Rail Operator Jobs in Kansas (NOW HIRING)

At GAF, we cover more than just buildings. We cover each other. Under this roof, you will have the tools and resources you need to grow and develop in your career. You will experience our incredible culture and will be empowered to support your teammates, your customers, and especially your community. Under this roof, we define the future while leading the present through our deep well of experience and our responsibility to the future to drive improvements and innovation in our products. We are GAF. And under this roof, we protect what matters most.
About GAF - Newton, Kansas
Newton is a vibrant Kansas community founded in 1871 on a spirit of work, from its earliest days as a railroad, agriculture and cattle drive hub. With a population of about 20,000, Newton and neighboring North Newton features an active arts community, three National Historic Districts, a variety of museums, trails, restaurants, shops and attractions, Bethel College, award winning school districts, a championship golf course, first-class convention center and many other amenities. This collaborative region is close to dynamic Wichita and may be the next best place for you to call home, in GAF's newest "Field of Dreams!"
New Plant, New Opportunities
If you haven't been part of a greenfield startup, now is your chance. GAF is the North American leader in residential roofing materials. We are honored to be constructing our newest shingle manufacturing facility in Newton KS and hiring is underway as we build our initial plant leadership team. Due to our investment in training and the development of employees, you will have the opportunity to travel to our other locations, engage with peers, support the hiring of plant staff and participate in the design and construction of the facility. Expect your first years to be rewarding and challenging with an amazing team fully supporting you. You will wear many hats during the construction and commissioning phases of the project, and ease into your steady role over time.
Job Summary
The Supply Chain Associate III serves as the operational expert and technical lead within the Supply Chain team. The Supply Chain Associate IIII is responsible for optimizing the flow of finished goods and raw materials and serving as a subject matter expert for complex truck and rail logistics. This role is defined by advanced technical mastery and the ability to mentor early career associates in meticulous operational discipline, inventory integrity, and safety protocols. The Associate III proactively identifies and resolves systemic bottlenecks, ensuring that production lines remain uninterrupted while upholding the highest standards of HAZMAT and regulatory compliance.
Essential Duties

• Champion a safe and clean work environment, embedding safety as the highest priority within our culture.
• Participate in safety, continuous improvement, and 5S initiatives.
• Maintain compliance with safety policies and procedures, conduct inspections of plant areas and/or equipment, and ensure deficiencies found are resolved or appropriately communicated.
• Safely operate industrial equipment to efficiently move raw materials, and/or finished goods to appropriate plant location
• Safely unload raw materials and load finished goods from/to commercial trucks and/or rail cars
• Lead complex loading and unloading sequences for commercial trucks and railcars, ensuring maximum efficiency and 100% compliance with weight distribution and load security standards.
• Serve as a designated trainer for Level I and II Associates, specifically regarding the safe operation of specialized industrial equipment like trackmobiles and high-capacity forklifts.
• Independently diagnose and resolve critical operational bottlenecks, equipment malfunctions, or dock congestion that threaten facility throughput
• Lead regular cycle count initiatives and conduct deep-dive investigations into inventory variances, SKU discrepancies, or lot number errors before they impact production.
• Perform comprehensive root cause analysis for any safety or loading incidents, recommending process improvements to plant leadership to prevent recurrence
• Demonstrate advanced proficiency in Warehouse Management Systems (WMS/Koerber) and SAP to audit material movement and ensure absolute real-time data accuracy.
• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications Required

• H.S. Diploma or General Education Degree (GED)
• 3+ years in a safety sensitive position within an industrial, distribution or manufacturing environment

General Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• A demonstrated commitment to safety
• Expert interpersonal skills
• Strong attention to detail
• Ability to work as a team player
• Situational awareness in plants with moving machinery, overhead hazards and pedestrian walkways
• Advanced communication skills required when working with employees at all levels of the organization, third party logistics providers, rail carriers, and truck drivers.
• Ability to pivot quickly to supply chain disruptions
• Ability to work under limited supervision make independent judgement and decisions as necessary.
• Ability to identify problems and resolve conflicts within a collaborative, team-driven environment
• Strong mathematical skills required for counting during receiving and verifying pallet/load quantities against Bills of Lading
• Ability to maintain productivity during an 8 to 12 hour shift that may involve bending, lifting, and mounting/dismounting equipment.
• Excellent organization skills.

Technical Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Advanced proficiency in G suite
• Advanced knowledge of OSHA and FRA regulations, specifically LTV (Lock, Tag, Verify), wheel chock use, Rail flag identification, industrial equipment safety, HazMat transportation regulations.
• Advanced knowledge of inventory control including, but not limited too, cycle counts, FIFO standards, and inbound/outbound paperwork
• Advanced knowledge of equipment weight shift points when transitioning from ramps/docks to trailers
• Advanced knowledge of forklift and other industrial equipment weight limits for safe transportation of product and/or materials.
• Expert skills in warehouse management platforms like SAP to track materials and costs
• Advanced knowledge of safely loading trucks via loading ramps, use of spotters, and management of weight shift points when the equipment transitions from the ramp to the trailer deck
• Expert ability to perform root cause analysis for safety and loading incidents

Qualifications Preferred

• 3+ years of Forklift experience within an industrial, distribution or manufacturing environment
• Experience with specialized logistics systems (Koerber), Google Suite and ERP systems

Physical Demands

• Stationary Position - Frequently
• Move/Traverse - Frequently
• Stationary Position/Seated - Frequently
• Transport/Lifting - Frequently (up to 50 lbs.)
• Transport/Carrying - Frequently
• Exerting Force/Pushing - Frequently
• Exerting Force/Pulling - Frequently
• Ascend/Descend - Frequently
• Balancing - Frequently
• Position Self/Stooping - Frequently
• Position Self/Kneeling - Frequently
• Position Self/Crouching - Frequently
• Position Self/Crawling - Frequently
• Reaching - Constantly
• Handling - Constantly
• Grasping - Frequently
• Feeling - Occasionally
• Communicate/Talking - Frequently
• Communicate/Hearing - Frequently
• Repetitive Motions - Frequently
• Coordination - Frequently
• Climbing - Frequently

Working Conditions

• Extreme cold - Frequently
• Extreme heat - Frequently
• Humid - Frequently
• Wet - Frequently
• Noise - Frequently
• Hazards - Frequently
• Temperature Change - Frequently
• Vibration - Frequently

Travel Requirements: May require occasional travel in connection to job duties as it relates to conferences, site visits, professional development or learning opportunities, etc. in which advance notice of travel expectations/events will be provided.
Base salary and/or rate of pay ranges listed are exclusive of fringe benefits and potential bonuses. Individual compensation offers will be determined based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to geographic location, relevant candidate experience and skill, education, and/or qualifications.
Base Hourly Rate: $32.00
How We Protect What Matters Most:
1. We offer a wide range of health insurance options that include medical, dental, and vision for you and your family. 2. Our Family-Building benefits support the many different journeys to fertility and parenthood. 3. Our robust 401K plan includes an employer match contribution with your pre-tax and/or Roth contributions. 4. Other exciting programs and perks are available to help employees achieve work-life balance, including (but not limited to) a wellness program, free financial coaching, a referral program, and product rebates when purchased for an employee's primary residence. 5. Professional growth and development are very important to us! We offer internal training programs and courses, as well as a generous tuition reimbursement program. 6. We're committed to fostering a culture that reflects our values to connect, empower, evolve, and inspire. We offer many opportunities for employees to connect with one another, including through our Employee Resource Groups who focus on education and allyship for all of our employees.
GAF complies with federal, state, and local disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact HR Services at 833-HR-XPERT.
We believe our employees are our greatest resource. We offer competitive salary, benefits, 401k, and vacation packages for all full time permanent positions. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity on the basis of each candidate's qualifications, experience, and merit, without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know. If applying for positions in the U.S., must be eligible to work in the U.S. without need for employer sponsored visa (work permit).