Warehouse Operator 2

State of Washington•Thurston County – Olympia, WA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is hiring a career seasonal Warehouse Operator 2 at Webster Forest Nursery in Olympia, Washington. The anticipated seasonal appointment runs from December 2026 through June 2027. The position supports the nursery’s peak packing and shipping season and works on a three-person crew under the Warehouse Operator Lead. It is a journey-level role that recurs annually each production season, with leadership development and responsibility for stepping into lead duties when the Warehouse Operator Lead is absent. The position assumes warehouse lead duties for six weeks during spring transplanting. The Warehouse Operator 2 assists with cold storage, cooler inventory, order fulfillment, and shipping and handling of forest seedlings. The nursery manages more than 200 inventory codes and approximately 12–14 million seedlings. The role requires attention to detail in a fast-paced production environment and supports DNR’s mission to manage Washington’s resources for current and future generations. Work takes place primarily in cold storage, a processing facility, and outdoors in an agricultural setting and all weather conditions. Employees must be able to work in coolers and freezers, operate forklifts intermittently throughout an eight-hour workday, lift, carry, push, or pull up to 50 pounds without equipment, walk on rough and uneven terrain, and maintain situational awareness around trucks, pedestrians, public vehicles, and farm equipment. A DNR-provided forklift certification test must be passed.

Requirements

Demonstrated experience operating a forklift safely.
Basic math skills.
Attention to detail.
Professional verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to resolve conflicts, write effectively, and communicate with diverse internal and external groups.
Commitment to fostering and supporting diversity, equity, inclusion, and environmental justice practices.
Ability to perform assigned duties consistently with applicable laws, regulations, and public-records retention requirements, and to ensure requests are followed.
Successfully pass the forklift certification test provided by DNR.
Ability to work in coolers and freezers and in a processing facility and agricultural setting outdoors in all weather conditions.
Ability to operate forklifts intermittently throughout an eight-hour workday.
Ability to lift, carry, push, and/or pull up to 50 pounds without equipment.
Ability to maintain situational awareness around large semi-trucks, pedestrians, public cars, and farm equipment.
Ability to walk on rough, uneven terrain in all weather conditions and communicate effectively in a large industrial setting.

Nice To Haves

Three to six months of experience with daily forklift use.
Previous experience with basic repair skills, such as using a hammer, nail, or crowbar.
Experience working with a perishable product.
Spanish language skills.

Responsibilities

Safely operate a 3,500–5,000-pound-capacity forklift and pallet jacks daily.
Coordinate with and assist supervisors and key staff to maintain the flow of seedlings and inventory integrity for storage and shipment.
Store and organize more than 100,000 seedlings per day in 22,000 square feet of cooler and freezer storage.
Assemble and load orders of varying sizes for different customers and shipping methods.
Maintain accurate shipping records.
Adapt to changing daily demands in a fast-paced work environment.
Interact in a friendly and professional manner with public customers, internal regional customers, nursery staff, and trucking personnel.
Maintain reliability, good attendance, and punctuality.
Serve as the point person for warehouse operations when the Warehouse Lead is absent.
Assume warehouse lead duties for six weeks during spring transplanting, including ensuring accurate and timely shipments, thawing eastside trees, and directing staff in warehouse operations.