Yard Manager - Heavy Industrial/Pipe Manufacturing Operations

Yard Manager Heavy Industrial / Pipe Manufacturing OperationsLocation: Little Rock, ArkansasA leading heavy manufacturing and logistics operation is seeking a hands-on Yard Manager to oversee the safe, disciplined, and efficient operation of a large industrial yard supporting pipe manufacturing, staging, inventory flow, and customer shipment readiness.This is a plant-based operational leadership role responsible for day-to-day execution across material flow, yard operations, manpower deployment, equipment utilization, inventory accuracy, and dispatch readiness within a fast-paced manufacturing environment.Key ResponsibilitiesLead safe and efficient yard operations supporting plate, WIP, finished goods, quality hold material, staging, and outbound shipmentsManage daily yard flow including unloading, storage, stacking, transfer staging, shipment preparation, and dispatch readinessOversee safe handling of heavy materials including pipe, steel plate, cranes, forklifts, loaders, yard trucks, and rigging activitiesEnsure compliance with all HSE standards including pre-shift safety meetings, equipment inspections, traffic control, housekeeping, and safe lifting practicesCoordinate closely with manufacturing, quality, maintenance, logistics, rail, port, and inventory teams to support production continuity and customer delivery requirementsMaintain disciplined inventory and location accuracy through SAP/WMS transactions, cycle counts, physical verification, and material tracking processesLead and develop a team of supervisors, equipment operators, material handlers, yard personnel, and support staff across multiple shiftsManage manpower allocation, overtime control, shift handoffs, equipment deployment, and daily execution prioritiesSupport on-time customer shipments through proper staging, loading coordination, documentation accuracy, and escalation of operational constraintsDrive continuous improvement initiatives focused on reducing re-handling, congestion, dwell time, damage, overtime, and overall handling cost per tonUtilize KPI reporting and root-cause analysis to improve operational performance, inventory accuracy, safety, and shipment reliabilitySupport hiring, onboarding, training, cross-training, and performance management of yard operations personnelQualifications710+ years of experience in heavy industrial yard operations, logistics, material handling, steel/pipe operations, warehouse operations, rail/truck/barge loading, or manufacturing support environments35+ years of supervisory leadership experience managing hourly operations teams in industrial or manufacturing environmentsExperience leading large teams of operators, material handlers, supervisors, and yard personnel in a fast-paced operational settingStrong knowledge of heavy equipment operations, safe lifting practices, rigging, pipe/plate stacking, traffic flow management, and industrial housekeepingExperience with inventory management systems, SAP/WMS/ERP systems, cycle counting, location control, and material tracking processesAbility to support shift-based operations including weekends and customer-critical operational schedulesStrong problem-solving, communication, and cross-functional leadership skillsPreferred ExperienceSteel, pipe, line pipe, plate, structural steel, energy infrastructure, rail transloading, port operations, or heavy manufacturing experience strongly preferredExperience supporting new facility start-ups, operational ramp-ups, yard expansions, or large-scale logistics operationsOSHA, forklift, crane/rigging, rail safety, or related industrial safety certifications preferredExperience with KPI dashboards, continuous improvement, 5S, visual management, and operational performance systems preferredLeadership ProfileThe ideal candidate is a highly visible, hands-on operational leader who prioritizes safety, accountability, execution discipline, inventory accuracy, and continuous improvement while building strong cross-functional relationships across manufacturing, logistics, quality, maintenance, and supply chain operations.