Port Operations Jobs (NOW HIRING)

ManagerYard & Port Operations PlanningLocation: Little Rock, ArkansasA leading heavy industrial manufacturing and logistics operation is seeking a ManagerYard & Port Operations Planning to lead integrated planning, inventory visibility, dispatch readiness, and operational coordination across yard, rail, truck, barge, and port activities supporting a large-scale manufacturing environment.This is a plant-based planning and operating-cadence leadership role responsible for translating production schedules, inventory flow, customer priorities, and logistics activity into an executable daily and weekly operating plan across Yard, Port, Rail, and Dispatch operations.Key ResponsibilitiesLead the daily and weekly integrated planning process across inbound materials, port arrivals, unloading, internal movements, production releases, staging, and outbound customer shipmentsCoordinate daily operational planning meetings and communicate prioritized move/load/unload schedules by shift, zone, customer priority, and execution ownerManage yard and port capacity planning including storage locations, staging lanes, FIFO sequencing, congestion management, and shipment readinessMaintain inventory visibility and location accuracy through SAP/ERP/WMS systems, cycle counts, reconciliation processes, physical verification, and inventory governanceCoordinate planning activities across yard operations, rail, port, logistics, supply chain, quality, maintenance, production, and contract management teamsSupport dispatch readiness through loading plan validation, BOL/documentation control, staging coordination, material release tracking, and shipment prioritizationMonitor and escalate operational risks related to congestion, detention/demurrage, staging capacity, equipment constraints, delayed shipments, or inventory discrepanciesForecast manpower, equipment, trailer, crane, forklift, and operational support requirements to meet production and shipment demandsUtilize KPI dashboards, reporting tools, and operational metrics to improve planning accuracy, inventory control, dwell time, re-handling, and handling cost per tonDrive continuous improvement initiatives focused on operational flow, planning discipline, documentation accuracy, and shipment reliabilityLead and develop planners, inventory coordinators, SAP/WMS coordinators, dispatch support personnel, and documentation staffSupport PR/GRN processes, operational documentation, planning records, inventory corrections, and audit-ready operational controlsQualifications7 10+ years of experience in yard planning, logistics planning, inventory control, supply chain planning, warehouse/yard management, heavy industrial logistics, manufacturing operations, or related environments3 5+ years of leadership experience managing planners, inventory coordinators, documentation staff, or cross-functional operational planning processesStrong understanding of yard, rail, truck, barge, port, inventory, and dispatch operations within a manufacturing or industrial environmentExperience with SAP/ERP/WMS systems, online transaction discipline, inventory reconciliation, cycle counts, physical verification, and operational data managementStrong Excel, KPI reporting, planning-board management, and analytical problem-solving skillsAbility to work in a fast-paced manufacturing environment supporting shift-based operations, weekends, and customer-critical shipment schedulesStrong communication, coordination, and cross-functional leadership skillsPreferred ExperienceHeavy industrial manufacturing, steel, pipe, plate, structural steel, rail transloading, port operations, energy infrastructure, or large-scale logistics environments strongly preferredExperience supporting facility start-ups, yard expansions, logistics ramp-ups, or major material flow transformationsFamiliarity with BOL processes, loading plans, shipment documentation, packing/banding/dunnage requirements, and customer-specific shipping controlsExperience with KPI dashboards, continuous improvement, 5S, visual management, root-cause analysis, and operational performance systemsExposure to production planning, S&OP processes, contract management, carrier coordination, and demurrage/detention management preferredLeadership ProfileThe ideal candidate is a highly organized operational planning leader who can manage complex logistics and inventory flows while driving communication, accountability, planning accuracy, and cross-functional coordination across manufacturing, logistics, yard, rail, and port operations.