Material Handling Supervisor

• 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.

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.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of employees assigned to this position. Avantor is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

The expected pre-tax pay for this position is

Actual pay may differ depending on relevant factors such as prior experience and geographic location.

We are an Equal Employment/Affirmative Action employer and VEVRAA Federal Contractor. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state/province, or local law.

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by email at recruiting@avantorsciences.com and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Requests for accommodation will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please note that only inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address.

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