Warehouse Manager

Warehouse Manager
Certified Fastener & Industrial Supply, Inc.
Hammond, Indiana | Full-time, on-site
Reports to: Sam Lang, Vice President
Department: Warehouse
Direct reports: Warehouse staff (currently 4 full-time employees plus seasonal/temporary help)

About Certified Fastener & Industrial Supply

For over 40 years, Certified Fastener & Industrial Supply has supplied fasteners, tools, and industrial supplies to businesses across the Chicago metro area and beyond. As a small, family-owned company, we have strong relationships with our employees and our customers, and we take pride in providing excellent service at a competitive price. Recently, we have been focused on improving and strengthening our business. We hope to grow significantly in the next few years.

About the Role

We're looking for a Warehouse Manager who can take ownership of the warehouse and actively make it better. Although our current team does an excellent job, we need a leader who brings real warehouse management expertise and can optimize our operations.

This is a working-manager role. At our size, that means you'll be leading and improving the operation, but also working alongside your team — receiving, picking, packing, and shipping – especially during busy stretches. As the team and the business grow, we expect the balance may shift more toward oversight, training, and process improvement.

You'll report directly to the Vice President, work closely with our Purchasing, Sales, and Billing teams, and have a strong influence on a core part of the business.

Responsibilities

Lead the team

• Supervise, schedule, and train warehouse staff, including seasonal/temporary help.
• Set clear expectations and hold the team accountable to them, fairly and consistently.
• Handle day-to-day people issues directly — coaching, performance conversations, and assisting with hiring and discipline decisions.
• Build a warehouse culture that attracts and retains great people.

Run daily operations — hands-on

• Ensure inbound shipments are received accurately and outbound orders are shipped correctly and on time.
• Receive, unload, and put away incoming shipments.
• Pick, pack, and prepare outbound orders for shipment, including same-day shipping on stock items.
• Operate warehouse equipment (forklifts, order pickers, pallet jacks) and use cutting/prep tools as needed for certain products.
• Keep the floor organized, clean, and safe.

Manage inventory

• Maintain accurate inventory through regular cycle counts and reconciliation against our system.
• Investigate and resolve discrepancies before they become customer-facing problems.
• Potentially assist with Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) responsibilities at one or more customer locations.

Improve efficiency and safety

• Identify bottlenecks, waste, and inefficiencies in warehouse workflows, and solve them.
• Help document warehouse processes, including safety and emergency response procedures.
• Bring outside experience and ideas for improvement.

Maintain the warehouse

• Enforce safety procedures and protocols; help us maintain our strong safety record (no significant incidents in the 40 years we've been in business).
• Monitor and maintain the physical condition of the warehouse and equipment; flag repair/replacement needs.
• Make full use of the safety investments we've already made — guard rails, order pickers (to keep staff off ladders), a pneumatic dock, and more — and help identify where we should invest next.

Coordinate with other departments

• Coordinate with Purchasing on incoming stock and with Sales/Billing on order status and customer commitments.
• Communicate proactively with upper management on staffing, capacity, and anything that could affect customer delivery.

Initial performance expectations

First 90 days

• You know the team, the layout, our products, and our systems well enough to run day-to-day operations independently.
• You've identified the two or three biggest opportunities to improve how the warehouse runs.

First 6 months

• You've implemented at least one meaningful process improvement.
• Inventory accuracy is measurably better.
• The team trusts your leadership and knows what's expected of them.

First year

• The warehouse is running noticeably better than when you started — not just maintained, but improved.
• Core processes (receiving, shipping, safety, emergency response) are documented well enough that the operation isn't dependent on any one person's memory, including yours.
• You've earned enough trust and shown enough range that we're actively talking about what's next for you.

Qualifications

Required

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• 5 years of warehouse experience, including at least 2 years in a supervisory or management role.
• Comfortable being hands-on — this role includes real physical warehouse work, not just oversight.
• Ability to read and understand basic written and spoken English, sufficient to follow safety instructions and coordinate with team members.
• Forklift experience (certification can be completed on the job if needed).
• Valid driver's license and a clean driving record.
• Basic computer proficiency (email, Excel, and comfort learning our warehouse/inventory system).
• Familiarity with ERP/warehouse management systems.
• Strong organizational skills and the judgment to prioritize competing demands in a fast-moving small business.
• A track record of solving problems, not just identifying them.

Preferred

• Experience in fastener, tool, or industrial hardware distribution.
• Familiarity with our ERP system, INxSQL
• Experience with Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) programs.
• Bilingual English/Spanish.

Physical Requirements & Work Environment

• Regularly lift/move objects up to 50 lbs; occasionally lift/move more than 50 lbs.
• Standing and walking throughout the shift, with frequent bending, twisting, reaching, and lifting activities
• Comfortable operating a forklift, order picker, and pallet jack.
• Periodically operate a company van to make deliveries, pick up shipments, or visit customer locations for inventory management (VMI) support.
• Work is performed primarily in the warehouse, which is not fully climate-controlled — expect seasonal heat and cold.
• Work near loading docks/open bay doors.

Tools & Systems You'll Use

• INxSQL (inventory, order entry, reporting)
• Microsoft Office applications, especially Outlook and Excel
• Forklifts, order pickers, pallet jacks, hand trucks
• Cutting, drilling, and other tools

What we offer

• Competitive pay.
• Paid vacation and sick time.
• 401(k) retirement savings with up to 3.5% company match.
• Health, dental, and vision insurance — the company pays 100% of employee-only premiums and 85% of premiums for all other coverage tiers for health insurance, and 75% of all coverage tiers for dental and vision insurance.
• $100/month HSA contribution.
• Company-paid short- and long-term disability and a $25,000 life insurance policy, with additional optional coverage available.
• Discretionary holiday bonus based on company and individual performance.
• A friendly work culture — many of our employees have been here for decades.
• Growth opportunity: we're actively investing in the business, and this role has room to grow as we do.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $26.00 - $32.00 per hour

Expected hours: 50.0 – 60.0 per week

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Application Question(s):

• This role includes regular physical work — frequently lifting up to 50 lbs, standing most of the shift, and helping with shipping/receiving. Are you comfortable with that?

Education:

• High school or equivalent (Required)

Experience:

• Warehouse: 5 years (Required)
• Warehouse management: 2 years (Required)
• Fastener Industry: 3 years (Required)

Language:

• English (Required)
• Spanish (Preferred)

License/Certification:

• Driver's License (Preferred)
• Forklift Certification (Preferred)

Shift availability:

• Day Shift (Required)

Salary : $26 - $32