A warehouse associate works in the shipping and receiving branch of a company, tracking inventory, storing products, and overseeing deliveries and shipments. In addition to organizational skills and attention to detail, the warehouse associate job description requires physical strength, as well as the ability to operate heavy machinery.
Position Description
The warehouse associate receives shipments and restocks orders, keeps track of inventory, ships orders to customers, and maintains the cleanliness and organization of the warehouse space.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities of a Warehouse Associate
- Signs for factory deliveries of company products.
- Organizes and restocks products in the warehouse.
- Takes inventory of all supplies, and reorders materials as necessary.
- Processes and packages orders.
- Operates forklift and other machinery needed to transport heavy items around the warehouse.
- Delivers orders to clients and customers.
- Addresses and resolves any shipment or delivery errors.
- Assists customer service department in addressing customer complaints with regard to shipments and deliveries.
- Inspects all goods being shipped and received, reporting and defective or damaged items.
- Keeps warehouse organized and clean.
- Updates management or supervisor on the status of inventory, shipments, and deliveries.
- Devises new and improved ways to store and ship products.
Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Possesses physical strength necessary to lift heavy boxes and crates and move them around the warehouse.
- Is capable of maintaining the stamina needed for long hours of physical labor.
- Works well with a team.
- Exhibits effective communication skills, essential to providing instructions and suggestions about warehouse organization to management and other warehouse associates.
- Pays close attention to detail, a skill essential in identifying order discrepancies and product deficiencies.
- Demonstrates strong customer service skills, for the purpose of handling customer complaints.
- Possesses the mental and physical acuity necessary to drive and operate heavy machinery.
- Must be able to multi-task and work efficiently.
- Demonstrates excellent time management skills.
- Possesses clear knowledge of computer ordering systems.
- Has ability to navigate and troubleshoot computer systems as necessary.
- Is capable of thinking creatively and spatially, in order to efficiently and effectively organize inventory.
Education and Experience
- High school diploma or GED is required.
- Must obtain proper certification to operate forklifts or other heavy machinery in the warehouse.
- Must be familiar with Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) programs and other inventory management software.
Work Environment
- Workday is a standard 8 hours, and is spent in a warehouse setting.
- The position involves a significant amount of physical labor, requiring long hours of lifting, packing, standing, and movement around the warehouse.
- Additional time will be spent meeting with other company departments in an office to report on inventory and present new shipment and storage techniques.
- Temperatures in the warehouse are variable, with dramatic increases or decreases in response to weather and the products being stored.
Salary
- Average salaries for a warehouse associate range from $20,000 and $30,000.
The requirements and responsibilities that comprise the job description of a warehouse associate point to its essential role in the smooth functioning of a company. An individual that holds this position is in charge of a company’s inventory, the source of its profit and key to its success.
