Operations Team Lead

Forward Air

Union City, CA

JOB DETAILS
SALARY
$27–$29 Per Hour
SKILLS
Administrative Skills, Auditing, Coaching, Communication Skills, Continuous Improvement, Corporate Policies, Corrective Action, Customer Relations, Customer Support/Service, Develop and Maintain Customers, Documentation, Inventory Cycle Counts, Inventory Management, Inventory Transactions, Leadership, Lean Manufacturing, Maintain Compliance, Operational Communications, Operational Support, Operations Management, Operations Planning, Operations Processes, Organizational Skills, Performance Analysis, Performance Metrics, Problem Solving Skills, Procedure Implementation, Process Control Engineering, Process Development, Process Improvement, Project Tracking, Quality Control, Quality Monitoring, Record Keeping, Regulatory Requirements, Root Cause Analysis, Safety Compliance, Safety Process, Safety/Work Safety, Shipping/Receiving, Staff Training, Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), Startup, Team Lead/Manager, Time Management, Traceability, Training/Teaching, Warehousing
LOCATION
Union City, CA
POSTED
Today

Warehouse Lead 

Position Summary

The Warehouse Lead is responsible for supporting the day-to-day execution of warehouse operations while providing leadership, guidance, and direction to warehouse associates. This position serves as a working leader who actively participates in operational activities while ensuring safety, quality, productivity, and customer service expectations are met.

The Warehouse Lead works closely with Supervisors and Managers to coordinate labor, monitor workflow, train employees, enforce standard operating procedures, and resolve operational issues. This role serves as the primary point of contact for associates on the warehouse floor and assists leadership in driving operational excellence and continuous improvement initiatives.

Compensation:  $27.00 - $29.00 per hour

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

  • Coordinate daily workflow and labor assignments within assigned operational areas.
  • Assist supervisors in executing daily operational plans and customer requirements.
  • Monitor work progress throughout the shift and ensure timely completion of assigned tasks.
  • Provide floor-level leadership and support to warehouse associates.
  • Communicate operational priorities and shift objectives to team members.
  • Identify and escalate operational constraints, delays, and service risks.
  • Assist with shift start-up meetings, shift handoffs, and daily communication.

Training and Development

  • Train and onboard new employees on warehouse processes, equipment, safety procedures, and customer requirements.
  • Provide ongoing coaching and performance feedback to associates.
  • Support cross-training initiatives to improve workforce flexibility.
  • Reinforce company policies, procedures, and operational standards.
  • Promote accountability and professional development among team members.

Safety and Compliance

  • Promote and maintain a safe working environment.
  • Ensure compliance with all company safety policies and procedures.
  • Conduct routine safety observations and report hazards immediately.
  • Ensure proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
  • Support incident investigations and corrective actions as required.
  • Maintain compliance with customer, company, and regulatory requirements.

Quality and Process Control

  • Monitor work quality and ensure adherence to standard operating procedures.
  • Conduct routine process audits and quality inspections.
  • Identify process deviations and implement immediate corrective actions.
  • Support root cause investigations and continuous improvement initiatives.
  • Ensure customer requirements and service level expectations are consistently met.

Inventory and Material Control

  • Support inventory accuracy through cycle counts, audits, and investigations.
  • Verify proper material handling, labeling, storage, and movement practices.
  • Assist in resolving inventory discrepancies and transaction errors.
  • Support inventory control programs and warehouse organization initiatives.
  • Ensure product traceability and inventory integrity are maintained.

Customer Service and Performance

  • Support the achievement of operational KPIs and productivity goals.
  • Monitor workflow performance and communicate progress to leadership.
  • Assist with urgent customer requests and operational escalations.
  • Support on-time shipping, receiving, and inventory processing activities.
  • Promote a customer-focused culture throughout the operation.

5S and Continuous Improvement

  • Maintain clean, organized, and audit-ready work areas.
  • Support facility 5S standards and zone ownership programs.
  • Identify opportunities for process improvements and waste reduction.
  • Participate in Lean and continuous improvement initiatives.
  • Encourage employee engagement and operational excellence.

Administrative Support

  • Assist supervisors with labor tracking and attendance monitoring.
  • Support completion of operational reports, logs, and documentation.
  • Participate in daily operational meetings and shift reviews.
  • Maintain accurate records and operational data as required.

Other Duties

  • Operate material handling equipment as required and maintain certification.
  • Support special projects and operational initiatives.
  • Perform additional duties as assigned.

About the Company

F

Forward Air

Since 1990, Forward Air has been a leading provider of ground transportation and related logistics services to the North American air freight and expedited LTL market. We offer surface shipping on an accelerated “time-definite” basis, delivering cargo at a specific time, but under less time-sensitive situations – supplying you with a cost effective, reliable alternative to air transportation. We work with companies of all sizes to develop tangible advantages and build the best products to meet your specific needs. Forward Air presents to the wholesale transportation community (logistics companies, freight forwarders, integrated air cargo carriers, passenger/ cargo airlines, and non-traditional shippers), a single-source provider that can deliver more supply chain services and a superior menu of choices. Throughout the years we have added supplementary lines to our linehaul service, such as full truckload operations (Truckload Services), final-mile coverage (Complete® Cartage), and an Airline Logistics program, and we will continue to expand our services to meet the changing needs and growth of our customer base.

Forward Air is structured to optimize both savings and service to our customers. Direct partnerships with owner-operators and other surface transportation providers, enable us to remain cost-competitive. The Forward Air network is designed with over 90 facilities located at or near major U.S. and Canadian airports, 12 regional sort centers and over 300 beyond points (secondary airports provided through our Complete Cartage service), creating one of the most comprehensive linehaul networks in the industry.

The foundation product for Forward Air is our expedited linehaul service, offering consistent and reliable transit and on-time, damage-free deliveries. By locating terminals on or near airports and maintaining a scheduled transportation network, we are able to arrange for convenient and consistent service with broad geographic coverage. Shipments of varying sizes (TL/LTL) are received at our terminals and transported by contracted service providers either (1) on a direct truck to the destination terminal, (2) through our Columbus, Ohio central sorting hub, or (3) through one of our 12 regional hubs, where they are unloaded, sorted, and reloaded in rapid fashion. After reloading the shipments, our contracted service providers deliver them to the destination city for early morning recovery. Through our Forward Air Complete® cartage service, customers also can have shipments picked up from the shipper, delivered to the final consignee, or transferred at the airport, simplifying the freight management processes. These options allow us to maximize handling efficiency of each shipment while minimizing freight loss and damage, improving transit times over traditional ground transportation.

COMPANY SIZE
2,500 to 4,999 employees
INDUSTRY
Transport and Storage - Materials
FOUNDED
1981
WEBSITE
https://www.forwardair.com/content/careers-0