Material Handling Supervisor

The Opportunity:

Avantor is looking for a Material Handling Supervisor, EWM to serve as the site's primary leader for all Extended Warehouse Management (EWM) processes within SAP S/4HANA. They will oversee the daily activities of the warehouse material handlers and function as the Business Process Leader (BPL) for EWM, ensuring system accuracy, operational discipline, and continuous improvement across all warehouse workflows.

The Supervisor is responsible for aligning warehouse practices with SAP standards, coordinating system issue resolution, developing and maintaining process documentation, and providing ongoing training to end users. In addition, the role provides direct leadership and oversight to the warehouse team, driving performance, supporting material flow, and ensuring timely and accurate execution of picking, putaway, replenishment, staging, and shipping tasks.

The Supervisor, EWM plays a critical role in restoring and improving operational performance, enhancing customer response time, reducing OTIF backlog, and ensuring consistent, reliable support for production and delivery operations.

This is a full-time position based out of our Carpinteria, CA office.

How you will thrive and create an impact:

• Delivers day-to-day operational objectives through the supervision of a team of distribution associates, including warehouse operators, material handlers and/or administrative support staff.
• Sets daily priorities for the team and oversees execution of distribution activities such as order fulfillment, inventory movement, and shipment scheduling, ensuring alignment with operational plans and service targets.
• Serve as the site's Business Process Leader (BPL) for SAP S/4HANA EWM, ensuring process consistency, system accuracy, and adherence to standardized workflows.
• Lead daily oversight of internal warehouse operations, including picking, putaway, replenishment, staging, shipping, and inventory movements.
• Manage, coach, and develop warehouse material handlers, providing direction, performance feedback, and support to ensure operational excellence and safety compliance.
• Monitor EWM task queues in real time, prioritize workload, and allocate labor to prevent bottlenecks and maintain efficient material flow.
• Troubleshoot EWM-related issues, coordinate solutions with IT, SAP support teams, and cross-functional partners, and ensure timely communication to warehouse staff.
• Maintain and update SOPs, work instructions, and training materials related to all EWM processes and warehouse activities.
• Conduct training and refresher sessions for end users to reinforce EWM best practices and improve system proficiency across the team.
• Analyze operational data, identify process inefficiencies, and implement continuous improvement initiatives to restore and enhance pre‑SAP productivity levels.
• Ensure accurate and timely execution of inventory transactions, cycle counts, and bin management to maintain high inventory accuracy.
• Drive improvements in customer response time and OTIF performance by enabling faster, more reliable warehouse execution and reducing aging open tasks.
• Support cross-functional alignment with Production, Quality, Planning, Logistics, and Customer Service to ensure coordinated material availability and order fulfillment.
• Uphold safety standards, enforce compliance with warehouse procedures, and ensure proper use of equipment and technology.
• Reviews team performance and workflows to ensure efficiency, and makes adjustments or recommends enhancements to processes and procedures to improve the effectiveness of the distribution area.
• Works on problems and issues within the distribution function, such as delays, space constraints, or inventory discrepancies, requiring the analysis of operational data and performance metrics.
• Communicates with internal and external contacts, including supply chain planning, transportation providers, and customer service teams, on matters that require understanding operational dependencies, supporting cross-functional goals, and engaging others to resolve issues or implement improvements.

What we're looking for:

• Education:
• Bachelor's degree in supply chain, Logistics, Operations Management, or related field preferred; equivalent experience may be considered.
• Experience:
• 3–5+ years of warehouse or logistics experience, including hands-on involvement with inventory movement and fulfillment processes.
• Prior leadership or supervisory experience overseeing warehouse staff or material handlers.
• Additional Qualifications:
• Strong working knowledge of SAP, preferably S/4HANA with Extended Warehouse Management (EWM).
• Experience as a super user or process owner is highly preferred.
• Proven ability to troubleshoot system issues, interpret EWM task flows, and collaborate with IT or SAP support teams.
• Demonstrated experience in process improvement, workflow optimization, or Lean/continuous improvement methodologies.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to review operational data, identify inefficiencies, and recommend corrective actions.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to train, coach, and support end users at varying levels of SAP proficiency.
• Ability to prioritize tasks, manage multiple deadlines, and lead a team in a fast‑paced operational environment.
• High attention to detail with strong commitment to accuracy and compliance in all warehouse processes.
• Experience working cross‑functionally with Production, Quality, Planning, Logistics, and Customer Service teams.
• Ability to lift, move, or handle materials as required to support operational needs and demonstrate proper procedures.

Environment Working Conditions & Physical Effort:

Work is performed in a combination of office and warehouse environments, with regular exposure to operational areas including storage racks, forklifts, pallet jacks, and active material handling activities.

May be exposed to varying temperatures depending on warehouse climate conditions, including cooler or warmer areas based on season and storage requirements.

Moderate noise levels typical of warehouse operations, including equipment movement, packaging activities, and shipping/receiving tasks.

Must follow all safety protocols and use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when entering or supervising work in the warehouse.

Periodic physical effort required, including walking the warehouse floor, climbing stairs or ladders, and standing for extended periods while observing or assisting with operational tasks.

Occasional lifting, carrying, or handling of materials up to approximately 25–40 pounds, as needed to support operations or demonstrate proper procedures.

Requires sufficient mobility and manual dexterity to access bins, verify inventory, observe equipment use, and interact with SAP/EWM systems or handheld scanning devices.

Must be able to respond quickly to operational issues or workflow interruptions, sometimes requiring movement between multiple warehouse zones.