Shipping and Receiving Associate

About the role

Come be a critical link between production and the customer, ensuring products are shipped accurately, efficiently, and on time. In this fast-paced role, you'll manage domestic and international shipments, coordinate with multiple carriers, resolve shipping challenges, and partner with teams across the organization to deliver an exceptional customer experience. Your attention to detail and problem-solving skills will help keep operations running smoothly while supporting continuous improvement initiatives.

Shift: Monday–Friday, 7 am–3 pm or 8 am–4 pm

Responsibilities

• Prepare and process all domestic and international shipments using UPS, FedEx, LTL and other carriers and couriers.
• Determine appropriate carrier and method of shipment required to meet internal and external customer demands.
• Maintain internal databases including intranet and ERP system to ensure accurate shipping history.
• Work with internal customers to resolve customer service issues, including shipping errors, order entry errors, late orders, packing slip/part count/PO discrepancies.
• Proactively communicate shipping issues to customer service for resolution.
• Support other departments (Sales, Marketing, and Customer Service) with preparing and shipping tradeshow supplies, marketing materials, and samples by requested ship method.
• Maintain clean and organized work area with emphasis on safety, quality, efficiency, and utilization.
• Continually seek to improve work processes and individual performance.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or equivalent
• 2+ years of shipping and receiving experience
• Forklift experience
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written
• Ability to work safely with sharp tools/objects (e.g., hobby knives, utility knives, pliers)
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Ability to multitask and prioritize own workload
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, team-oriented work environment
• Ability to comprehend and follow printed and computer-screen instructions, and direction from supervisors or technical leads
• Strong sense of urgency
• Solid customer service skills

Preferred qualifications

• Experience using UPS, FedEx shipping software
• Experience with international shipments

Benefits

• Health Insurance: Traditional OR High Deductible plan
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Health Savings Account (including employer contributions)
• Dental and Vision
• Basic and Supplemental Life Insurance
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
• Paid caregiver leave
• At least 3 weeks of PTO, Holiday Pay, and Volunteer Hours
• 401k with company match and immediate vest
• Employee Stock Purchase Program at a discounted rate
• Matching grants through Protolabs foundation

Pay

$20.14 – $23.70 per hour. Protolabs offers a competitive total rewards package; compensation mix varies based on position (base wage, incentives, commissions). Actual pay offered will vary depending on factors such as job function, work experience, specialized skills, training, education, and certifications.

Schedule

Monday–Friday, 7 am–3 pm or 8 am–4 pm

Physical demands

While performing the essential duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to sit; use a computer keyboard, monitor and mouse, telephone and printer; reach with hands and arms; talk, see and hear. The employee is regularly required to stand, walk, stoop or kneel and must be able to lift and/or move up to 50+ pounds.

Work environment

Indoors (A/C); nonsmoking; the majority of this job function is performed in a manufacturing area exposed to machinery and noise; eye protection and safety shoes required. Occasionally works in outside weather conditions. Occasionally works near moving mechanical parts and in high, precarious places and is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, risk of electrical shock and vibration. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate.

Additional information

Due to ITAR regulations, this role is only open to U.S. Citizens, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), or foreign nationals granted refugee or asylee status. Individuals with temporary visas (e.g., E, F-1, H-1, H-2, L, B, J, TN, or OPT) are not eligible for hire.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans.