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What does a receiving lead do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
What does a receiving lead do

A Receiving Lead's job covers the direction and coordination of receiving and other warehouse processes under the established operating operations. Receiving leads provide the work assignments of their staff daily. They train new and existing employees on the techniques and procedures used in completing work assignments. It is their job to operate pallet jacks, lift trucks, and any other equipment to move parts to their proper locations and load and unload steel trucks whenever necessary.

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Receiving lead responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real receiving lead resumes:

  • Manage distribution costs; maintain contracts with shipping companies; organize mass mailings using USPS.
  • Implement an operating WMS that work in conjunction with wrist mount RF units for optimum pick productivity.
  • Allocate necessary space for stock rotation and assist with proper FIFO process.
  • Supply production areas with materials using FIFO to ensure flow of production.
  • Inspect product following spec and ISO procedures and enter receiver into system.
  • Check all incoming products against shipping labels or BOL's to ensure the accuracy of the shipment.
  • Log in all incoming freight with RF unit and on incoming freight sheets on a daily basis.
  • Work with unite parcel shipping and LTL shipping companies to get the best deal for all incoming and outgoing shipments.
  • Process incoming freight, verifying BOL and packing lists with pallet or package count; prioritize the distribution of incoming packages.
  • Prepare LTL paperwork and international documentation.
  • Support ISO procedures and continuous improvement efforts.
  • Generate and process receiving paperwork using company WMS system.
  • Update state Medicaid provider data base with credentialing information and state regulations.
  • Familiarize with reimbursement issues with all insurance companies, including Medicare and Medicaid.
  • Enter applicable data in WMS for receiving and product availability/location within facility for put away.

Receiving lead skills and personality traits

We calculated that 23% of Receiving Leads are proficient in Shipping Receiving, Customer Service, and Sales Floor. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Customer-service skills, and Detail oriented.

We break down the percentage of Receiving Leads that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Shipping Receiving, 23%

    Coordinate all functions for the Shipping Receiving department, Maintained detailed administrative and procedural processes to improve Accuracy and efficiency.

  • Customer Service, 12%

    Worked directly with customers, carriers, and customer service representatives to resolve shipping-related issues and plan appropriate recovery.

  • Sales Floor, 8%

    Run daily replenishment reports for multiple departments to determine what items need to be replenished on the sales floor.

  • Safety Procedures, 7%

    Supervised and ensured employees followed shipping & receiving processes and safety procedures during operation.

  • Safety Regulations, 6%

    Created and maintained a safe working environment by maintaining work area and uploading safety regulations.

  • Inventory Control, 3%

    Headed receiving operations and the processing of merchandise ensuring effective inventory controls and movement of merchandise within the store.

Most receiving leads use their skills in "shipping receiving," "customer service," and "sales floor" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential receiving lead responsibilities here:

Communication skills. The most essential soft skill for a receiving lead to carry out their responsibilities is communication skills. This skill is important for the role because "material recording clerks are frequently in contact with suppliers, vendors, or managers and need to convey their company’s needs effectively." Additionally, a receiving lead resume shows how their duties depend on communication skills: "supervised all aspects of accounts receivables including customer communications, vendor receivables information, rma reconciliation. "

Customer-service skills. Many receiving lead duties rely on customer-service skills. "material recording clerks may interact with customers in order to respond to problems or complaints.," so a receiving lead will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways receiving lead responsibilities rely on customer-service skills: "receive and stage all inbound materials -fulfilling customer orders -cycle counts"

Detail oriented. receiving leads are also known for detail oriented, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to receiving lead responsibilities, because "material and product inspecting clerks must pay attention to detail when checking items for defects, some of which are small and difficult to spot." A receiving lead resume example shows how detail oriented is used in the workplace: "complied spreadsheets detailing equipment, adjustments of inventory counts, data-entry records, location changes and refusal or shipments"

Math skills. A big part of what receiving leads do relies on "math skills." You can see how essential it is to receiving lead responsibilities because "material recording clerks may need to calculate shipping costs or take measurements." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical receiving lead tasks: "reported weekly financial statistics on damaged products and daily warehouse inventory audit and cycle count. "

Most common receiving lead skills

The three companies that hire the most receiving leads are:

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Compare different receiving leads

Receiving lead vs. Warehouse supervisor

A Warehouse Supervisor's responsibility mainly revolves around inventory, logistics, and workforce supervision. One of the main tasks is to oversee and coordinate with every employee or company involved to ensure that all of the stocks have been received, stored, and delivered according to what is needed. Aside from the maintenance of inventory, it is also the task of the Warehouse Supervisor to hire employees that would be a great addition to the team and the company.

The annual salary of warehouse supervisors is $10,737 higher than the average salary of receiving leads.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both receiving lead and warehouse supervisor positions are skilled in shipping receiving, sales floor, and safety procedures.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a receiving lead are more likely to require skills like "customer service," "purchase orders," "electric pallet jack," and "load trucks." On the other hand, a job as a warehouse supervisor requires skills like "logistics," "osha," "excellent interpersonal," and "warehouse associates." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Warehouse supervisors tend to make the most money working in the manufacturing industry, where they earn an average salary of $50,084. In contrast, receiving leads make the biggest average salary, $40,734, in the technology industry.The education levels that warehouse supervisors earn slightly differ from receiving leads. In particular, warehouse supervisors are 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a receiving lead. Additionally, they're 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Receiving lead vs. Warehouse coordinator

A warehouse coordinator is responsible for monitoring the supply and distribution operations of a warehouse, loading and unloading merchandise from the delivery trucks, and storing items appropriately on the facility. Warehouse coordinators assist in packing and labeling items, pulling out products from delivery, and ensuring the correct quantity and quality of the items before release. They also inspect the efficiency and performance of warehouse tools and equipment, especially on schedule for regular maintenance, and call for repairs as needed.

Warehouse coordinator positions earn lower pay than receiving lead roles. They earn a $4,724 lower salary than receiving leads per year.A few skills overlap for receiving leads and warehouse coordinators. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "shipping receiving," "customer service," and "safety regulations. "

Each career also uses different skills, according to real receiving lead resumes. While receiving lead responsibilities can utilize skills like "sales floor," "safety procedures," "electric pallet jack," and "load trucks," warehouse coordinators use skills like "math," "warehouse functions," "warehouse equipment," and "logistics."

On average, warehouse coordinators earn a lower salary than receiving leads. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, warehouse coordinators earn the most pay in the health care industry with an average salary of $36,509. Whereas receiving leads have higher pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $40,734.warehouse coordinators earn similar levels of education than receiving leads in general. They're 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Receiving lead vs. Shipping supervisor

A shipping supervisor is responsible for monitoring the goods and services, ensuring its quality and quantity before packaging and shipment processing to avoid delays and possible client complaints. Shipping supervisors manage the shipment schedule, including verification of the location and determining correct charges. They also keep track of the incoming and outgoing deliveries by maintaining an organized record in the company's database. A shipping supervisor must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially on handling customers' concerns, conducting item replacements, and overseeing the warehouse staff to meet maximum productivity goals.

On average, shipping supervisors earn higher salaries than receiving leads, with a $9,779 difference per year.By looking over several receiving leads and shipping supervisors resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "shipping receiving," "customer service," and "safety procedures." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from receiving lead resumes include skills like "sales floor," "purchase orders," "electric pallet jack," and "load trucks," whereas a shipping supervisor is more likely to list skills in "logistics," "continuous improvement," "safety rules," and "pallet jack. "

Shipping supervisors make a very good living in the professional industry with an average annual salary of $52,217. On the other hand, receiving leads are paid the highest salary in the technology industry, with average annual pay of $40,734.When it comes to education, shipping supervisors tend to earn similar degree levels compared to receiving leads. In fact, they're 0.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Receiving lead vs. Warehouse lead person

A warehouse lead person is responsible for supervising the overall operations of a distribution or warehouse centers, managing the supply chain requirements, and ensuring the adequacy of stock supplies for shipment and deliveries. Warehouse leads organize the production processes, maintain inventory, and identify strategic techniques to maximize the warehouse staff productivity and efficiency. They also coordinate with the customers for their inquiries and concerns, take orders, and resolve complaints. A warehouse lead person must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in doing administrative tasks to support business operations smoothly and get duties done on time.

Warehouse lead people tend to earn a lower pay than receiving leads by an average of $2,258 per year.According to resumes from receiving leads and warehouse lead people, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "shipping receiving," "customer service," and "safety procedures. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between receiving leads and warehouse lead people, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a receiving lead might have more use for skills like "sales floor," "stock room," "rtv," and "hazardous materials." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of warehouse lead people require skills like "pallets," "order sheets," "warehouse person," and "load sheet. "

Warehouse lead people enjoy the best pay in the education industry, with an average salary of $38,867. For comparison, receiving leads earn the highest salary in the technology industry.warehouse lead people reach similar levels of education compared to receiving leads, in general. The difference is that they're 2.0% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of receiving lead

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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