21 Types Of Warehouse Positions & Their Duties

Warehouse management can be a crucial function of fulfilling and delivering orders. More importantly, how you manage the process can determine how your online store performs in the long run.

While you owe most of your warehouse performance success to the strategy you implement for it, and the equipment you use in the process, the workers and manual labor should be equally credited.

Having said that, let us first look at the primary functions expected from warehouse employees, before delving deeper into the primary types of warehouse positions and duties you should know about.

What Are The Primary Functions of Warehouse Employees?

Warehouses are created to carry out multiple sub-processes and functions within a logistics or supply chain process. Some of the key functions that employees and processes in a warehouse typically carry out are:

• Order Picking

• Order Packing

• Order Processing

• Inventory Management

• Warehouse Management

• Personnel Management

• Warehouse Cleaning and Maintenance

Aside from these primary functions, you may also want to hire for certain administrative and executive-level positions to supervise the warehouse positions and processes.

21 Types of Warehouse Positions You Should Know About

1. Warehouse Manager

In most cases, one of the most key positions in warehouse management after the owner, is that of a warehouse manager. An owner may have multiple warehouses to manage and since they can not be at multiple places simultaneously, they appoint warehouse managers to take care of the facility. 

At the very least, warehouse managers are completely responsible, and accountable for the facility’s productivity, efficiency, and safety.

Additionally, here are some duties and responsibilities that fall under the purview of a warehouse manager:

• Managing and overseeing inventory control

• Managing and overseeing the employees and workers in the warehouse

• Maintaining good working relationships with buyers and sales personnel

• Managing the overall order fulfillment process

• Handling the costs associated with warehouse operations and optimising them

Payscale: AU$85,000 to AU$100,000

2. Warehouse Supervisor

As we just learned, the warehouse manager has a lot of things to do considering they are the ones managing the whole facility. So, you need someone to bridge the gap between the warehouse manager and the employees. 

While the warehouse manager focuses on long-term business plans and related processes, the warehouse supervisor oversees the day-to-day operations.

Here are some of the primary duties and responsibilities of a warehouse supervisor:

• Coordinating with the warehouse employees for everyday tasks and processes

• Optimising the operational workflow in the warehouse

• Analysing warehouse processes and identifying areas of improvement

• Ensuring adherence to safety protocols and conducting regular inspections

• Providing training to the warehouse employees and personnel

Payscale: AU$75,000 to AU$85,000

3. Warehouse Associate

Warehouse associate is a broad term that refers to personnel who perform different kinds of tasks to keep the operations in the facility running smoothly. Warehouse associates are responsible for taking care of the routine tasks and processes in the warehouse.

Their warehouse duties and responsibilities can include the following:

• Loading and unloading of trucks and other transit vehicles

• Performing routine maintenance and cleaning in the warehouse

• Picking up and moving goods in the warehouse

• Scanning, labelling, and organising items in the warehouse

• Handling and recording invoices for incoming and outgoing goods

After warehouse managers and supervisors, the onus of maintaining inventory control and maintaining the facility consistently falls on the warehouse associates. Another important task associated with the warehouse associates is ensuring that orders are fulfilled properly.

Payscale: AU$55,000 to AU$60,000

4. Order Picker

Many job positions are only required sometimes, but some warehouse positions are still necessary for specific warehouses depending on their operational scale. 

When large warehouses receive an order, specific personnel are deployed to go around the facility and pick up the products in the order from the shelves—these are order pickers.

Here are the core warehouse duties and responsibilities associated with order pickers:

• Selecting and organising items according to customer orders for easy shipment

• Using handheld scanners and other tools to retrieve items in the pick list

• Verifying information related to the products that are in customer orders

• Consistently improving the picking process to be more efficient

Payscale: AU$55,000 to AU$60,000

5. Inventory Manager

Inventory manager, as the name suggests refers to the individual in charge of taking care of the warehouse inventory. 

Since accurate stock levels are important for overall operational efficiency and warehouse operations, inventory managers are appointed to create and implement strategies that will help them accomplish that.

Here are the main warehouse duties and responsibilities associated with an inventory manager:

• Tracking and recording inventory movements and levels

• Updating databases and inventory management systems with the most recent information

• Maintaining real-time visibility into inventory levels

• Gathering inventory-related information to inform management decisions

• Identifying and resolving discrepancies between recorded and physical quantities of stock

• Maintaining inventory records accurately and using analytical skills to update it regularly

Payscale: AU$100,000 to AU$120,000

6. Quality Control Inspector

When you are running an eCommerce store, your warehouse needs to have personnel who can ensure that the shipments sent out to customers meet the stipulated quality standards. 

The quality control inspector is the personnel in charge of ensuring that the products being shipped out meet the expected quality standards and are devoid of any deviations or defects.

Here are some of the core responsibilities and duties associated with a quality control inspector:

• Performing visual inspections and tests to check the product quality

• Examining products thoroughly to ensure that they are not defective or damaged

• Ensuring that the products meet the necessary criteria

• Maintaining close relationships with suppliers and manufacturers to address quality issues

• Preventing quality issues from damaging the brand's reputation or credibility

Payscale: AU$125,000 to AU$145,000

7. Maintenance Technician

Maintenance technicians ensure that your warehouse equipment is always in optimal condition and help you perform routine operational tasks seamlessly. Maintenance technicians can help you ensure that your warehouse and all the equipment and machinery are always well-maintained.

The primary goal of having a maintenance technician in your warehouse is to identify any issues in advance and prevent potential damage resulting from them.

Here are some of the warehouse job roles and responsibilities associated with maintenance technicians::

• Conducting regular inspections of the warehouse equipment

• Helping technicians identify any potential issues or signs of equipment damage in advance

• Ensuring proper maintenance, and keeping up the efficiency and productivity of the warehouse

• Working with external service providers and contractors to take care of equipment installations and repairs

• Reducing downtime and ensuring seamless internal operations in the warehouse

Payscale: AU$80,000 to AU$100,000

8. Forklift Driver

Large warehouses usually have a lot of job positions that need to be filled simply to keep the operations running smoothly. 

A forklift driver is one such essential cog in the machine. Forklift drivers primarily drive forklifts to move goods within the warehouse to pick them up or store them at the appropriate place.

That said, here are a few core responsibilities of a forklift driver in a warehouse:

• Moving and managing the transit of inventory daily

• Ensuring that every piece of product stored in the warehouse is at its designated place

• Taking care of maintaining forklifts including cleaning and grease removal

• Managing miscellaneous warehouse tasks that will make the overall operations smoother

Payscale: AU$60,000 to AU$70,000

9. Shipping and Receiving Clerk

 

The warehouse job title ‘clerk’ generally refers to a worker assigned with different kinds of miscellaneous and administrative tasks in the warehouse. 

However, a shipping and receiving clerk specifically deals with shipping and receiving products in the warehouse. They will act as liaisons between the brand, warehouse, and shipping company.

The core responsibilities associated with a shipping and receiving clerk are as follows:

• Optimising the warehouse space by managing the incoming and outgoing goods

• Ensuring that all the products in the warehouse are placed at the right location within the facility

• Streamlining and managing the shipping and receiving process within the warehouse

• Ensuring that the products don’t get damaged in the process of shipping or receiving and are accurately dealt with

Payscale: AU$42,400 to AU$65,000

10. Loader and Unloader

Depending on the scale of your warehouse operations, your facility may be dealing with a couple of trucks every day or even a couple of fleets. 

Based on how demanding your operations are, you may need a few personnel dedicated to loading or unloading goods on the trucks. 

Loaders are responsible for loading goods and products onto trucks, and unloaders are responsible for removing products from them. 

Additionally, their responsibilities may also extend to moving the products around within the warehouse.

Here are the primary responsibilities associated with loaders and unloaders in a warehouse:

• Driving forklifts if dedicated drivers are not present to move goods around the warehouse

• Being aware of the surroundings to avoid any injuries to themselves or supporting staff

• Ensuring minimal to no damage to the products that are being loaded or unloaded at the warehouse

Payscale: AU$65,000 to AU$85,000

11. Warehouse Stocker

Considering managing inventory is one of the core functions of a warehouse, managing and optimising your stock levels should be at the top of your priority list. For warehouse stockers, their area of focus is the shelves they have to organise and stock up regularly.

Here are some of the primary responsibilities associated with warehouse stockers:

• Prevent products in your warehouse from going out of stock

• Restocking products on the shelves regularly and optimising the inventory levels

• Deploying problem-solving skills to manage inventory-related issues promptly

• Stocking shelves and organising them play a pivotal role in the overall warehouse operations

Payscale: AU$55,000 to AU$65,000

12. Package Handler

Warehouse operations generally conduct myriad functions including picking, processing, packaging and shipping goods from the warehouse. 

When a warehouse handles many shipments at the same time, it needs to employ specific package handlers that can pack and label shipments accurately.

Aside from this main function, here are some of the warehouse job roles and responsibilities associated with the role of a package handler:

• Having the ability to work with multiple warehouse equipment and machinery such as forklifts and trucks

• Understanding the right kind of packaging material to be used for specific shipments

• Packaging and labelling shipments based on the nature of the product and the destination of shipment

Payscale: AU$34,600/year or AU$32/hour

13. Material Handler

The larger your warehouse, the greater the chances of having areas on the floor that require extensive work and infrastructural detailing. 

Material handler is one such position in your warehouse that can help you maintain your warehouse infrastructure including lighting, shelving systems and forklifts.

Here are some of the core duties associated with the material handler in your warehouse:

• Checking the equipment to ensure that they are operating at optimal levels

• Ensuring that the employees follow the safety standards related to the warehouse

• Being able to make minor repairs to your warehouse equipment whenever there is a requirement

• Informing and taking action on any significant or dangerous issues in the warehouse 

Payscale: AU$60,000 to AU$70,000

14. Assembly Labourer

Apart from the managers, supervisors and handlers, there may be several labourers in the facility who contribute to smoother warehouse operations. 

The role of a warehouse assembly labourer can be filled easily considering it does not require any special skills, expertise or experience.

Here are some of the core responsibilities associated with an assembly labourer:

• Carrying out routine maintenance tasks to have the warehouse running smoothly

• Cleaning the warehouse facility and stocking shelves regularly

• Expected to carry out any task that does not require special skills or experienced personnel

• Assists warehouse personnel with the daily operations and tasks required as part of them

Payscale: AU$55,000 to AU$75,000

15. Truck or Delivery Driver

Not all warehouses require appointing truck drivers for their operations but in case your brand has a lot of control over the incoming and outgoing logistics management, you will still need to appoint a few. 

In most warehouses, the delivery driver is in charge of transporting goods from your warehouse to the final destination.

Here are some of the core responsibilities associated with a truck or delivery driver in your warehouse:

• Transporting incoming or outgoing goods between the warehouse and the final destination

• Working in collaboration with the shipping and receiving personnel in the warehouse

• Ensuring that the documentation is correct and all the necessary formalities and payments are taken care of before moving goods out of the warehouse

• Helping the personnel load or unload goods onto trucks to speed up warehouse operations

Payscale: AU$55,000 to AU$65,000

16. Marketer

No warehouse can operate in a silo and be unattached with the strategies and plans that a brand has set down. 

To bridge this gap between the two establishments, the brand deploys a marketer for the warehouse that can make the workers aware of sales or offers they should know about.

Your marketing department can consist of additional processes and departments such as public relations, graphic design or social media depending on the scope of marketing required in your warehouse.

Here are some of the responsibilities associated with marketers employed in a warehouse:

• Creating marketing materials to attract new clients for the warehouse

• Communicating the marketing goals and approach to the warehouse workers

• Creating content that will bridge the gap between the workers and the brand

• Aligning marketing and business goals with the ongoing warehouse processes and operations

Payscale: AU$85,000 to AU$105,000

17. Packaging Specialist

Packaging specialists are some of the limited people who get to handle goods in a warehouse directly. 

This also means that they will be responsible for handling the product properly and play a vital role in ensuring that they are shipped while packaged properly and in intact condition.

With this in mind, here are the primary responsibilities associated with the packaging specialist role:

• Packing all the products that need to be shipped out to customers

• Using appropriate packaging materials based on the nature of the shipment to ensure that they don’t get damaged

• Packing and labelling all the shipments accurately so that they reach customers in ideal condition

• Guiding other warehouse workers that package shipments with the right way to go about it

Payscale: AU$105,000 per year (average)

18. Warehouse Management System Specialist

Warehouses can run perfectly fine just on manual efforts, but modern-day warehouses tend to handle a lot of operational volume making some extent of automation necessary.  

A warehouse management system or WMS, is software that lets warehouses record, manage and monitor multiple warehouse processes from a single dashboard. 

These WMS are also crucial in producing actionable supply chain analytics and metrics for making strategic decisions.

While most warehouse workers will have access to the parts of WMS that are most relevant to their job role, and use it regularly, you must have a specialist who is adept at using the tool.

Here are some of the primary responsibilities associated with a warehouse management system specialist:

• Learning and staying updated with all the features of the warehouse management system

• Overseeing all the orders by collaborating with order pickers and other department managers

• Troubleshooting for any queries or issues that may occur while using the WMS for any of the regular operations

• Providing regular training to use all the WMS features effectively to new and existing employees

Payscale: AU$56500 to AU$93850

19. Warehouse Safety Supervisor

A typical warehouse will have a lot of equipment and furniture that may raise safety concerns for the workers and derail operations. Not to forget, this equipment when not used or maintained improperly can cause injuries to your employees. 

A warehouse safety supervisor will ensure that the warehouse workers take the precautions necessary to prevent injuries and any serious safety issues. Here are some of the primary responsibilities that a typical warehouse safety supervisor should know about:

• Creating and implementing a safety manual that the warehouse workers should follow

• Managing and monitoring the success of the safety measures that need to be implemented in the warehouse

• Monitoring the implementation of the safety policies and regulations in place and updating them whenever necessary

• Ensuring that the workers adhere to the safety regulations and stocking up on any safety equipment that is needed to ensure their safety

Payscale: AU$70,000 to AU$95,000

20. Warehouse Security Supervisor

Regardless of whether your warehouse houses goods from a specific brand or multiple brands, they are only as effective as their security measures. While a safety supervisor ensures the safety of the workers in the warehouse, a security supervisor will ensure the security of the goods and personnel in it.

A warehouse security supervisor will implement and monitor the security measures required to protect the warehouse from external threats and thefts. Ensuring warehouse security is in fact, a necessity especially if the goods are insured.

Here are some of the responsibilities that fall under the purview of a warehouse security supervisor:

• Implementing security equipment and measures to secure the warehouse facility

• Monitoring transactions and verifying the identities of the supervisors and other warehouse workers

• Setting up and running background checks on individuals before they are hired and assigning appropriate validation materials

• Monitoring and constantly updating the warehouse security measures

Payscale: AU$52,900 to AU$160,000

21. Warehouse Security Personnel

Apart from the security equipment you will install in your warehouse, you will also need to have personnel who can help you keep the facility secure at all times. This means having dedicated security personnel who will help you secure every inch of your warehouse and the goods within. 

You will also need personnel to authorise the workers to have access to specific areas in your warehouse.

A few core responsibilities that fall within the purview of warehouse security personnel are:

• Securing various areas of the warehouse by installing and monitoring the necessary security equipment

• Authorising the employees and personnel who have access to various areas of the warehouse

• Monitoring adherence to security regulations within the warehouse facility

• Securing various parts of the warehouse facility

Payscale: AU$24 per hour

Wrapping Up

The combination of filling the right warehouse positions in your warehouse and having the right equipment to implement the various processes is crucial to its success. Hiring valuable and knowledgeable resources can increase the productivity and performance of your warehouse. Consider hiring people for the aforementioned positions, if you have not already set the right direction for your warehouse.

If you need help dealing with the logistics and shipping part of your order fulfilment parts of your operations, consider getting a quote from the PACK & SEND website to get started.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the highest position in a warehouse?

Generally, the position of a warehouse manager is the highest in the facility. A warehouse manager holds the most authority in a warehouse and monitors all the processes and people in it. The warehouse managers are responsible for running the entire warehouse including being accountable for all the personnel and equipment in it.

How to get a job in a warehouse?

When you are looking for a specific job in a warehouse, it is a good idea to see if you have the necessary qualifications for it. Next, you must compare the requirements of the role and see if it matches what you had in mind. Lastly, ensure that you have enough experience to navigate the specific job role in the warehouse seamlessly.

What is a warehouse assistant position?

A warehouse assistant, also known as a warehouse associate, can be an integral part of your warehouse operations depending on the tasks you hire them for. Warehouse assistants report directly to the warehouse manager or supervisor, and carry out miscellaneous tasks for the warehouse. Warehouse assistants are not very highly paid but can be an essential cog in the machine 

Who is a warehouse officer?

The role of a warehouse officer is one of the key ones that fall under the management level positions in a warehouse. Warehouse officers coordinate with the staff and clients to streamline operations and oversee the necessary processes that determine the efficiency and productivity of a warehouse.