Lead Hand

Shift: Monday – Friday (8:30 AM to 5:00 PM)

In your role as a Lead Hand, Days , at The North West Company (NWC), you play an intermediate role between workers and supervisors and are accountable for your team's ability to meet distribution goals. If you are skilled in evaluating the quality of work of team members, organizing crew tasks, maintaining work standards and mentoring apprentices; this opportunity is for you

Joining NWC gives you the opportunity for growth and development throughout the company, a competitive salary and benefits package, and to be part of a dynamic and diverse culture.

NWC is a leading retailer to under-served rural communities and urban neighbourhood markets in the following regions: Northern Canada, Western Canada, rural Alaska, the South Pacific islands, and the Caribbean. Our stores offer a broad range of products and services with an emphasis on food. Our value offer is to be the best local shopping choice for everyday household and local lifestyle needs. Check out for more information.

Your Role:

• Responsible for the overall operation of the freezer;
• Assist with the selection of goods and other department functions;
• Pick produce, fresh and frozen meat, and grocery orders internal and external customers;
• Operate powered equipment to pick or stock items;
• Load and unload trucks and maintain product rotation;
• Maintain and rigorously follow our Prevention Control Plan for the Safe Food For Canadians Act and Regulations.
• Maintain warehouse cleanliness and safe work environment as per Health and Safety Legislation and policies by reporting any violations and potential hazards to the Supervisor;
• Assist in routing of city and country dedicated deliveries;
• Assess and delegate workload for the evening shift including purchase orders received, order picking, shipping and receiving;
• Assist with accurate AFS inventory including cycle counts, quality control, inventory adjustments, returns, and shrink/waste control;
• Perform pre and post-shift inspections, locking/unlocking of all doors and arming/disarming of alarms; and ensure the building and equipment is maintained to a satisfactory and safe level;
• Assist in coordinating relevant information and production flow between shifts through coaching, task delegation and follow up;
• Lead, motivate, and provide ongoing assistance to warehouse shift employees with the guidance of the Supervisor as required;
• Maintain professional and proactive communication with internal and external stakeholders; and
• Act as a Supervisor for vacation and illness coverage.

Desired Skills & Experience:

• Previous order picking, shipping and receiving experience in a warehouse distribution environment required;
• Previous leadership experience is preferred.
• Must be able to lift up to 70 lbs. unaided for the duration of each shift;
• Proficient in MS Office applications with emphasis on Excel, Word, Outlook;
• Previous experience handling perishable grocery products or knowledge of grocery, produce and meat industry preferred
• High School Diploma or willing to obtain in the next 18 months; along with willingness to further oneself through training and schooling opportunities;
• Ability to become in-house certified on required motorized equipment. Forklift and power jack experience preferred
• Demonstrated organizational skills and ability to prioritize and delegate workloads to meet production requirements;
• Ability to work in a team or independently;
• Strong attention to detail and ability to follow specific direction;
• Previous leadership experience is an asset; with excellent communication and interpersonal skills to provide superior customer service;
• Knowledge of company shipping routes is an asset; and
• Capable of working in a variety of seasonal temperatures and warehouse environments.

Location: Crescent Multi Foods (CMF), 2049 Dugald Road, Winnipeg, MB

Reports to: Warehouse Supervisor Evenings

We create a collaborative and constructive culture by:

• Being Enterprising
  • Committing to our Customer
  • Working with Passion
  • Leading and Developing Others
  • Demonstrating Respect and Inclusivity
  • Building Trust

The North West Company is committed to inclusion and diversity and encourages applications from all candidates including but not limited to all religions and ethnicities, LGBTQ2s+, BIPOC, and persons with disabilities.

You may include your resume and cover letter together as a single document. A competitive salary is being offered along with opportunities to learn, develop and advance throughout the organization. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

This is an active job opening for a position that is currently available and we are actively seeking to fill.

This position adheres to the Distribution Application Process Guidelines.

For Internal Applicants:

Interested internal applicants are encouraged to apply directly on the website no later than Wednesday January 28th, 2026. Internal applicants must select "Yes" as the answer to "Are you currently employed by The North West Company or any of its subsidiaries?" during the application process.

Positions will be advertised externally; however internal candidates will receive first consideration based on qualifications. NWC employees are encouraged to bring forward applications of external candidates that meet the qualifications of this position