Specialized Operator (Forklift Operator)

Why join us? 

Our purpose is design for the good of humankind. It’s the ideal we strive toward each day in everything we do. Being a part of MillerKnoll means being a part of something larger than your work team, or even your brand. We are redefining modern for the 21st century. And our success allows MillerKnoll to support causes that align with our values, so we can build a more sustainable, equitable, and beautiful future for everyone.

GENERAL PURPOSE

To safely and efficiently move, stack, and organize heavy loads throughout a warehouse or industrial facility.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Pre-Shift Inspections: Checking machine fluid levels, tire pressure, brakes, horns, and hydraulic systems) before driving.
• Safe Maneuvering: Navigate motorized industrial trucks through narrow warehouse aisles, tight corners, and around floor pedestrians.
• Load Stabilization: Assess weight distribution, center heavy loads against the forklift mast, and secure pallets to prevent tipping
• Loading & Unloading: Move heavy cargo, raw materials, and palletized inventory on and off incoming trailers, shipping docks, or flatbeds.
• High-Bay Put-Away: Safely elevate and stack heavy materials onto structural storage racks, often at heights up to 30 feet.
• Line Feeding: Deliver raw components directly to manufacturing assembly lines and transport finished goods back to storage.
• RF Scanning: Utilize Radio Frequency (RF) scanners to scan product barcodes every time an item is moved.
• System Updates: Input transfers accurately into the Warehouse Management System (WMS) to prevent lost inventory.
• Stock Rotation: Identify and move older stock first following First-In, First-Out (FIFO) rules.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Physical Stamina: Sit or stand inside machine cabs for full 8-to-12 hour shifts, and manually lift up to 50 lbs when restacking pallets. [1, 2]
• Environmental Tolerance: Work comfortably in varying environments, including dusty areas, and hot manufacturing floors.
• Education/Experience
• A High School Diploma or GED is preferred by most employers to ensure basic reading, writing, and mathematical literacy
• +3 years of experience high-bay warehouses, hazardous material hubs, or positions requiring specialized machinery like REACH Forklift
• Experience in receiving and shipping processes +
• Execute cycle counts +
• 5’s and lean manufacturing +
• Licenses and Certifications
• Forklift valid certification

Skills and Abilities

• Equipment Mastery: Competence in operating various types of lifts, such as standard sit-down counterbalances, stand-up reach trucks, order pickers, or electric pallet jacks.
• Precision Load Handling: The ability to accurately insert forks into pallets, tilt the mast correctly, and smoothly lift, lower, tilt, and stack loads without dropping them.
• Mechanical Aptitude: Basic troubleshooting skills to identify when a forklift is malfunctioning (e.g., hydraulic leaks, spongy brakes, low battery cells) during a pre-shift safety check.
• Tech Literacy: Experience using RF (Radio Frequency) handheld scanners and navigating basic Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) to log inventory movements.
• Math and Reading Literacy: The ability to read packing slips, understand weight capacity charts on the machine, and compute basic load weights to prevent tipping.
• Depth Perception and Spatial Awareness: The ability to accurately judge distances, clearances, and heights when lifting a multi-ton pallet onto a rack 30 feet in the air.
• Peripheral Vision and Hearing: Sharp situational awareness to spot pedestrians stepping into an aisle or to hear safety horns and reversing alarms in a noisy warehouse.
• Physical Stamina: The endurance to sit or stand in a vibrating machine cab for 8 to 12 hours, alongside the strength to manually lift up to 50 pounds when adjusting pallets.
• Hyper-Focus and Attention to Detail: Maintaining continuous concentration to avoid complacency, which is the leading cause of warehouse accidents.
• Active Communication: Using hand signals and verbal warnings, and calling out "Corner!" or honking the horn when approaching blind spots and intersections.
• Time Management: The capacity to balance speed with safety, meeting hourly pull/put-away quotas without rushing or taking dangerous shortcuts.
• Stress Tolerance: Staying calm and collected in high-traffic environments, especially during peak shipping hours or holiday rushes.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Lifting Capacity: Ability to manually lift and move 40 to 50 lbs. regularly.

Health & Reflexes: Excellent spatial awareness, depth perception, and peripheral vision. Employers often require a physical exam or drug screening to verify that reflexes and hearing are sharp enough to hear warehouse backup alarms and floor pedestrians.

Who We Hire?

Simply put, we hire qualified applicants representing a wide range of backgrounds and abilities. MillerKnoll is comprised of people of all abilities, gender identities and expressions, ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, veterans from every branch of military service, and more. Here, you can bring your whole self to work. We’re committed to equal opportunity employment, including veterans and people with disabilities.

MillerKnoll complies with applicable disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact MillerKnoll Talent Acquisition at  careers_help@millerknoll.com.