Location: Halton Warehouse
Reports To: Warehouse Manager
Employment Type: Full-Time, Day Shift (days and start times may vary)
Job Summary:
The Product & Inventory Specialist Zone Captain is responsible for owning the inventory integrity and operational flow of their assigned cooler zone. This role goes beyond organization, it requires strategic problem solving and reasoning to proactively manage space, optimize inventory placement, and maintain accuracy across lot numbers, commodities, and quality standards. The Zone Captain must anticipate constraints, resolve space challenges with minimal reshuffling, and ensure all product is stored in compliance with food safety, temperature, and segregation requirements. Success in this role demands a strong inventory background, sound judgment, and the ability to independently solve complex spatial and operational problems.
Key Responsibilities:
Inventory Management & Accuracy
- Take full ownership of inventory integrity within the zone, ensuring all pallets are accurately placed by lot number, commodity, and quality grade
- Conduct regular cycle counts and spot checks to verify system accuracy against physical inventory
- Investigate and resolve inventory discrepancies, including misplacements, lot number errors, and unreported movements
- Enforce FIFO (First In, First Out) principles to maximize shelf life and minimize waste
- Verify product and pallet integrity, documenting and reporting spoilage, damage, or quality concerns
Strategic Space Planning & Problem-Solving
- Proactively assess current and upcoming space needs, using reasoning and forward looking judgment to create capacity for incoming receipts
- Solve complex space constraints by reorganizing layouts, consolidating partial pallets, and identifying underutilized areas before space becomes critical
- Maintain straight, uniform lanes (10 pallets deep) with clear access pathways, ensuring efficient put away and retrieval
- Plan and execute space strategies that minimize reshuffling, reduce double handling, and improve overall operational flow
Food Safety, Segregation & Quality Compliance
- Prevent cross contamination by strictly segregating allergens, ethylene sensitive produce, and incompatible commodities
- Monitor proper temperature control throughout the zone, reporting any deviations immediately
- Ensure all product storage complies with food safety regulations, quality standards, and customer requirements
- Follow sanitation protocols, keeping the zone audit ready at all times
Cleanliness & Organization
- Maintain a clean, debris free work environment, removing scrap strapping, cardboard, and packing materials
- Ensure stable, secure pallet placement to prevent tipping, damage, or safety hazards
- Uphold a standard of organization that supports efficiency, safety, and visual management
5. Communication & Coordination
- Proactively communicate inventory discrepancies, temperature issues, space constraints, and potential risks to management
- Collaborate with buyers, receiving, picking, and quality teams to align on priorities and resolve operational challenges
- Provide daily updates on product status, space availability, and inventory accuracy metrics
Qualifications & Skills:
- Strong inventory background with proven experience managing inventory accuracy, cycle counts, and lot level tracking in a cold warehouse environment
- Perishable inventory experience and knowledge of fresh produce handling, including ethylene sensitivity, temperature requirements, and lot tracking is strongly preferred
- Problem solving & reasoning ability to assess complex spatial challenges, think ahead, and implement effective solutions with minimal supervision
- Organizational excellence with proven ability to maintain order, structure, and visual clarity in a fast paced, high volume environment
- Attention to detail that ensures precision in product placement, labeling, and inventory documentation
- Capable of working in cold storage environments, moving and lifting as required.
- Proactive Mindset that anticipates needs, identifies risks before they escalate, and acts decisively
- Clear Communicator who conveys critical information promptly and effectively to team members and management
- MHE Capable with walkie and BT equipment
Work Environment:
- Cold storage (consistent refrigerated conditions)
- Fast-paced, high volume perishable goods setting
- Team collaboration with minimal direct supervision
- Self motivated and accountable
Performance Metrics:
- Inventory accuracy (correct lot/commodity placement, minimal discrepancies)
- Space utilization efficiency (proactive space creation, minimizing reshuffling)
- Cleanliness & organization (audit ready at all times)
This job description is not designed to cover or contain a fully comprehensive list of activities, duties, or responsibilities required. Duties, expectations, and workflows may shift based on operational needs, and the Cooler Captain may be assigned other tasks as deemed necessary by management.
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Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $22.50-$25.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Dental care
- Extended health care
- On-site parking
- Vision care
Work Location: In person
