Freight Forwarder Jobs in Calgary, AB (NOW HIRING)

Job Description: About Us SPS West is a growing Western Canadian industrial solutions company specializing in engineered products, technical distribution, and custom manufacturing. We support customers across the energy, industrial, and manufacturing sectors with solutions in process piping, measurement and instrumentation, safety and environmental products, and specialized fabricated equipment. What sets SPS West apart is our ability to combine technical expertise, responsive service, and in-house manufacturing. From engineered product solutions and custom assemblies to our expanding line of Envirobox containment products, we work closely with our customers to solve real-world industrial challenges quickly and practically. We are continuing to invest in our people, technology, systems, and manufacturing capabilities as the company grows. That creates opportunities for employees to take ownership, improve how things are done, develop new skills, and have a visible impact on the business. We value people who are accountable, practical, curious, and willing to contribute beyond the boundaries of a traditional job description. We work in an environment where ideas are encouraged, continuous improvement matters, and employees can see the results of their work from the initial customer requirement through to the finished product. At SPS West, we do things differently—and we are looking for people who want to help us build what comes next.Position Summary We are seeking an experienced, detail-oriented Logistics & Inventory Coordinator to join our operations team. This position is responsible for the accurate and efficient receipt, storage, movement, inventory control, and shipment of materials within a fast-paced industrial distribution and manufacturing environment. The role has primary responsibility for maintaining inventory integrity while coordinating domestic, cross-border, and international transportation requirements. The successful candidate will combine hands-on warehouse experience with strong computerized inventory-management, freight, logistics, and documentation skills. This individual will take ownership of inventory accuracy, shipping and receiving processes, warehouse organization, trade documentation, and the timely movement of materials throughout the organization. The Logistics & Inventory Coordinator must be safety-focused, highly organized, capable of working independently, and able to collaborate effectively with manufacturing, purchasing, customer service, project operations, suppliers, customers, transportation providers, freight forwarders, and customs brokers.Key ResponsibilitiesShipping, Receiving & Logistics · Receive, inspect, verify, and process incoming materials against purchase orders, packing slips, and receiving documentation. · Identify shortages, overages, damage, incorrect materials, or other discrepancies and coordinate resolution. · Prepare, package, label, verify, and ship customer orders, production orders, and inter company transfers accurately and on schedule. · Coordinate pickups and deliveries using courier, parcel, LTL, FTL, air, and ocean transportation. · Obtain and evaluate freight quotations based on cost, transit time, reliability, and customer requirements. · Select appropriate carriers and transportation methods within established company guidelines and approval limits. · Track shipments and proactively resolve freight delays, damaged shipments, delivery issues, and transportation problems. · Initiate and manage freight claims where required. · Maintain effective working relationships with carriers, freight forwarders, customs brokers, suppliers, customers, and logistics providers. · Identify opportunities to consolidate shipments, reduce freight costs, and minimize premium freight. · Load and unload trucks using forklifts and other material-handling equipment in accordance with company safety procedures.Import, Export & Customs Documentation · Prepare and process documentation required for Canadian, U.S., cross-border, and international shipments. · Complete and verify commercial invoices, packing lists, bills of lading, certificates of origin, export declarations, and other required trade documents. · Coordinate with customs brokers, freight forwarders, and carriers to facilitate efficient clearance of imported and exported goods. · Ensure shipping documentation complies with customer requirements, Incoterms where applicable, customs requirements, company policies, and applicable trade regulations. · Maintain complete and accurate shipping, customs, and trade-compliance records. · Investigate and resolve customs-documentation discrepancies, clearance delays, and import/export issues.Inventory Control The Logistics & Inventory Coordinator is accountable for maintaining the integrity and accuracy of the company’s physical and computerized inventory. · Maintain accurate inventory quantities, locations, statuses, and transactions within the ERP/WMS system. · Ensure every physical movement of inventory is accurately reflected in the ERP/WMS system. · Ensure inventory transactions are processed promptly when material is received, transferred, issued to production, returned, adjusted, or shipped. · Maintain disciplined control of warehouse locations, bins, staging areas, work-in-process locations, and finished-goods storage. · Develop, maintain, and execute an ongoing cycle-counting program. · Participate in periodic physical inventory counts. · Investigate inventory discrepancies, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence. · Monitor unidentified, damaged, obsolete, excess, quarantined, or incorrectly located inventory and coordinate appropriate disposition. · Maintain lot control, serial-number control, product traceability, and other identification requirements where applicable. · Ensure products are properly identified, labelled, stored, protected, and rotated where required. · Identify and implement opportunities to improve inventory accuracy, visibility, traceability, and material flow.Warehouse & Material Handling · Safely move raw materials, purchased products, work-in-process, finished goods, and production supplies throughout the facility. · Stage materials for production orders, projects, customer orders, and outgoing shipments. · Organize warehouse locations to maximize space utilization, accessibility, safety, and material flow. · Maintain clearly identified receiving, shipping, staging, quarantine, and inventory locations. · Support efficient material flow between receiving, warehouse, production, fabrication, assembly, and shipping. · Maintain a clean, organized, efficient, and safe warehouse environment following 5S principles. · Participate in warehouse-layout and material-flow improvements as operations evolve.Systems & Documentation · Accurately process shipping, receiving, inventory, transfer, adjustment, and material transactions within the ERP/WMS system. · Maintain complete electronic and physical records for inbound and outbound shipments. · Review shipping schedules, work orders, customer requirements, and production requirements to support on-time delivery. · Prepare reports related to inventory accuracy, cycle counting, discrepancies, freight, shipping, and receiving as required. · Identify system or process weaknesses that contribute to inventory errors or inefficient material movement. · Support implementation of barcode scanning, labelling, warehouse automation, and other inventory-control technologies.Quality & Safety · Inspect incoming materials for visible damage, quantity, identification, quality, and compliance with receiving requirements. · Identify and report non-conforming materials and ensure they are appropriately segregated or quarantined. · Assist with corrective actions relating to receiving, shipping, inventory, packaging, or material-handling issues. · Follow and promote company safety policies, warehouse procedures, transportation requirements, and applicable regulations. · Perform required inspections of forklifts and warehouse equipment and report maintenance or safety concerns. · Stop or hold shipments where significant documentation, inventory, quality, customs, or safety requirements have not been satisfied.Continuous Improvement · Identify opportunities to improve inventory accuracy, shipping accuracy, warehouse organization, freight costs, material flow, and transaction efficiency. · Participate in Lean, 5S, root-cause analysis, and operational-improvement initiatives. · Investigate recurring shipping, receiving, freight, and inventory issues and recommend corrective actions. · Help develop and maintain standardized procedures for shipping, receiving, inventory control, warehouse organization, and logistics.Decision-Making Authority Within established company policies and approval limits, the Logistics & Inventory Coordinator is expected to: · Select appropriate carriers and transportation methods. · Obtain and evaluate freight quotations. · Schedule pickups and deliveries. · Initiate freight claims. · Resolve routine carrier, freight, receiving, and shipping discrepancies. · Quarantine or segregate damaged, unidentified, or potentially non-conforming material. · Recommend and process inventory adjustments in accordance with established authorization procedures. · Implement warehouse-location and material-flow improvements. · Hold shipments where documentation, inventory, quality, customs, or safety requirements have not been satisfied. · Escalate significant cost, compliance, customer-service, or inventory issues to management. What Success Looks Like Successful performance in this position will be demonstrated through: · Inventory accuracy consistently maintained at 99% or better. · Shipping accuracy consistently maintained at 99% or better, with continuous improvement toward 99.5%+. · Physical inventory movements consistently and accurately reflected in the ERP/WMS system. · Accurate and timely processing of receiving, inventory, transfer, production, and shipping transactions. · Cycle counts completed according to schedule, with discrepancies investigated and resolved promptly. · Inventory discrepancies addressed through root-cause analysis and corrective action rather than repeated inventory adjustments. · Complete and compliant customs, transportation, and international shipping documentation. · Minimal preventable customs delays, premium freight, or additional costs resulting from internal shipping or documentation errors. · Effective control of inventory locations, staging areas, unidentified material, and warehouse organization. · Efficient material flow between receiving, warehouse, production, and shipping. · Strong working relationships with internal departments and external logistics partners. · Safe work practices and adherence to company policies and regulatory requirements. RequirementsQualificationsRequired · 3–5 years of progressively responsible experience in shipping, receiving, logistics, inventory control, warehousing, or a related role within an industrial manufacturing or distribution environment. · Strong practical knowledge of warehouse operations, material flow, shipping, receiving, logistics, and inventory control. · Demonstrated experience maintaining inventory within an ERP, WMS, or computerized inventory-management system. · Experience with cycle counting, inventory reconciliation, and investigating inventory discrepancies. · Experience coordinating shipments with transportation carriers, freight forwarders, couriers, and logistics providers. · Experience with Canadian and U.S. cross-border shipping and customs documentation. · Working knowledge of commercial invoices, packing lists, bills of lading, certificates of origin, and transportation documentation. · Experience working with customs brokers and transportation providers. · Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Excel and Outlook. · Experience operating forklifts, pallet jacks, and other material-handling equipment. · Valid forklift certification or ability to obtain certification. · Strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills with exceptional attention to detail. · Ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced industrial environment. · Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with other departments.Preferred · Experience with international air and ocean freight. · Working knowledge of Incoterms and international commercial shipping practices. · Experience with industrial products, instrumentation, piping products, manufacturing components, fabricated products, or technical distribution. · Familiarity with carrier shipping software and freight-management systems. · Experience with barcode scanners, warehouse-management technology, and inventory automation. · Experience developing or administering cycle-counting programs. · Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, 5S, continuous improvement, or root-cause analysis methodologies.Physical Requirements · Frequently lift and move materials weighing up to 50 lbs. · Stand, walk, bend, reach, and perform repetitive movements throughout the workday. · Safely operate forklifts, pallet jacks, and other warehouse equipment. · Work in warehouse and manufacturing environments with varying temperatures and noise levels. · Perform both physical warehouse activities and computer-based administrative responsibilities.Core Competencies · Inventory control and inventory accuracy · ERP/WMS transaction discipline · Shipping and receiving operations · Freight and transportation coordination · Import, export, and customs documentation · Warehouse organization and material flow · Root-cause analysis and problem solving · Attention to detail and accountability · Planning and prioritization · Teamwork and communication · Continuous improvement · Safety awareness and compliance