Warehouse Team Lead- 1st Shift

The Warehouse Team Lead is responsible for leading the safe, efficient, and accurate execution of daily warehouse operations during the assigned shift. This role provides day-to-day leadership by directing workflow, assigning work, resolving operational issues, supporting employee development, and ensuring customer orders and inventory activities are completed safely, accurately, and on schedule.

Working closely with the Warehouse Supervisor, the Warehouse Team Lead maintains continuity between shifts, reinforces standard work, supports 5S initiatives, and serves as the primary technical resource for warehouse operations. The Team Lead is expected to take ownership of day-to-day operational challenges by resolving issues whenever possible and communicating significant concerns, actions taken, and unresolved issues to the Warehouse Supervisor.

Essential Job Functions:

Safety

• Demonstrate the highest commitment to safety by modeling compliance with all company safety policies, procedures, PPE requirements, and standard work.
• Maintain safe forklift operation and ensure material handling practices comply with company standards.
• Identify and immediately correct unsafe behaviors or conditions while reinforcing safe work practices through coaching and leadership by example.
• Maintain 5S standards by ensuring aisles, staging areas, workstations, storage locations, and the overall warehouse remain clean, organized, and hazard-free.
• Participate in required safety meetings and training.
• Support onboarding and reinforce safe work practices with new and existing employees.
• Assist with injury and incident response by securing the area, documenting facts, and notifying the Warehouse Supervisor and Safety.
• Participate in incident investigations, support implementation of corrective actions, and ensure corrective actions remain effective following implementation.

Team Supervision & Development

• Work directly with the Warehouse Supervisor and Human Resources to understand, communicate, and uphold company policies, procedures, and expectations.
• Assign work to team members based on standard work, customer priorities, production requirements, and direction provided by the Warehouse Supervisor.
• Provide day-to-day leadership, direction, coaching, and support for warehouse employees while promoting professionalism, accountability, teamwork, urgency, and ownership.
• Monitor employee performance and reinforce safety, quality, productivity, attendance, and standard work expectations through regular coaching and communication.
• Establish and maintain open communication with team members, addressing concerns and interpersonal conflicts promptly while involving management or Human Resources when appropriate.
• Support structured onboarding and employee development by identifying training needs, reinforcing standard work, and ensuring required training documentation is completed and submitted to Human Resources.
• Document employee policy violations, process deviations, attendance concerns, and performance issues, and provide information to the Warehouse Supervisor and Human Resources to support coaching, performance management, and corrective action.
• Support probationary and annual performance reviews by providing employee performance feedback and documentation.
• Review attendance concerns with employees following unplanned absences as directed by the Warehouse Supervisor.
• Serve as acting Warehouse Supervisor during vacations, meetings, training, or other temporary absences as assigned.
• Provide complete shift handoff communication, including operational status, priorities, customer commitments, inventory concerns, and outstanding issues.

Production & Schedule Execution

• Lead shift execution for picking, packing, staging, loading, shipping, receiving, inventory movement, cycle counting, product transfers, and related warehouse activities.
• Monitor workflow throughout the shift and adjust assignments to maintain customer order fulfillment, inventory replenishment, production transfers, and shipping schedules.
• Ensure customer orders are picked, staged, loaded, and shipped accurately and on time.
• Ensure production transfers are received, verified, and placed into their assigned storage locations.
• Maintain warehouse work queues, workbench priorities, organized staging areas, and designated storage locations to support daily operational requirements and prevent accumulation of product in temporary holding areas.
• Complete and verify ERP inventory transactions accurately and in a timely manner.
• Coordinate workflow with production, shipping, receiving, transportation, and inventory activities to maintain operational flow throughout the shift.
• Resolve day-to-day operational issues involving inventory discrepancies, shipping delays, equipment concerns, staffing challenges, and process interruptions whenever possible. Communicate significant issues, actions taken, and unresolved concerns to the Warehouse Supervisor.
• Identify workflow bottlenecks, maximize equipment utilization, and recommend process improvements that increase safety, efficiency, warehouse productivity, organization, customer service, and material flow.
• Support and reinforce continuous improvement initiatives to improve warehouse operations and maintain standard work.

Quality & Process Control

• Verify the accuracy of picking, staging, labeling, loading, shipping documentation, inventory transactions, and material movements.
• Ensure warehouse processes are executed in accordance with established standard operating procedures.
• Ensure ERP inventory transactions, shipping documentation, and warehouse records are completed accurately and in a timely manner.
• Verify products are properly identified, labeled, stored in their assigned inventory locations, and remain traceable throughout warehouse operations.
• Monitor inventory accuracy, promptly resolve discrepancies within assigned authority, and support cycle count activities to maintain inventory integrity.
• Identify process gaps, recommend corrective actions, and support continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen warehouse accuracy, inventory control, and operational efficiency.

Required PPE

• Safety glasses are always required while in all company production facilities. In designated areas, foam-lined safety glasses are required.
• Steel-toed boots with accompanying or built-in metatarsal guards are required.
• Kevlar cut-resistant gloves and sleeves are required when using an open blade.
• Any additional PPE required by the task, department, or company policy

Other Duties

• Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

• Full Time Non-Exempt
• Monday through Friday
• Weekends as needed.
• Required to work onsite 100% of the time.

Travel: None

Work Environment

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works in an production environment.
• Percentage of Office - 5%
• Percentage of Travel - 1%
• Percentage of Manufacturing - 95%
• Exposure to heat, noise, chemicals, moving equipment, and industrial processes is expected.
• Required PPE must be worn at all times in designated areas.

Physical Demands

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands and fingers to handle, feel, or operate objects, tools or controls, and reach with hands and arms. The employee is frequently required to stand, talk and hear.
• Occasional heavy lifting of up to 50 pounds.

Education and Experience

Required:

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Minimum of 3 years of warehouse, shipping, logistics, or material handling experience.
• Demonstrated proficiency operating powered industrial trucks (forklifts) - Completion of company PIT training within 90 days of employment.
• Working knowledge of warehouse inventory systems and ERP transactions.
• Demonstrated ability to lead employees through influence, communication, and accountability.

Preferred:

• Previous experience as a Team Lead or Supervisor.
• Experience with warehouse management systems (WMS) or ERP software.
• Lean Manufacturing, Lean Warehousing, or Continuous Improvement experience.

Competencies/Skills

• Strong leadership and coaching ability
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to conduct performance feedback and coaching discussions professionally
• Root cause analysis and problem-solving skills
• Strong sense of ownership, accountability, and dependability
• Ability to train others and reinforce standard work
• Quality and safety awareness
• Ability to multi-task, prioritize, and adapt to changing demands
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy
• Ability to foster teamwork and maintain a positive work environment

Founded in 1964, Superior Tire & Rubber Corp. is a designer and manufacturer of polyurethane and rubber industrial components for the material handling, construction, agricultural, municipal, and mining industries. All Superior Tire & Rubber Corp.'s product offerings are proudly engineered and produced in the USA on state-of-the-art processing and machining equipment, overseen by quality management systems registered to ISO 9001. Superior Tire & Rubber Corp. also owns multiple patents on many innovative products that have become new industry standards.

Superior Tire & Rubber Corporation Employees are eligible for the following benefits:

• Off-shift Premium
• Vacation, Paid Holidays, and Personal Days
• Medical, Dental, Vision and Life Insurance
• Parental Leave
• 401K
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• YMCA Memberships
• Wellness Programs

At Superior Tire and Rubber Corporation, we are an equal opportunity employer. Our policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other legally protected class. Our company makes all employment and advancement decisions based on merit, qualifications, and abilities.