Shipping & Receiving Supervisor

About the role

Oversee daily receiving operations to ensure materials, components, products, and supplies are received, inspected, documented, and made available to support production and customer fulfillment. Provide leadership and direction to receiving and material-handling employees while ensuring safe, accurate, and efficient warehouse operations. Serve as a hands-on leader promoting employee engagement, accountability, inventory accuracy, continuous improvement, and operational excellence. Work closely with Purchasing, Planning, Production, Quality, Warehouse, and other departments to ensure materials are received and processed accurately and efficiently to meet business and customer requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop receiving and material-handling employees to achieve performance, quality, safety, accuracy, and productivity goals.
• Supervise and coordinate daily receiving activities, including unloading, inspecting, counting, labeling, staging, and putting away incoming materials.
• Plan staffing and work assignments to maintain adequate receiving coverage and effectively manage daily workload and material flow.
• Coordinate the timely receipt and processing of incoming materials to support production schedules, inventory requirements, and customer demand.
• Verify incoming shipments against purchase orders, packing slips, bills of lading, and other applicable documentation.
• Ensure materials are accurately received into the ERP/MRP system and that inventory records are maintained accurately and in a timely manner.
• Monitor inventory accuracy and investigate receiving discrepancies, shortages, overages, damaged materials, and other receiving issues.
• Coordinate with Purchasing and suppliers to resolve shipment discrepancies, damaged goods, shortages, and other receiving-related issues.
• Work closely with Quality to ensure incoming materials are properly identified, inspected, quarantined, or released in accordance with established procedures.
• Ensure received materials are properly labeled, identified, stored, and located to maintain accurate inventory and efficient material flow.
• Monitor dock and receiving areas to ensure materials are handled safely and efficiently and that work areas remain organized and compliant with company standards.
• Maintain accurate receiving records, documentation, and system transactions.
• Monitor employee performance, attendance, and work habits; provide feedback, coaching, and corrective action as necessary.
• Conduct performance evaluations and support employee development initiatives.
• Promote teamwork, employee engagement, accountability, and a positive work environment.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, safety procedures, OSHA regulations, and material-handling requirements.
• Conduct safety observations, audits, investigations, and employee training as required.
• Ensure employees are properly trained in receiving procedures, material handling, equipment operation, and safe work practices.
• Ensure proper operation and use of material-handling equipment, including forklifts and other warehouse equipment, and communicate maintenance needs as necessary.
• Analyze receiving activity, inventory accuracy, material flow, staffing, and operational data to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, quality, delivery, accuracy, productivity, and cost.
• Identify opportunities to improve receiving processes, warehouse organization, inventory accuracy, and overall material flow.
• Support problem-solving efforts and implementation of corrective and preventive actions.
• Collaborate with Production, Planning, Purchasing, Quality, Warehouse, and other departments to resolve material and operational issues.
• Help ensure materials are available to production when needed while minimizing delays, excess handling, and inventory discrepancies.
• Support cycle counting, inventory audits, physical inventories, and other inventory-control activities as required.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe receiving and warehouse environment.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• 3-5 years of warehouse, receiving, distribution, manufacturing, or material-handling experience.
• 1-2 years of supervisory or team leadership experience.
• Working knowledge of receiving processes, inventory control, material handling, and workplace safety requirements.
• Experience working with purchase orders, packing slips, shipping documentation, and inventory transactions.
• Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to prioritize work, manage competing demands, and adapt in a fast-paced manufacturing and warehouse environment.
• Basic computer proficiency, including Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to safely operate or oversee the operation of material-handling equipment, as applicable.

Preferred Qualifications

• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Operations, Business, Manufacturing, or a related field.
• Experience with ERP, MRP, warehouse management, or inventory management systems.
• Previous experience in a manufacturing or industrial environment.
• Experience with inventory control, cycle counting, physical inventories, and root-cause problem solving.
• Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, or Six Sigma experience.
• Forklift or other material-handling equipment certification.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish is a major plus.
• Strong understanding of supply chain, purchasing, production planning, and material-flow processes.

Schedule

Core business hours are generally 7:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This position may require work outside normal business hours based on operational needs, receiving schedules, supplier deliveries, training requirements, inventory activities, or business conditions.

Working Conditions

This position operates primarily in a warehouse and manufacturing environment and may be exposed to moving equipment, varying temperatures, noise, dust, and other typical industrial conditions. Appropriate personal protective equipment must be worn as required.

Physical Requirements

• Primary functions require sufficient physical ability and mobility to work in a warehouse and manufacturing environment.
• Daily activities may include standing, walking, sitting, bending, reaching, lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, and operating computer and warehouse equipment.
• May occasionally require lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling materials and equipment up to 50 pounds.
• Must be able to communicate effectively, maintain awareness of surroundings, and work safely around material-handling equipment and other warehouse operations.