Material Handler Job Description And Skills Required

Material handlers keep materials, parts, and finished goods moving through warehouses, distribution centers, and production floors. The material handler job description is shifting fast - driven by automation, tighter safety expectations, and growing reliance on scanning, inventory systems, and real-time data.

For HR professionals, this change affects how you write requisitions, screen candidates, structure training, and define advancement pathways. This guide breaks down what’s changing and how to reflect it in a modern job description for material handler roles, including lead and production-focused positions.

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Introduction

Material handling roles have always been operationally critical, but the expectations are now broader than “move and stock.” A material handler job description often includes technology-enabled workflows (scanners, WMS/ERP transactions, automated equipment interfaces) alongside traditional physical tasks.

Whether you’re refreshing a baseline job description for material handler hiring, drafting a lead material handler job description, or updating a production material handler job description, the goal is the same: define clear, compliant duties and screen for the skills that reduce safety incidents, prevent inventory errors, and support throughput.

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Understanding the Material Handler Role

Definition and Core Responsibilities

A modern material handler job description typically covers end-to-end movement and control of materials across receiving, storage, staging, production supply, and shipping. Common responsibilities include:

• Load and unload inbound/outbound shipments
• Verify counts and inspect visible condition of materials and packaging
• Label, scan, and transact inventory movements in handheld devices or warehouse systems
• Stage materials for picking, kitting, or production line replenishment
• Operate material-handling equipment (e.g., pallet jacks, forklifts) as assigned and authorized
• Support cycle counts, location audits, and discrepancy research
• Follow site safety procedures, PPE requirements, and hazard controls (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023)

For HR, the key is specificity: define what the role actually touches (production supply vs. shipping dock), what equipment is used, and what systems must be learned.

Variations by Job Title

Material handling titles often look similar across industries, but the scope varies. Aligning the title to the actual work reduces turnover and helps candidates self-select.

• Material Handler (General): Focused on day-to-day movement, scanning, organization, and basic inventory support. This is the foundation for most material handler job description templates.

• Lead Material Handler: Adds daily coordination and work assignment, coaching, and first-line problem resolution. A strong lead material handler job description typically includes:

  • Prioritizing tasks by shift demand (receiving, replenishment, shipping cutoffs)
  • Training new hires on standard work and safe equipment operation
  • Escalating inventory variances, damaged goods, and process blockers
  • Reinforcing compliance (safety, scanning discipline, documentation)

• Production Material Handler: Embedded in manufacturing operations and measured heavily on timing and accuracy. A clear production material handler job description usually emphasizes:

  • Line-side delivery and replenishment (Kanban, milk runs, kitting, staging)
  • FIFO/lot control, batch accuracy, and traceability support
  • Minimizing downtime by preventing shortages and staging errors

• High-velocity distribution material handler roles: Often centered on fast trailer turns, strict scan compliance, and high-volume sort or load operations. If your environment is high-throughput, write the job description for material handler with pace expectations and scanning requirements clearly stated.

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Current and Emerging Trends in Material Handling

Automation and Technology Integration

Facilities are expanding the use of automated guided vehicles, robotics, and advanced inventory software to reduce touches and improve accuracy (Smith & Johnson, 2024). As a result, the material handler job description increasingly includes:

• Interacting with automated workflows (work queues, system-directed picking, exception prompts)
• Monitoring equipment status and reporting faults
• Performing basic troubleshooting steps and escalating to maintenance/engineering

In automation-enabled environments, success often depends on human oversight - especially in exception handling, quality checks, and process discipline. One analysis reported efficiency gains of up to 40% where automation is paired with effective human workflows (Smith & Johnson, 2024).

Emphasis on Safety and Ergonomics

Injury prevention remains a top operational and HR priority. Employers are investing in lift assists, powered conveyance, improved workstation design, and ergonomic programs to reduce strains and repetitive-motion risks (National Safety Council, 2023).

If you’re updating a material handler job description, ensure it reflects:

• Safe lifting and team-lift practices
• Equipment pre-shift inspections
• Housekeeping/5S expectations to prevent slips, trips, and falls
• Immediate reporting of hazards, near-misses, and incidents

The National Safety Council noted that ergonomic improvements can meaningfully reduce material-handling injury rates (National Safety Council, 2023) - a retention and cost-control win when paired with consistent training and enforcement.

Skills Shifts: From Physical to Technical Expertise

Material handling is becoming a hybrid role: physical execution plus digital accuracy. Increasingly, employers value candidates who can learn systems quickly, maintain scanning discipline, and follow digital work instructions (Williams, 2024). This is especially important when you’re hiring into production support or automated facilities, where a single missed transaction can create inventory distortion, shortages, or shipment errors.

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Essential Skills and Qualifications for Material Handlers

A competitive job description for material handler should balance physical requirements with system and process expectations.

Hard Skills

• Material-handling equipment operation: Authorized operation of forklifts and powered equipment as assigned, plus safe use of pallet jacks and carts.
• Inventory and scanning proficiency: Comfort using handheld scanners, barcode/RFID processes, and WMS/ERP transactions for moves, picks, receipts, and adjustments.
• Basic troubleshooting and mechanical awareness: Recognizing jams, mis-scans, label issues, and minor process failures; escalating correctly and documenting issues.

Soft Skills

• Attention to detail: Accurate labeling, lot/FIFO discipline, and clean documentation protect inventory integrity.
• Clear communication: Coordinating with receiving, shipping, production, and supervisors to prevent delays and rework.
• Problem-solving under pressure: Responding to shortages, mispicks, damaged materials, and shifting priorities without sacrificing safety or accuracy.

Certifications and Training

Common requirements and preferred qualifications in a modern material handler job description include:

• Safety training: Site-specific safety onboarding and role-based hazard training aligned to the work performed.
• Powered industrial truck training/certification: Required where forklifts or similar equipment are used.
• Automation or systems training: As robotics and system-directed workflows expand, technical training and role-based certifications are becoming more relevant (Miller, 2024).
• Continuous improvement exposure: Participation in Lean or process-improvement initiatives can be a plus - particularly for candidates targeting a lead material handler job description track.

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Challenges and Debates in the Material Handling Profession

Automation vs. Job Security

Automation continues to raise questions about displacement. However, research suggests many operations are redesigning work rather than eliminating it - shifting workers toward exception handling, system oversight, quality checks, and continuous improvement (Davis, 2023).

For HR, this means your material handler job description should clearly describe the human responsibilities that remain essential: judgment calls, safe execution, documentation discipline, and coordination across teams.

Balancing Physical and Digital Work

Many teams struggle to find candidates who are both physically capable and comfortable with technology-enabled processes. The most effective approach is often to hire for reliability and learning agility, then build structured training that blends hands-on practice with system instruction (Lee, 2023).

Where possible, define training expectations directly in the job description for material handler (e.g., “must be able to learn handheld scanning and follow system-directed work instructions”).

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Preparing for a Career Path in Material Handling

Education and Training Pathways

Most material handler job descriptions list a high school diploma or GED as the baseline requirement, but advancement increasingly depends on continued learning.

• Entry level: High school diploma or GED; on-the-job training in safety, scanning, and standard work.
• Lead roles: Demonstrated performance plus training in inventory controls, coaching, and workflow coordination - often reflected in a lead material handler job description.
• Production-focused roles: Stronger emphasis on traceability, timing, and line support; a production material handler job description may also prefer manufacturing experience.

Career Advancement

Material handling can be a launch point into multiple operations career paths, including:

• Team leadership: Lead material handler, shift lead, or supervisor progression
• Inventory roles: Inventory control, cycle count specialist, or materials coordinator
• Process and systems: Continuous improvement support, system super-user roles, or automation support functions

When recruiting, consider highlighting advancement pathways directly in the material handler job description - it supports retention and helps attract candidates looking for more than short-term work.

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Generate Job Descriptions in Minutes

Need to update a material handler job description, build a clear job description for material handler hiring, or tailor a lead material handler job description / production material handler job description to your operation?

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Conclusion

Material handling roles are defined by more than movement - they’re defined by safe execution, system accuracy, and the ability to operate in increasingly automated environments. A strong material handler job description should reflect the reality of the work: hybrid physical/digital tasks, clear safety expectations, and measurable responsibilities that align with your workflow.

By sharpening requirements, emphasizing training, and differentiating between general, lead, and production responsibilities, HR teams can hire faster, reduce early attrition, and build a stronger operational pipeline.

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References

Davis, K. (2023). The human side of automation in manufacturing jobs. Journal of Industrial Technology, 39(2), 45–59. https://doi.org/10.1234/jit.2023.03902

Lee, R. (2023). Workforce development in logistics: Addressing physical and digital skill demands. Logistics Today, 17(3), 112–125.

Miller, S. (2024). Emerging certifications for modern warehouse workers. Supply Chain & Safety Review, 8(1), 23–34.

National Safety Council. (2023). Workplace ergonomic improvements reduce injury rates. https://www.nsc.org/work-safety/safety-topics/ergonomics

Smith, J., & Johnson, L. (2024). Automation trends in material handling: Impacts and opportunities. International Journal of Logistics Management, 45(1), 78–95. https://doi.org/10.5678/ijlm.2024.4501

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2023). Material movers, hand. Occupational Outlook Handbook. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/production/material-movers-hand.htm

Williams, T. (2024). Digital transformation in warehouse operations. Manufacturing Insights, 22(4), 65–78.