Warehouse Assistant / Forklift Operative

Materials used better.
Helping designers and architects use surfaces to their full potential.

As a Certified B Corp, Surface Matter supply architectural sheet materials made by ambitious manufacturers. We house them and carefully distribute the very best to our customers. We help designers and architects select the right processes with every phase of a project in mind from the design stages and fit-out to the rip out and beyond so reuse or recycling s easier when the time comes. We're always finding and developing better ways to help complete the circle, and we're creating a community to get more people involved to help keep our materials valuable forever.

Warehouse Assistant / Forklift Operative

With warehousing in Rye and a sales team based in London, we supply surfaces to joiners, fabricators and makers who create high-end, sustainable interiors, skate parks, guitars and food service equipment. As Warehouse Assistant you ll be based in our purpose-built warehouse with custom cantilever racking, electric counterbalance forklift, mobile loading dock, turbo vacuum lift, bespoke mezzanine office and app-based inventory system.

We want to work with great people who take pride in their work and appreciate balance. We have an exciting opportunity for someone hardworking and committed to quality - someone good on the tools and wants to grow and develop with us working from a slick distribution environment in Rye Harbour, supplying specialist materials that will end up in world class spaces.

Reporting to our Logistics Manager, you ll be given ample training and opportunities to develop your personal, professional and technical skills. Your day will be spent fulfilling orders, so they re picked, packed and shipped in a way that matches our products premium quality and sustainability. The rest of the time you ll help with operations and admin maintaining stock control, booking goods in, shipping/receiving, using our warehousing system, housekeeping and communicating with our team, suppliers and customers.

Pick/pack + ship

• Safely and efficiently operating machinery and equipment
• Manual handling, including lifting and moving heavy/large items
• Pick, pack and palletising goods - completing orders with the right products, quantities and packaging
• Wiping down any goods to make sure they are in good condition, packed and wrapped well
• Safely loading/unloading lorries and devanning shipping containers

Stock control

• Storing and transferring goods correctly, maintaining traceability, stock locations and quality control
• Making sure pallets are labelled, securely packed and stored
• Checking goods against delivery notes, catching damages or discrepancies
• Updating our stock control system
• Communicating and addressing issues, damages or low stock levels and suggesting corrective actions
• Conducting regular perpetual inventory counts with Daily/Weekly/Monthly/Annual stock checks

Warehouse operations

• Following Health & Safety policy and risk assessments
• Doing daily checks/inspections on equipment and reporting faults or required maintenance
• Maintain a clean, tidy, and organised warehouse environment workstation, pick/pack areas, aisles, racks and machinery
• Entering goods in deliveries and dispatches in our system, printing labels
• Booking freight and courier collections and updating tracking ETAs
• Logging batch images and packed pallets against delivery notes

Impact

• Clear prompt communication - friendly communication to customers/suppliers and our sales team on incoming goods or delays, troubleshooting problems and escalating issues to our Logistics Manager
• Opportunities to refinish and grow our Material Rescue takeback service
• Learning about our materials, developing skills and attending training
• Supporting our social, environmental + business impact initiatives

Who we re looking for
Qualifications + experience

Confidence in operating forklifts safely and efficiently

Comfortable operating and basic maintenance/inspecting equipment

Experience in warehousing or workshop stock control, manual handlings or pick/pack,preferred

Knowledge of Health & Safety and Fire Safety essential

Full UK driving licence required

Basic computer experience (Email, mobile apps), training for our systems will be provided

Skills

Energised and driven, you want to learn, grow and improve with the team

Practical and technical, you take pride in working to high standards

Great communication skills you listen and can confidently speak/write to customers and suppliers

Positive + proactive you care about details and can offer up ideas to do things better

What we can offer

Full time, permanent position Weekdays, 9.00-17.00
22 + 8 days annual leave, increasing up to 25 + 8 with length of service, plus your birthday off
Monthly catch ups, 6 monthly reviews + continuous ongoing training and learning
Open plan studio with sit-stand desks, team lunches and events + healthy snacks and refreshments to keep you going
Private health insurance, 5% company pension contribution, cycle scheme, tech scheme, byond cash back rewards, Masterclass membership, group life insurance, topped up maternity/paternity leave
Free car parking, bike parking and electric vehicle charging
Bonuses linked to achievement of agreed KPIs
Long term professional development with regular reviews and training and opportunities to progress
Free snacks + refreshments to keep you going, team lunches and outings
GBP24-27k salary depending on experience
Full training will be provided for operating machinery. We welcome applications from experienced Forklift drivers, including those with in-house FLT certificates

People first
We're all about people and have high standards on the kinds of people we work with, and how we treat them in return. We've built industry wide connections on shared values. We want everyone in our team to feel good and to grow with us regardless of race, religion, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, disability or social, financial, cultural or educational background. Joining our small team in a varied and evolving role means there are always interesting projects to get involved in to move forward together and achieve your goals.

If this sounds like the place for you apply with your CV with a short note about why you think you'd make a great fit your journey, the skills you're looking to grow and why you like the idea of working with us.