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The Material Handler supports daily production by safely receiving, moving, staging, and issuing materials needed for commercial printing and direct mail operations. This role ensures the right paper, envelopes, ink/consumables, and job components are delivered to the correct department at the correct time, while maintaining accurate scans/transactions, clean staging areas, and safe material flow.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Material Movement & Job Staging

• Pull, stage, and deliver materials to production areas (press, bindery/finishing, inserting, mailing) based on the job schedule and priorities.
• Move paper rolls/skids, envelopes, cartons, pallets, and finished goods using pallet jack and/or forklift.
• Maintain clear, organized staging lanes by department and job number to prevent mix-ups and delays.
• Return excess materials to inventory and consolidate partial skids/cartons as directed.

Inventory Control & Accuracy

• Verify materials against pick lists, job tickets, work orders, and labels (item, lot, quantity, job number).
• Use scanners/software (or manual logs) to perform material transactions: receiving, transfers, issues to jobs, and returns.
• Perform cycle counts and assist with physical inventory; report discrepancies or damaged product immediately.

Receiving & Shipping Support (as assigned)

• Assist with unloading inbound deliveries, verifying counts, noting damage, and moving materials to assigned locations.
• Prepare finished goods for shipment: palletizing, stretch-wrapping, labeling, staging by carrier/pickup time.
• Follow customer-specific handling requirements (banding, corner boards, labels, documentation).

Quality, Safety, and Housekeeping

• Inspect materials for damage, moisture issues, crushed cartons, or label concerns and notify leadership before use.
• Maintain a clean work area (5S): keep aisles clear, remove trash/dunnage, and keep materials properly stacked.
• Follow all safety rules, PPE requirements, and equipment procedures (forklift, pallet jacks, dock plates).
• Report near-misses, unsafe conditions, or equipment issues promptly.

Cross-Functional Support

• Support production teams by responding quickly to material shortages and re-supply requests.
• Communicate status updates to leads/supervisors (staged, delivered, shortages, substitutions needed).
• Perform other duties as assigned to support production and shipping goals.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Ability to work in a fast-paced manufacturing/production environment with shifting priorities.
• Strong attention to detail (job numbers, labels, counts, matching materials to work orders).
• Basic math skills and ability to accurately count, verify, and document quantities.
• Ability to follow written instructions and safety procedures; good communication skills.
• Dependable attendance and ability to work assigned shift, including overtime as needed.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience in printing, mail, packaging, or manufacturing environments.
• Forklift certification and/or 6+ months forklift experience (sit-down/stand-up as applicable).
• Experience using scanners, inventory systems, or shop floor software (WMS/ERP).