Operations Specialist – Production & Fulfillment

Position Type: Full-time hourly – 32 hours per week over 4 days 

Compensation: $25–$28 per hour (DOE), equivalent to approximately $42k–$47k annually based on a 32-hour workweek

Location: Queens, NYC (in-person production and fulfillment facility)

Are You a Hands-On Production and Fulfillment Operator Ready to Own the Floor?

At Senbird Tea, our products are made and shipped from our Queens facility. This role is on the floor every day — operating machinery, packing and shipping orders, and keeping production and fulfillment running on time and on spec. You'll also help build the systems and train the people that let us scale. If you've done this kind of work before and you take pride in doing it well, we want to hear from you.

ABOUT SENBIRD

Senbird Tea is an Asian American family-owned Japanese tea company dedicated to bringing you the finest teas from family farms in Japan. Rooted in wellness, sustainability, and quality, our curated collection of teas, premium gift sets, and handcrafted teaware has been recognized by Forbes, Food & Wine, BuzzFeed, and Sustainable Jungle. With over 15,000 five-star reviews on Amazon, we take pride in delivering an exceptional tea experience that nurtures a healthy mind, body, and spirit. Join us in celebrating the rich traditions of Japanese tea—one cup at a time.

WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR

You'll know you're the right person if:

• You lead by doing, staying hands-on while providing guidance and oversight to help the team achieve shared goals.
• You are relentlessly proactive—you don’t wait to be told what to do and are always thinking one step ahead to keep operations running smoothly.
• You thrive on bringing order to chaos and love turning manual tasks into streamlined, repeatable systems through both execution and monitoring.
• You communicate with clarity and purpose, ensuring that everyone from the production and fulfillment team to leadership stays aligned and informed.
• You view challenges as opportunities for growth and find genuine fulfillment in seeing a tangible, high-quality product in a customer's hands because of your direct effort and team oversight.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Production

• Provide hands-on oversight of daily production tasks while actively participating in operating machinery for tea blending, filling tins, labeling, and packaging with high accuracy and consistency, jumping in as needed to ensure daily quotas are met. (Full training on all processes and equipment will be provided as needed.)
• Follow, maintain, and contribute to documenting/updating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to support consistency and effective training.
• Maintain organization, cleanliness, and safety of the production and fulfillment space to ensure efficiency and compliance with quality standards.

Fulfillment

• Oversee and participate in fulfillment operations, including packing and shipping D2C and B2B orders on time, ensuring team efficiency and stepping in to maintain flow.
• Coordinate with the team to align production and fulfillment activities with demand and receive incoming shipments.

Inventory

• Monitor inventory levels for raw materials, packaging supplies, and finished products to help prevent shortages, overstock, and out-of-stock situations on key items.

Leadership

• Train, mentor, and support seasonal interns and junior team members on production machinery, fulfillment processes, and best practices, while monitoring performance to help meet quotas.
• Collaborate cross-functionally and contribute updates during weekly team meetings.

YOUR QUALIFICATIONS

• 3 years of hands-on experience in production, manufacturing, e-commerce fulfillment, or warehouse operations
• Direct experience operating production or packaging machinery in a food, beverage, or CPG environment
• Experience training or mentoring team members in a production or fulfillment setting
• Familiarity with ShipStation, Shopify, or similar platforms is a plus
• Physically capable of hands-on work, including lifting up to 50 lbs
• Passion for Japanese tea and an appreciation for Japanese culture are a plus

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

• Schedule: 4 days per week, 32 hours total (e.g., 10am-6pm or similar flexible hours; occasional adjustments during peak seasons may apply).
• Our interview process typically includes 2-3 steps, including a brief assessment, all designed to ensure we're the right fit for you and you're the right fit for us. We look forward to connecting with you!

WHAT WE OFFER

• 4-Day Work Week (32 hours, Mon–Thu): Real work-life balance, not a marketing line
• Paid Time Off & Sick Leave
• Health Insurance (available upon eligibility)
• Monthly Tea Allowance Generous Employee Discount: Become a genuine product expert
• Direct Mentorship from Founders: Real access, real input, real visibility
• Career Growth: A clear path to grow as Senbird scales
• Team Events & Culture: A small, tight-knit crew that celebrates wins and supports each other

TEAM, CULTURE, VALUES

Senbird has been rooted in Queens, NYC since 2018. We're a small, hands-on team of self-starters who care deeply about the quality of what we make and the experience we deliver. We value people who are dependable, proactive, and collaborative — who take ownership without being asked and communicate clearly when something's off. We work hard, but sustainably, because we're building something meant to last.

Senbird Tea is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.