Forklift Driver/warehouse Operative

**Location: Reading (Tilehurst)**
**Package: Basic salary £27,040 (dependent on experience) bonus & flexible benefits package including up to 27 days holiday (plus bank holidays & additional annual leave purchasing scheme)**

**Hours: 40 hours across Monday-Friday Only**
**Sector: Packaging distribution**

**Protecting what matters, together**
We’re dedicated to protecting what matters most - our people, our customers, our communities, and the environment. At Macfarlane Packaging, our commitment to customer satisfaction, sustainability and continual improvement creates a highly collaborative, supportive, and friendly workplace where you can unpack a career that grows.

With history stretching back over 75 years, we offer stability whilst always striving for continual growth. Our fast-paced, results-driven approach will challenge and often stretch you, but it will also give you opportunities for personal and professional development. Every colleague has the chance to directly influence our success, leading to real job satisfaction and achievement, at all stages of your career.

We provide competitive pay and personalised incentives, alongside adaptable benefits to make your rewards package go further. And additionally, the way we work prioritises work-life balance and flexibility, empowering our colleagues to manage what is most important to them. Our business values commitment, diligence, teamwork, adaptability, and a thirst for learningso if this sounds like you, come and join us to help drive change that enables businesses to plan for a better future.

**The Forklift Driver Warehouse Operative Role**
As FLT Driver/Warehouse Operative, your role involves efficiently managing stock at our local Regional Distribution Centre, ensuring timely order fulfilment, and maintaining inventory accuracy. Attention to detail and a focus on quality control minimises errors, bolstering our company's reputation for reliability. You will assist at site with tasks like replenishment and inventory management, undertaking a range of warehouse related duties including forklift driving and encompassing both goods ‘in’ and ‘out.’ As a key member of our regional logistics team, you shall also maintain close working ties with all areas of the site including the sales and purchasing teams to help ensure that customer orders are fulfilled accurately and on time.

**Forklift Driver Warehouse Operative Key Responsibilities**
- Accept supplier deliveries, ensuring accurate receipt and appropriate storage. Inspect incoming shipments against purchase orders and organize items efficiently.
- Participate in daily team communications to align on priorities and clarify tasks.
- Pick, load, and dispatch goods accurately and promptly, following order fulfilment procedures. Retrieve, verify, and securely package items to prevent transit damage.
- Optimize picking methods for efficiency, factoring in order volume and priority.
- Record and store incoming goods precisely, verifying quantities and inspecting for damage. Coordinate with departments to resolve any discrepancies.
- Process customer or supplier returns per company policies, inspecting and documenting items for restocking or other actions.
- Participate in stock counts and inventory audits to maintain accurate records and sufficient stock levels.
- Maintain high customer service standards when interacting with suppliers and customers, ensuring prompt, accurate information on orders and availability.
- Collaborate with Sales to meet customer delivery schedules, communicating potential delays or issues as needed.
- Ensure compliance with health, safety, and environmental regulations, reporting non-compliance, as necessary.
- Uphold health, safety, and ISO standards by identifying and addressing safety concerns.

**What you will bring**
The successful applicant will meet with the following criteria

Essential:

- Minimum one year experience of working within a busy warehouse environment
- Valid Forklift licence (Counterbalance is ESSENTIAL, Bendi Truck/Pivot steer also highly advantageous).
- Valid UK driving licence ESSENTIAL (to enable potential HGV training)
- Location: Must reside within 20 miles maximum commute of our Tilehurst site
- Demonstrable track record of reliability in relation to goods in/out orientated role
- Proven team player with flexible approach and strong work ethic
- Good grasp of general health & safety legislation/best practice and manual handling
- Sound communication skills both verbal and written
- Satisfactory level of basic maths & English ideally evidence by GCSE grades A-C

Desirable:

- Experience in prior role of close inter-department working (i.e. with sales/purchasing departments)
- Prior experience of working with diverse and multiple product lines of stock
- Experience of working within a fast-paced environment with the ability to prioritise tasks

**What you will get**
We provide a competitive basic starting salary and operate a range of rewarding bo