Material Handler Jobs in Portland, OR (NOW HIRING)

Salvage Material Handler

Position Title: Salvage Material Handler
Department: Store
Status: Hourly, non-exempt
Schedule: Tuesday-Saturday

Pay: $19.00 per hour
Additional Pay: Bilingual pay differential, if applicable. Driving differential of $1.50 per hour for hours/shifts when assigned to drive ReBuilding Center vehicles.

Job Summary:

This is a hands-on, physically active role for someone who enjoys working with materials, people, and purpose. Salvage Material Handlers help keep reusable building materials in circulation by unloading, sorting, pricing, moving, and stocking items in a fast paced warehouse, retail, and outdoor work environment. This role supports ReBuilding Center’s mission by helping reduce waste, advance sustainability, and expand community access to affordable building materials.

Work Environment:

Salvage Material Handlers work in an active store, warehouse, lumberyard, and open-air/outdoor environment. This position requires comfort working in changing weather conditions, including cold, heat, rain, and seasonal temperature changes.

The role may include:

• Frequent handling of heavy, bulky, dusty, or dirty materials, such as doors, cabinets, sinks, lumber, appliances, and architectural salvage
• Work on concrete floors and in open-air areas that may be colder in winter and warmer in summer
• Exposure to dust, dirt, mold, construction residue, and outdoor elements
• Low potential for exposure to lead, asbestos, or other hazardous materials found in salvaged building materials
• Use of equipment such as hand trucks, carts, furniture dollies, pallet jacks, and other material-handling tools
  

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

Store and Material Operations

• Safely unload donated and salvaged materials from vehicles
• Sort, clean, price, stock, and organize reusable building materials
• Move and place materials throughout the store, warehouse, and outdoor yard areas, including lumber, doors, cabinets, appliances, hardware, and other departments. 
• Assist with merchandising and maintaining well-stocked, organized sales areas
• Help keep the store, warehouse, and outdoor areas clean, accessible, and safe for staff, volunteers, donors, and customers

Customer and Community Support

• Provide respectful, helpful service and support a welcoming, accessible environment for customers, donors, volunteers, and visitors.
• Answer basic questions about materials, store processes, and where items are located
• Help customers safely access, move, or load materials when appropriate

Teamwork and Communication

• Arrive on time, ready to work, and prepared for an active physical shift
• Work collaboratively with coworkers, volunteers, and supervisors
• Communicate clearly and respectfully with team members and visitors
• Support daily store priorities and adapt to changing material flow, staffing needs, and customer activity

Safety

• Follow safety procedures when handling materials, including using required safety footwear/PPE and proper lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, and team-lift techniques.
• Help identify and report hazards, spills, blocked pathways, damaged materials, or unsafe conditions
• Support safe loading and unloading practices for staff, volunteers, customers, and donors

Occasional Driving

• This role may include occasional driving of ReBuilding Center vehicles for store-related material movement, pickups, or deliveries. Driving is not required for all shifts. Employees assigned to drive must have a valid driver’s license.
  

Required Qualifications:

• Ability to safely lift, push, pull, and carry up to 75 pounds throughout the workday, including repetitive bending, lifting, carrying, stacking, pushing, pulling, standing, and walking.
• Ability to work in an outdoor/open-air environment with dust, dirt, weather exposure, and seasonal temperature changes
• Ability to wear steel-toed or safety shoes from the first day of employment
• Strong reliability, punctuality, and follow-through
• Clear, respectful communication skills
• Ability to work well with coworkers, volunteers, donors, customers, and community members
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in a warehouse, lumberyard, reuse/salvage, construction materials, retail operations, or other physically active work environment
• Experience safely moving large, heavy, or bulky materials
• Familiarity with building materials, tools, hardware, lumber, cabinets, doors, appliances, or architectural salvage
• Bilingual skills, especially languages commonly used by ReBuilding Center customers and community members
  

Compensation and Benefits:

• Starting Pay Rate: $19/hour; Bilingual pay differential, if applicable under organizational policy
• $1.50 per hour driving differential for hours/shifts when the employee is assigned to drive ReBuilding Center vehicles

• Health Benefits: 100% employer-paid Kaiser medical coverage for employees, with 40% coverage for spouses and dependent children (Silver or Bronze plans). Gold buy-up plan available at additional cost.
• Dental and Vision: 100% employer-paid dental coverage for employees, and 50% for spouses and dependent children. Vision benefit included.
• Other Benefits:
  • Flexible Spending, Health Savings, and Dependent Care Accounts available.
  • 5 weeks paid time off and 7 paid holidays annually.
  • Employer-paid Life Insurance.
  • 401(k) with pre- and post-tax options.
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
  • 20% discount at the ReBuilding Center store.
  • Free RBC Education Class attendance (material fees may apply).
    

Hiring Timeline: Position open until filled. We will begin contacting selected candidates in the end of August and hope to fill the position by mid September. Learn more at https://www.rebuildingcenter.org/careers

About ReBuilding Center
ReBuilding Center is the heart of low-cost, community-based reuse and repair in Portland. Since 1997, we’ve kept over 60 million pounds of building materials in use, making home repair and creative reuse affordable and accessible for all. Through our retail store and education programs, we support a thriving community of homeowners, artists, makers, and DIYers.

Working at ReBuilding Center
Bring your whole self to work. Our team is collaborative, hands-on, and grounded in sustainability, respect, and continuous improvement. We are committed to building an actively anti-racist organization and to evolving our practices, policies, and culture over time.

Equal Opportunity & Accommodation Request

ReBuilding Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or other protected characteristics. We encourage applications from individuals with lived experience related to our mission and from historically marginalized communities. ReBuilding Center is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants. If you need a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process, participate in an interview, or otherwise take part in the hiring process, please contact Nicholette, HR, at nicholette@rebuildingcenter.org