Materials Handler (Forklift Operator)
Who may apply
Limited to the following applicant groups:
- Veterans
- Individuals with disabilities
- Military spouses
- Family of overseas employees
- Federal employees - Competitive service
- Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
- Land and base management
Germersheim
Salary: $22.33 – $26.04
per hour
(WG-5)
Salary context
Based on 45 hourly jobs in the same occupational series. This role's pay spans a broad range among similar positions.
Job Details
Position Overview
About the Position:This is an open continuous announcement. The initial cutoff date for referral is 23 October 2025. After this date additional referral lists will be created as vacancies are available. If you are referred and not selected or receive a letter indicating you were ineligible because of missing documents you must complete a new application package for this vacancy to receive further consideration.
Duties
- As a Materials Handler (Forklift Operator), you will perform a wide range of warehousing work to include receiving, storing, selecting and shipping perishable and semi-perishables subsistence products.
- You will operate all types of materials handling equipment.
- Handle the receipt of incoming shipments from off-loading stages through movement of items to storage area, select proper storage locations for items; assemble items for shipment, and storing, stack, and palletize items.
- Assist or participate in the performance of physical warehouse inventories.
- See that items ready for shipment are properly assembled in the loading area according to information provided on the shipping requests.
- Perform equipment operator's maintenance as required.
Qualifications & Requirements
Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities.- 30 Percent or More Disabled Veterans
- Current Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) employees
- Current Department of Army Civilian Employees Applying to OCONUS Positions
- Current Department of Defense (DOD) Civilian Employee (non-Army)
- Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce
- Excepted Service Overseas Family Member Appointment
- Family Member Preference (FMP) for Overseas Employment
- Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan
- Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act
- Military Spouse Preference (MSP) for Overseas Employment
- Non-Appropriated Fund Instrumentality (NAFI)
- Non-Department of Defense (DoD) Transfer
- People with Disabilities, Schedule A
- Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible
- Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement
- Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible
- Reinstatement
- Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
There is no specific length of training or experience required. However, you must be able to demonstrate, through experience shown in your written application materials that you possess the sufficient knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the work of this position without more than normal supervision.
Minimum Qualifications (Screen Out Element): Ability to do the work of a(n) Materials Handler (Forklift Operator) without more than normal supervision. This includes, but is not limited to knowledge of warehousing plans, procedures, methods, and techniques. Knowledge to select storage locations, store, stack and palletize items. Ability to prepare inventory reports and to screen shipping and receiving documents for discrepancies. Skill in the use of automated material handling equipment and systems. - Failure to meet this Screen Out Element will result in an ineligible rating.
- Ability To Do The Work Of The position Without More Than Normal Supervision
- Ability to Interpret Instructions, Specification, etc.
- Dexterity and Safety
- Knowledge of Materials
- Technical Practices (theoretical, precise, artistic)
- Work Practices (includes keeping things neat, clean, and in order)
- Physical Effort: Incumbent is required to routinely work in extreme temperatures, often stand on hard surfaces for extended periods of time, and to bend, stoop and work in tiring and sometimes uncomfortable positions. Employee may lift and carry items that weigh up to 40 lbs. The heavier items are moved with weight handling equipment or with assistance from other workers.
- Working Conditions: Works inside or outside in areas that may be hot, damp, cold, drafty or poorly lighted. Is regularly exposed to the possibility of cuts, scrapes, bruises, abrasions, falls and injury from falling stock or mechanized conveyor systems and may be exposed to dust, dirt, grease and solvents and to high noise levels in mechanized work areas.
Education
Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.Conditions of Employment
- A one year trial/probationary period may be required.
- Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
- Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
- You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
- Applicants must comply with the Exceptional Family Member Program requirements as outlined in the DoD Instruction 1315.19 at http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/131519p.pdf.
- Employee may lift and carry items that weigh up to 40 lbs.
- Incumbent is required to perform an uncommon tour of duty to include shift work, evenings, weekends and holidays.
- Most of the work is performed in the inside or outside in areas that may be hot, damp, cold, drafty or poorly lighted. Is regularly exposed to the possibility of cuts, scrapes, bruises, abrasions.
- Incumbent must be physically able to wear steel-toed safety boots and other personnel protective equipment provided.
Evaluations
Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position.
Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
You may claim Military Spouse preference.
You may claim Priority Placement Program (PPP) preference.
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.
Required Documents
The documents you are required to submit vary based on the authority you are using to apply (i.e., applying as a veteran, applying as a current permanent Federal employee, applying as a reinstatement, etc). Please review the following links to see which documents you need to provide to prove your eligibility to apply: Applicant Checklist for Internal/Merit Promotion Announcements (OCONUS)As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.
1. Your resume:
- Your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.
- For each relevant work experience, make sure you include the employer's name, job title, start and end dates (include month and year), for qualifications purposes, the number of hours worked per week, and a brief description that show you can perform the tasks at the required level listed in the job announcement. If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you may not receive consideration for this position.
- Use plain language. Avoid using acronyms and terms that are not easily understood. The hiring agency will not make assumptions about what's in your resume.
- If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
- For additional information, to include formatting tips, see: What to include in your resume.
2. Other supporting documents:
- Cover Letter, optional
- Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable
- Proof of Eligibility to Apply: Your application must include the documents which prove you are eligible to apply for the vacancy. The Proof of Eligibility document describes authorities commonly used in merit promotion recruitment and what document(s) are required to prove you meet the requirements of the authority. You must meet the requirements of at least one of the authorities listed in the Who May Apply section above to receive further consideration.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 10/08/2026 to receive consideration.
- To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12812075).
- Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. As a reminder, your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For additional information, refer to the 'Required Documents' section.
- You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. Your resume selected in USAJOBS will be included, but you must re-select other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application may be incomplete.
- It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
- Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center.
Source: Data sourced from USAJOBS