Inventory Team Lead at Kee Safety in Buffalo, NY

The Inventory Team Lead is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Buffalo warehouse’s material supply, receiving, and supermarket functions, including the direct oversight of the Material Handler/Picker team and Cycle Counter. This role owns the accuracy and organization of the supermarket and inventory locations, ensures incoming material is received, inspected, and put away correctly, and ensures outgoing orders are picked, packed, and shipped accurately and on time. The Inventory Team Lead is expected to operate material handling equipment, including a Toyota turret truck, as a core part of daily responsibilities, while coaching and directing the team to maintain safety, accuracy, and productivity standards.

Specific Responsibilities

· Lead and direct the daily activities of the Material Handler/Picker team and Cycle Counter, assigning work and monitoring priorities throughout the shift

· Operate a Toyota turret truck and other material handling equipment to receive, put away, replenish, and pick inventory in narrow-aisle high-density racking

· Oversee receiving of inbound shipments, verifying quantities and condition against purchase orders and packing slips, and resolving discrepancies

· Maintain accurate stocking of the supermarket and warehouse locations, ensuring product is placed in the correct location and labeled per standard work

· Oversee order picking and packing, ensuring accuracy, proper packaging, and on-time completion to meet shipping schedules

· Coordinate outbound shipping, including staging, verifying orders, and preparing shipping documentation

· Partner with the Cycle Counter to support ongoing cycle count activity, investigate variances, and drive corrective action

· Identify and correct root causes of short ships, mispicks, and picking overages, following established SOPs

· Enforce safe forklift and turret truck operating practices, and ensure equipment is inspected and maintained per company standards

· Train, coach, and evaluate team members on safety, quality, and productivity expectations

· Maintain accurate records in the ERP/WMS system related to receiving, inventory movement, and order fulfillment

· Communicate daily priorities, issues, and progress to the Warehouse Operations Supervisor

· Perform other tasks as requested by the Warehouse Supervisors and Manager

Education

High school diploma or equivalent certificate

Experience

· Current forklift certification required, with a minimum of 2 years of hands-on experience operating a turret truck in a warehouse environment

· Previous experience in material handling, receiving, or inventory operations, preferably in a distribution or manufacturing warehouse

· Prior experience leading or directing the work of others preferred

Skills & Abilities

Equipment skills – proficient and safe operation of a Toyota turret truck and other powered industrial trucks in narrow-aisle, high-density racking

Warehouse skills – receiving, put-away, cycle counting, order picking/packing, and shipping processes

Leadership skills – ability to direct, coach, and hold a small team accountable to safety, accuracy, and productivity standards

Soft skills – detail-oriented, problem solving, self-auditing

Computer skills – ERP/WMS experience, basic Microsoft Office Suite proficiency

Communication skills – written and verbal, able to clearly direct a team and escalate issues

Physical requirements – able to safely operate a turret truck and other material handling equipment, and perform standing, walking, bending, and lifting throughout the shift