Forklift Driver/Warehouse Operative

Location: Wakefield 41 Industrial Estate

Package: Basic salary £25,480 plus bonus & flexible benefits package including up to 27 days holiday (plus bank holidays & additional annual leave purchasing scheme)

Hours: 40 hours across Monday to Friday only, rotational working hours 8am - 4:30pm and 9:30am - 5:30pm

Sector: Packaging distribution

Protecting what matters, together. We are 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. 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 learning… so 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 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 organise 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.
• Optimise 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:

Essential:

• Minimum one year experience of working within a busy warehouse environment.
• Valid 'Reach' Forklift licence is 100% essential (a licence also in counterbalance and/or Bendi/Pivot Steer would also be advantageous).
• 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 evidenced 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:

• 25 days annual leave (rising to 27 days with service) plus all public/bank holidays.
• Additional holiday purchasing scheme (run annually).
• Contributory pension scheme.
• Free parking at the majority of our site locations.
• Annual (company paid) volunteering day.
• Employee assistance programme to support & advise with wellbeing & any issues.
• Extensive range of training/development & potential progression opportunities.
• Employee discount scheme (discounts on several major retail/leisure brands).
• Simply Health/Dental Cover option or BUPA cover for qualifying roles.
• Enhanced HR policies relating to various employee rights & entitlements.
• Long service awards (5-40 years).
• Charitable giving options.
• Financial assistance with eye-tests/purchasing glasses (DSE users only).
• O2 Mobile discount scheme (up to 25% off).
• Candidate referral scheme (awards £750 for referring successful applicants to Macfarlane job vacancies).

Your future with us:

Here at Macfarlane Group, you truly have the potential to shape your own future and set your own ambitions. We are a large group company where internal promotion and mobility is a key feature of our success. Through tailored career plans, we provide a wide range of structured training & development pathways, utilising both in-house expertise to share knowledge and the best-in-class external training partners. There is potential access to management & leadership development, and we work closely with recognised, accredited bodies including the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM); so there really are no limits to where your journey within Macfarlane Group may take you.

How to apply:

We are working swiftly to find the best applicants and hope to hold local interviews ASAP. Please click 'apply' to submit your up-to-date CV. All applications will be acknowledged. If you haven't heard from us within 2-3 weeks, please assume your application was unsuccessful. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds irrespective of your age, gender, disability, race, nationality, ethnicity, gender expression, religion, or sexual orientation. Should you require any specific considerations or adjustments during the recruitment process, please email our recruitment team directly. NO RECRUITMENT AGENCIES PLEASE.