Warehouse Supervisor

Warehouse Supervisor

Join a team that nourishes life from farm to table! Upstate Niagara Cooperative, proudly owned by 200+ local family farms, is one of America's largest and most stable dairy cooperatives. Guided by farmer- and employee-led values, we process and market high-quality milk, yogurt, dips, sour cream, cottage cheese, and more under our trusted brands: Upstate Farms, Bison, Milk for Life, and Intense Milk. Here, you'll support sustainable farming, strong communities, and the mission to deliver fresh, local dairy to families every day.

The Warehouse Supervisor is a senior-level operational leader responsible for overseeing multi-shift warehouse, cooler, and logistics operations across both internal and external storage locations. This role carries expanded accountability for labor management, inventory accuracy, safety leadership, ERP/WMS optimization, and cross-functional coordination to support plant-wide objectives.

This position provides strategic direction to a unionized workforce, leads continuous improvement initiatives, and ensures full compliance with all food safety and regulatory standards. The Supervisor plays a critical role in driving operational performance, cost efficiency, and system reliability while ensuring the seamless flow of materials throughout the production and distribution network.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Operational & Strategic Leadership

• Oversee daily warehouse operations, including receiving, put-away, replenishment, cooler operations, finished goods handling, and outbound shipping
• Manage multi-shift operations with accountability for performance, service levels, budget adherence, and workflow optimization
• Partner with senior leadership to develop and execute departmental strategies aligned with plant and corporate goals

Inventory, Systems & Data Management

• Own plant-level inventory accuracy targets (99.5%+), including cycle counting, reconciliation, root cause analysis, and reporting
• Serve as site ERP/WMS super-user (SAP, Aptean Ross preferred), supporting training, troubleshooting, and system optimization
• Utilize data and analytics (including advanced Excel) to forecast labor needs, analyze productivity trends, and improve capacity planning

People Leadership & Labor Management

1. Lead and develop a unionized workforce, including leads, operators, material handlers, and temporary staff
2. Conduct performance management, corrective actions, and workforce planning in alignment with labor agreements
3. Establish productivity standards, accountability measures, and skill development programs
4. Mentor emerging leaders and support succession planning within the warehouse team

Safety, Compliance & Quality Oversight

1. Lead OSHA compliance, PIT safety programs, accident investigations, and corrective actions
2. Ensure adherence to GMP, HACCP, SQF, and all applicable food safety and regulatory standards
3. Maintain audit readiness through SOP improvements, training programs, documentation accuracy, and mock recall exercises

Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence

• Drive Lean, 5S, and Kaizen initiatives to improve throughput, reduce costs, and enhance service levels
• Identify and eliminate operational bottlenecks through layout redesign, slotting optimization, and improved equipment utilization
• Partner with Maintenance to manage material handling equipment, ensuring safety, reliability, and preventative maintenance compliance

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with Production, Quality, Scheduling, Purchasing, and Logistics to align material flow and production needs
• Participate in plant leadership meetings and provide operational insights and strategic recommendations

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Operations Management, or related field and/or 5+ years of warehouse experience with 3+ years in a supervisory or management role
• Experience leading unionized teams
• Proven ability to manage multi-shift or high-volume operations
• Advanced ERP/WMS experience (SAP preferred)
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and data modeling skills (advanced Excel proficiency)
• Experience driving Lean, Continuous Improvement, or 5S initiatives (Six Sigma certification a plus)
• Strong communication skills, leadership presence, and ability to influence cross-functional teams

Work Environment

• Primarily warehouse-based, including cooler and dry storage environments with temperature variations and noise
• Regular use of computers and standard office equipment
• Physical requirements include standing, walking, bending, and lifting up to 25 lbs
• Requires operation and oversight of warehouse equipment
• Fast-paced, dynamic environment with frequent operational demands
• Regular interaction with warehouse staff, drivers, production teams, leadership, and auditors

Pay: $70K-$85K a year *

* The salary range listed for this position represents the good faith and reasonable minimum and maximum pay for this role at the time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, training, knowledge, education, and overall qualifications. The posted salary range reflects just one component of our total rewards package. Other components of the total rewards package may include participation in group health and/or dental insurance, retirement plan, wellness program, paid time away from work, and paid holidays.

Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc. is committed to equal employment opportunity for all, without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.