Material Handler
Location: Stockton on Tees TS18 3SD
Job Type: (Full-Time / Temp ongoing)
Shifts: Rotates between dayshift and backshift
Days - 6.45 am - 15.00 pm Mon - Thur, 6.45 am - 12.45 Fri
Backs - 14.45 pm - 23.00 pm Mon - Thur, 10.45 am - 16.45 pm Fri
Salary: Days £16.89, Backs £20.27
Are you an experienced material handler with a strong eye for detail and an uncompromising commitment to safety? We are looking for a reliable, safety-conscious Material Decant Operator to join our team and play a vital role in keeping our production and material flow moving seamlessly.
About the Role
As a Material Decant Operator, your primary purpose is to safely move pallets of steel materials into the decant area, transfer parts into the correct stillages using a floor-mounted magnetic lifting aid, and maintain meticulous batch/stillage identification and accurate operational records.
Working closely with forklift drivers and shift leadership, you will ensure a continuous, safe, and efficient flow of materials to the next stage of our manufacturing process.
Key Responsibilities
... - Material Movement & Staging: Safely operate electric pallet stackers to stage steel materials according to sequence, ensuring routes remain clear of obstructions. Perform and log mandatory daily pre-use equipment checks.
- Controlled Decanting: Utilize a floor-mounted magnetic lifting aid to safely transfer steel parts from pallets into designated stillages, strictly adhering to approved lift plans.
- Labeling & Stillage Identification: Ensure 100% traceabilty by verifying part numbers and attaching correct identification labels to completed stillages prior to signaling forklift collection.
- Material Flow & Communication: Maintain steady workflow by communicating clearly via two-way radio with forklift operators to request incoming pallets or signal completed stillages in advance.
- Logging & Handover: Accurately record completion times, part numbers, and quantities in real time. Participate in clear shift handovers to highlight output, issues, and potential continuous improvement ideas.
- Safety Leadership: Rigorously follow site Safe Systems of Work (SSOW), maintain exclusion zones, wear required PPE, and immediately report near misses, damage, or equipment faults.
Candidate Requirements
Essential:
- Proven experience working in a fast-paced manufacturing, warehouse, logistics, or material-handling environment.
- Ability to operate an Electric Pallet Stacker (or pass our site-approved training and assessment).
- Demonstrated ability to strictly follow written lift plans, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and safety instructions.
- High attention to detail-especially when verifying part numbers, counts, stillages, and labels.
- Strong, clear spoken communication (for radio use) and good written communication skills for operational logging.
- A strong safety mindset, high reliability, and a collaborative team attitude.
Desirable:
- Valid/recognized Electric Pallet Stacker certification or recent evidence of authorized site use.
- Hands-on experience operating hoists, magnetic lifting equipment, cranes, or overhead lifting aids.
- Prior experience handling heavy steel components, working with stillages, or using two-way radios.
- Experience contributing to shift handovers, problem-solving, or 5S/continuous improvement activities.
What Success Looks Like in This Role
- Zero Compromise on Safety: Strict adherence to approved lift plans and exclusion zones at all times.
- 100% Traceability: No stillage released without complete and verified labeling.
- Accuracy: Real-time, legible, and accurate record-keeping of quantities and part numbers.
- Seamless Flow: Proactive communication over the radio to prevent downtime or supply bottlenecks.
How to Apply
If you have the material-handling skills and safety-first mindset we're looking for, we want to hear from you!
