Warehouse & Shipping/Receiving Lead

Job Description

Title: Warehousing, Shipping and Receiving Lead

Department: Manufacturing

Reports to: Senior Manager, Manufacturing Operations

Direct Reports: N/A

Exemption status: Non-Exempt

Location: Main Office - 5323 Lakeland Avenue N, Minneapolis, MN

Summary

BGD Companies is a custom furniture manufacturer serving commercial, hospitality, restaurant, healthcare, and senior living environments. The Shipping & Receiving Coordinator plays a critical, hands-on role in ensuring materials and finished products move efficiently throughout the organization while supporting exceptional customer service and on-time project delivery.

This position is responsible for executing all daily shipping and receiving activities, including receiving materials, staging projects, packaging finished goods, coordinating outbound shipments, and maintaining an organized warehouse environment. The role partners closely with Project Management, Purchasing, and Production to ensure materials and finished products flow efficiently through the business.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, dependable, and takes pride in ownership. They enjoy solving problems, working collaboratively across departments, and continually improving warehouse organization and shipping processes.

What Success Looks Like

Within 12–18 months, this role will:

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Become the trusted owner of BGD's shipping and receiving operations.

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Ensure inbound materials are received accurately and staged efficiently for production.

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Deliver complete, damage-free shipments that leave on schedule and meet customer expectations.

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Maintain a clean, organized, and safe warehouse that supports efficient production.

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Build strong working relationships with Project Management, Purchasing, Production, and logistics partners.

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Successfully coordinate the daily work of the part-time Shipping & Receiving team member.

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Identify and implement practical improvements to warehouse organization, packaging methods, and shipping efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

Shipping Operations

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Own the execution of all outbound shipments from BGD's manufacturing facility.

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Assemble finished products for shipment when required.

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Package, palletize, crate, label, and prepare products to ensure safe transportation and minimize shipping damage.

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Verify shipments are complete and accurate prior to loading.

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Safely load customer shipments using forklifts, pallet jacks, and other material handling equipment.

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Coordinate with Project Managers to ensure shipments are prepared according to scheduled pickup dates and customer requirements.

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Stage completed projects for efficient loading and transportation.

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Maintain an organized shipping area that promotes safety and efficiency.

Receiving Operations

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Receive and inspect inbound shipments for accuracy and visible damage.

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Verify packing slips and receiving documentation.

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Label, organize, and stage incoming materials by project.

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Deliver received materials to the appropriate production or storage locations.

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Communicate damaged, missing, or incorrect materials to Purchasing and Project Management.

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Maintain an organized receiving area that supports efficient material flow.

Warehouse Operations

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Maintain clean, organized, and safe warehouse, shipping, and receiving areas.

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Properly store materials and finished products to protect quality and reduce damage.

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Assist with warehouse organization and continuous improvement initiatives.

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Maintain accurate physical inventory and warehouse organization by ensuring materials are properly identified, stored, and accounted for. Support quarterly and annual physical inventory counts in partnership with the Finance team and assist in investigating and resolving inventory discrepancies.

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Follow company safety procedures and safe material handling practices.

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Report equipment maintenance or safety concerns promptly.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

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Work closely with Project Management, Purchasing, and Production to support project execution and on-time delivery.

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Support Production and Assembly during periods of lower shipping volume.

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Utilize Microsoft Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, and Insightly CRM to coordinate work and access project information.

Working Lead Responsibilities

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Provide day-to-day work direction and support for the part-time Shipping & Receiving

team member.

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Help prioritize daily warehouse activities to meet production and shipping schedules.

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Promote a culture of safety, organization, teamwork, and accountability.

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Assist with onboarding and training future warehouse employees as needed.

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Identify opportunities to improve warehouse processes and operational efficiency.

Required Skills & Experience

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High school diploma or GED required.

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Minimum of 3–5 years of experience in shipping, receiving, or warehouse operations.

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Manufacturing experience strongly preferred.

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Experience operating forklifts, pallet jacks, and other warehouse handling equipment.

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Experience packaging, palletizing, crating, and preparing products for shipment.

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Strong organizational skills with excellent attention to detail.

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Ability to communicate effectively across multiple departments.

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Comfortable working in a fast-paced manufacturing environment with a high degree of ownership.

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Basic proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Teams, and business software applications.

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Valid driver's license.

Preferred Qualifications

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Experience within custom furniture, millwork, cabinetry, or other project-based manufacturing environments.

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Experience handling high-value finished products.

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Experience working closely with Production, Purchasing, and Project Management teams.

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Experience supporting Lean Manufacturing or continuous improvement initiatives.

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Familiarity with Insightly CRM or similar ERP/CRM platforms.

Working Style & Culture Fit

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Highly organized and detail oriented.

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Dependable and accountable.

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Practical, solutions-oriented problem solver.

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Comfortable balancing multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

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Takes ownership and follows through on commitments.

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Works collaboratively across departments.

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Communicates proactively and professionally.

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Values trust, craftsmanship, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

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Physical Demands

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The demands described here are representative of those encountered while performing the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Required physical demands include:

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Frequently standing, walking, bending, reaching, lifting, pushing, and pulling throughout the workday.

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Frequently lifting and carrying materials weighing up to 50 pounds.

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Safely operating forklifts, pallet jacks, and other warehouse equipment.

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Seeing, hearing, and communicating sufficiently to safely perform assigned duties.

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Remaining alert and aware of changing warehouse and manufacturing conditions.

Work Environment

The work environment for this position is primarily within BGD Companies' manufacturing and warehouse facilities. The employee will routinely be exposed to moving equipment, forklifts, varying temperatures, dust, noise, and other conditions common to custom furniture manufacturing.

Appropriate personal protective equipment may be required depending on the work being performed.

Travel

Travel up to 10%. The duties of this position may change from time to time. BGD Companies, Inc. reserves the right to add or delete duties and responsibilities at the discretion of BGD Companies or its executive team. The job description is intended to describe the general level of work being performed. It is not intended to be all-inclusive.