Warehouse Associate

Senior Warehouse Associate

The Senior Warehouse Associate plays a key role in daily warehouse operations by combining hands-on physical work with leadership and coordination responsibilities. This position operates forklifts and drives box trucks to move materials, unload shipments, and organize inventory, while also supporting planning, reporting, and guiding team members. The role includes opening and closing responsibilities and is critical to ensuring efficiency, safety, and productivity in a fast-paced environment. The ideal candidate is dependable, proactive, and comfortable taking initiative while supporting both team members and leadership.

Responsibilities

• Perform hands-on warehouse tasks including picking, packing, general labor, material handling, unloading shipments, and organizing inventory.
• Operate forklifts safely and efficiently to move, load, and unload materials throughout the warehouse.
• Drive larger commercial vehicles, including 20-foot box trucks, to support transportation and logistics needs.
• Support leadership with operational oversight, including planning daily activities, monitoring workflow, and ensuring productivity targets are met.
• Assist with opening and closing the warehouse, ensuring all procedures, security, and safety protocols are followed.
• Maintain accurate warehouse inventory through proper handling, labeling, and storage of goods.
• Handle packaging and shipping processes, including coordination with carriers such as UPS and FedEx when needed.
• Support warehouse documentation and reporting processes to track shipments, inventory levels, and operational performance.
• Lead or assist with team meetings, clearly communicating expectations, priorities, and safety guidelines.
• Provide day-to-day guidance and informal leadership to warehouse staff, promoting teamwork and collaboration.
• Train or mentor entry-level associates, sharing best practices in logistics, equipment handling, and safety (preferred responsibility).
• Demonstrate strong time management and multitasking skills to handle multiple incoming and outgoing shipments and tasks.
• Apply attention to detail to ensure accurate order picking, packing, labeling, and documentation.
• Maintain a safety-first mindset, adhering to compliance requirements, PPE standards, and warehouse safety protocols.
• Communicate effectively with team members, leadership, donors, and shipping partners to support smooth operations.
• Use problem-solving and decision-making skills to address operational issues and improve processes.
• Show high accountability and dependability by consistently meeting schedule requirements and performance expectations.
• Support a mission-driven operation by handling donated goods responsibly and efficiently.

Essential Skills

• Proven experience in warehouse operations, including picking, packing, general labor, material handling, and inventory organization.
• Forklift experience and current forklift certification that can be maintained over time.
• Valid driver's license with a clean motor vehicle record.
• Experience driving larger trucks, specifically 20-foot box trucks.
• Experience with commercial driving support in a warehouse or logistics environment.
• Ability to provide operational oversight, supporting planning, coordination, and workflow management.
• Strong time management and multitasking abilities in a fast-paced setting.
• High attention to detail in handling inventory, documentation, and shipments.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills for interacting with team members, leadership, donors, and shipping partners.
• Safety and compliance mindset with strict adherence to protocols and PPE requirements.
• Familiarity with warehouse documentation and reporting processes.
• Ability to lead meetings and communicate expectations clearly to staff.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• High level of accountability and dependability.
• Flexibility to work a MondaySaturday schedule.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with shipping carriers such as UPS, FedEx, and similar services (preferred).
• Ability to train or mentor entry-level associates and support their development (preferred).
• Leadership and team support experience in a warehouse, logistics, or operations environment.
• Comfort working in a fast-paced, physically demanding, non-desk role.
• Interest in building a long-term career in warehouse operations, logistics, or related fields.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities.
• Experience collaborating with donors or working within a mission-driven organization is a plus.

Why Work Here?

You join a supportive environment where teamwork and collaboration are genuinely valued, and your contributions have a visible impact on daily operations and community outcomes. The role offers consistent hours with a structured schedule and dependable income, along with meaningful leadership opportunities and a clear path to grow a career in warehouse, logistics, or operations. You build transferable skills in logistics, organization, and equipment handling while working in an active, physical setting that suits individuals who prefer non-desk roles. You also contribute to a mission-driven organization that supports community impact through donated goods, giving your work a strong sense of purpose.

Work Environment

This position operates in a fast-paced warehouse setting with high daily activity and multiple incoming and outgoing shipments. The standard schedule runs from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with flexibility needed for a MondaySaturday workweek. You regularly operate forklifts and move 20-foot box trucks within and around the facility. The environment includes moderate to high noise levels due to machinery and equipment, as well as exposure to varying temperatures depending on the season and warehouse conditions. The work is physically demanding, involving lifting, bending, and standing for long periods, up to 10 hours. There is a strong leadership presence on the floor, supporting staff and coordinating workflow, and a safety-first culture with strict adherence to protocols and personal protective equipment requirements. You collaborate frequently with team members, leadership, donors, and shipping partners in a busy, mission-focused operation.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Buffalo, NY.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $20.00 - $23.00/hr. Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Buffalo, NY.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Jul 10, 2026.