Warehouse Team Leader

Work Schedule

Environmental Conditions

Job Description

Company Overview

As part of the Thermo Fisher Scientific team, you’ll discover meaningful work that makes a positive impact on a global scale. Join our colleagues in bringing our Mission to life every single day, enabling our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer.

We provide our global teams with the resources needed to achieve individual career goals while helping to take science a step beyond by developing solutions for some of the world’s toughest challenges, from protecting the environment and ensuring food safety to supporting the development of life-saving treatments.

Position Summary

The Lead Material Handler plays a key role in supporting the day-to-day operations of our L’Ametlla del Vallès distribution centre, ensuring warehouse activities are carried out safely, accurately and efficiently.

Working closely with the Distribution Operations Supervisor, this role coordinates daily warehouse activities and provides hands-on guidance to team members across receiving, storage, picking, packing and shipping operations.

The Lead Material Handler helps ensure inventory accuracy, operational performance, quality and regulatory compliance in a multi-attribute distribution environment handling Dangerous Goods, non-Dangerous Goods, sensitive scientific products and temperature-controlled materials.

The role also contributes to operational excellence by supporting continuous improvement through Practical Process Improvement (PPI) initiatives and promoting a strong culture of safety, quality, customer focus and teamwork.

Key Responsibilities

Warehouse Operations & Coordination

• Coordinate and actively support daily warehouse activities, including receiving, put-away, storage, picking, packing and shipping.
• Help organize daily workload and priorities to ensure customer orders and operational requirements are completed safely, accurately and on time.
• Provide day-to-day guidance and support to Material Handlers, helping ensure standard procedures and operational priorities are understood and followed.
• Support service performance by maintaining high standards of quality, responsiveness and on-time delivery.
• Identify operational issues and work with the Distribution Operations Supervisor and other stakeholders to resolve them effectively.
• Ensure effective use of warehouse space, equipment and resources.

Inventory & Quality

• Maintain high levels of inventory accuracy through rigorous stock-control practices and adherence to established procedures.
• Support inventory counts, cycle counting, stock reconciliation and investigation of inventory discrepancies.
• Ensure materials are correctly received, identified, stored, picked, packed and documented according to applicable procedures.
• Maintain accurate records and documentation within warehouse management and ERP systems.
• Support quality requirements and site readiness for internal and external audits.

Safety & Regulatory Compliance

• Promote a strong safety culture and ensure warehouse activities are performed in accordance with company procedures and applicable regulations.
• Support compliance with Dangerous Goods requirements, warehouse safety standards and environmental regulations.
• Ensure correct handling, storage, packing and shipment of Dangerous Goods, non-Dangerous Goods and temperature-sensitive materials.
• Guide team members on safe working practices, procedures and the correct use of warehouse equipment.
• Identify and escalate potential safety, quality or compliance risks and contribute to corrective and preventive actions.
• Maintain high standards of housekeeping and workplace organization, including 5S principles.

Continuous Improvement

• Actively contribute to Practical Process Improvement (PPI) initiatives to improve safety, quality, productivity and customer service.
• Identify opportunities to improve warehouse processes, material flow, space utilization and operational efficiency.
• Support the implementation and sustainability of process improvements using Lean, 5S, Kaizen and other continuous improvement methodologies.
• Encourage team participation in identifying problems and developing practical solutions.

Team Support & Leadership

• Act as a positive role model and provide hands-on leadership during daily warehouse operations.
• Guide, support and develop team members in operational procedures, safety requirements and quality standards.
• Support the onboarding and training of new and existing team members.
• Facilitate effective communication within the warehouse team and help ensure priorities, changes and operational requirements are clearly understood.
• Foster a collaborative and high-performance culture aligned with Thermo Fisher Scientific values: Integrity, Intensity, Innovation and Involvement.
• Escalate operational, staffing, safety or quality concerns to the Distribution Operations Supervisor when appropriate.

Requirements

• Minimum 4 years of experience in warehouse, distribution or material handling operations, including at least 1 year in a lead, coordination or similar leadership capacity is a must.
• Experience in logistics, distribution, supply chain, operations or a related environment is also a must.
• Good understanding of warehouse processes, including receiving, storage, inventory control, picking, packing and shipping.
• Demonstrated ability to guide and support team members in a hands-on operational environment.
• Knowledge of inventory-control procedures and warehouse safety requirements.
• Experience handling Dangerous Goods and/or regulated materials is highly valued.
• Relevant Dangerous Goods certifications or training, such as ADR, IATA or IMDG, are preferred.
• Forklift certification and experience operating powered warehouse equipment.
• Strong computer skills, including experience with warehouse management systems, ERP platforms such as SAP or Oracle, and Microsoft Office.
• Experience working in cGMP/GxP, ISO or other regulated environments is preferred.
• Experience with continuous improvement methodologies such as PPI, Lean, 5S or Kaizen is highly valued.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills, with excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to prioritize multiple activities and respond effectively to changing operational requirements.
• Good interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across teams and functions.
• Ability to perform the physical requirements associated with warehouse operations and work in different temperature-controlled environments.
• Valid driver's license and clean driving record where required.
• Professional English (high intermediate) required; Spanish proficiency strongly preferred. Additional languages are beneficial.