Warehouse Supervisor

Warehouse Supervisor

The Warehouse Supervisor provides hands-on leadership for daily warehouse operations and is accountable for the safe, accurate, efficient, and timely movement, storage, loading, and unloading of product. This position directs warehouse employees, coordinates labor and equipment, monitors productivity and service performance, and ensures compliance with company policies, food safety requirements, sanitation standards, OSHA requirements, and established operating procedures. The Warehouse Supervisor is expected to lead by example, maintain a visible presence on the floor, coach and develop employees, address performance and safety concerns promptly, and partner with the Warehouse Manager to achieve shift and facility objectives.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Lead, assign, and supervise warehouse employees throughout the shift to ensure safe and efficient use of labor, equipment, dock space, and workflow.
• Maintain an active floor presence and monitor receiving, put-away, replenishment, order selection, staging, loading, and unloading activities, as applicable to the assigned area.
• Set clear performance expectations and provide ongoing coaching, feedback, recognition, and accountability to warehouse employees.
• Monitor productivity, attendance, service levels, quality, accuracy, and assigned key performance indicators (KPIs); address performance gaps and escalate recurring concerns to the Warehouse Manager when appropriate.
• Conduct shift start-up communications, safety talks, and operational updates so employees understand priorities, hazards, staffing needs, and performance expectations.
• Monitor employee safety practices and immediately correct unsafe behaviors or conditions. Reinforce safe lifting, material-handling, pedestrian, dock, and powered industrial truck practices.
• Ensure required trailer inspections, temperature verifications, dock checks, product checks, and other food safety or operational controls are physically completed and accurately documented before loading or unloading.
• Ensure employees follow applicable food safety, sanitation, GMP, PPE, housekeeping, and product-handling requirements.
• Review warehouse paperwork, inspection records, timekeeping information, and operational documentation for completeness, accuracy, and timely submission.
• Coordinate with supervisors, leads, the Warehouse Manager, Quality Assurance, Safety/HR, Shipping & Receiving, and other departments to resolve operational issues and maintain continuity between shifts.
• Respond promptly to equipment issues, product damage, trailer concerns, safety incidents, near misses, food safety concerns, and other operational disruptions; escalate concerns to the Warehouse Manager through appropriate channels.
• Participate in incident reviews, employee coaching, corrective action, and follow-up activities when required.
• Support employee onboarding and training, including reinforcement of standard work, safety requirements, food safety expectations, and job-specific procedures.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and audit-ready work area and ensure end-of-shift reports, handoffs, and outstanding issues are communicated to the next shift and the Warehouse Manager.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives designed to improve safety, quality, productivity, employee engagement, and customer service.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Warehouse Manager.

Qualifications & Skills

• High school diploma or GED required; associate degree, technical training, or additional education preferred.
• Minimum of 2 years of warehouse, distribution, logistics, or related operations experience; food distribution, produce, refrigerated, or cold-storage experience preferred.
• Previous lead or supervisory experience with responsibility for directing employees and managing daily workflow required.
• Forklift/powered industrial truck certification required or ability to obtain and maintain certification.
• Working knowledge of warehouse safety, loading dock practices, food safety, sanitation, inventory movement, and operational procedures.
• Demonstrated ability to lead employees, communicate expectations, coach performance, resolve problems, and maintain accountability in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills and the ability to communicate effectively across shifts and departments.
• Strong organizational, prioritization, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
• Basic math and computer skills; ability to use warehouse, timekeeping, email, reporting, and other business systems and accurately review operational documentation.
• Dependable attendance and schedule

Physical Requirements & Work Environment

• Physical activity: Regularly stand and walk for prolonged periods throughout warehouse, loading dock, staging, and refrigerated/cold-storage areas. Must be able to bend, stoop, kneel, squat, reach, climb stairs, and move safely around active warehouse operations.
• Lifting and material handling: Must be able to repetitively lift and carry up to 50 pounds and push/pull up to 250 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Work environment: Must be able to work in refrigerated/cold-storage and ambient warehouse environments and tolerate varying temperatures and noise levels.
• Equipment exposure: Must be able to safely operate or work in proximity to forklifts, powered industrial trucks, pallet jacks, loading docks, trailers, racking, and other warehouse equipment.
• Personal protective equipment: Must be able to wear all required PPE, including safety footwear, high-visibility apparel, gloves, hair/beard restraints, and other protective equipment as required.
• Schedule flexibility: May be