production priorities to the warehouse team.
- Escalate significant operational or employee issues to the Warehouse Manager.
Safety Responsibilities
- Follow all OSHA and company safety requirements.
- Promote a safety-first culture within the warehouse.
- Conduct or participate in daily safety checks as required.
- Ensure proper use of PPE and material-handling equipment.
- Report accidents, incidents, near misses, and unsafe conditions promptly.
- Maintain clear aisles, emergency exits, and designated storage areas.
- Follow proper forklift and powered industrial truck procedures.
Qualifications
Required
- High school diploma or equivalent preferred.
- 2–4 years of lead warehouse, logistics, manufacturing, or material-handling experience.
- Previous experience operating forklifts or other material-handling equipment.
- Ability to read work orders, inventory information, labels, and shipping/receiving documentation.
- Basic computer skills.
- Strong organizational and communication skills.
- Ability to prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
- Ability to work effectively with production and warehouse personnel.
- Ability to regularly lift and move materials as required by the position.
Preferred
- Previous warehouse lead or team-lead experience.
- Manufacturing or automotive/transit industry experience.
- Experience with ERP or warehouse management systems.
- Experience with inventory control and cycle counting.
- Forklift certification.
- Experience with 5S, Lean Manufacturing, or continuous improvement.
Physical Requirements
- Ability to stand and walk for extended periods.
- Ability to frequently bend, stoop, reach, push, pull, and lift.
- Ability to lift and move materials consistent with company safety guidelines.
- Ability to safely operate material-handling equipment.
- Ability to work in a manufacturing/warehouse environment with varying temperatures and noise levels.
- Ability to wear required PPE.
Performance Expectations
The Warehouse Lead will be measured on:
- Safety: Maintaining a safe warehouse and reducing incidents and near misses.
- Inventory Accuracy: Maintaining accurate inventory and minimizing discrepancies.
- Material Availability: Ensuring production receives required materials on time.
- Productivity: Efficient use of warehouse labor and resources.
- Quality: Accurate receiving, picking, staging, and documentation.
- Housekeeping: Maintaining organized and clean warehouse areas.
- Leadership: Providing effective direction, training, and communication to the warehouse team.
- Attendance & Accountability: Maintaining dependable attendance and holding the team accountable to established expectations.
- Continuous Improvement: Identifying opportunities to improve warehouse processes and material flow.
Success in the First 90 Days
Within the first 90 days, the Warehouse Lead should:
- Understand warehouse procedures, inventory systems, and production material requirements.
- Establish effective communication with Production, Purchasing, and Supply Chain.
- Demonstrate consistent adherence to safety requirements.
- Maintain an organized and efficient warehouse.
- Demonstrate accurate material handling and inventory practices.
- Build credibility and accountability with the warehouse team.
- Identify at least one opportunity to improve warehouse efficiency, safety, or inventory accuracy.