Director of Logistics

Kaizen Lab Inc.; Fort Worth (TX); On-site; USD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Kaizen Lab Inc. is seeking a Director of Logistics located in Fort Worth, Texas. This role provides strategic leadership for logistics functions, guiding the Dispatch, Shipping & Receiving, and Yard Department for optimal performance.

The successful candidate will have 5+ years of logistics experience, strong leadership skills, and a proven ability to drive performance while ensuring compliance with safety standards.

This full-time position requires a mix of indoor and outdoor work within a busy steel fabrication environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in logistics and supply chain management.
• Strong knowledge of shipping/receiving documentation and practices.
• Leadership experience managing teams in operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop logistics team including supervisors and frontline staff.
• Manage dispatch operations and carrier relationships.
• Ensure compliance with safety policies and procedures.

Skills

Logistics management

Shipping and receiving

Team leadership

Safety compliance

Performance management

ERP/WMS systems proficiency

Data analysis

Customer service

Education

Bachelor's degree in supply chain, logistics, business, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office (Excel, Word)

Job description

Company Overview

Willbanks Metals, Inc. (WMI) is a diverse steel service center and fabrication provider serving customers for over 50 years. WMI is known for superior service and unmatched integrity, delivering large scale steel distribution and fabrication solutions for end users and steel distributors across the Southwest United States.

Role Summary

The Director of Logistics provides strategic and day-to-day leadership for WMI’s logistics functions, including Dispatch, Shipping & Receiving, and the Yard Department. This role is accountable for safe, accurate, and on-time execution of inbound receiving, internal material movement, yard organization, outbound shipping, carrier coordination, and customer deliveries/pickups. The Director of Logistics drives performance through standard work, staffing and training, KPI management, and continuous improvement to reduce truck turn time, prevent damage, protect traceability, and deliver an excellent customer experience.

Key Outcomes

• Safe execution of all yard, dock, loading, unloading, and dispatch activities.
• On-time shipment performance and reliable delivery/pickup scheduling.
• Accurate shipping/receiving documentation, inventory movement, and material traceability.
• Efficient yard flow (staging, spotting, traffic patterns) and reduced congestion/truck dwell time.
• Strong leadership, training, and accountability across Dispatch, Shipping & Receiving, and Yard teams.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership & Management

• Lead and develop supervisors/leads across Dispatch, Shipping & Receiving, and Yard; establish clear expectations, goals, and accountability.
• Create staffing plans that align labor to production and shipment demand (shifts, overtime, peak periods); support hiring and performance management.
• Promote a strong safety culture; ensure compliance with WMI safety policies, OSHA requirements, and safe rigging/load securement practices.
• Standardize work processes and training to improve consistency, accuracy, and throughput across all logistics areas.
• Partner with Operations, Production, Planning, Sales, and Quality to align priorities and meet customer commitments.

Dispatch / Transportation

• Oversee dispatch operations for company and contracted transportation, including routing, appointment scheduling, and real-time communication with drivers.
• Manage carrier relationships and performance (service levels, claims/damage, on-time performance, capacity); support carrier qualification as needed.
• Coordinate customer deliveries and will-call pickups to minimize delays, re-handling, and schedule conflicts with production readiness.
• Develop and maintain yard and dock schedules (doors, staging lanes, spotting priorities) to support efficient outbound departures.
• Ensure DOT-related practices are followed where applicable, including load securement expectations and driver/vehicle requirements.

Shipping & Receiving

• Ensure inbound and outbound loads are loaded/unloaded safely and verified to documentation prior to driver release, including accuracy of grade, size, quantity, and identifiers.
• Drive disciplined execution of shipping/receiving processes, including staging, packaging, banding/blocking, and paperwork preparation (BOLs, packing lists, MTRs/traceability documents).
• Ensure timely and accurate ERP transactions for receipts, shipments, and inventory movements to maintain real-time inventory accuracy and traceability.
• Establish escalation paths for shortages, overages, damage, or documentation discrepancies; ensure corrective actions and claims processes are followed.
• Coordinate with Production and Planning to confirm load readiness and prevent missed shipments; ensure shift-to-shift handoffs are effective.

Yard Operations

• Oversee outside material handling and storage activities, including safe movement of plate, structural shapes, coils, and finished goods.
• Maintain organized yard layout and storage discipline to support efficient picking, staging, and inventory location accuracy.
• Ensure cranes, forklifts, rigging, and yard equipment are used correctly; coordinate inspections, certification, and maintenance support.
• Optimize truck flow, traffic patterns, staging areas, and safety signage to reduce congestion and improve turn time.
• Partner with Shipping & Receiving to coordinate spotting and trailer positioning (including yard mule/spotter activities where applicable).

Performance Management & Continuous Improvement

• Track and improve KPIs such as safety incidents, on-time shipment performance, truck turn time, loading accuracy, damage/claims, and inventory location accuracy.
• Lead root-cause analysis and corrective actions for late shipments, damage events, misloads, or inventory discrepancies.
• Drive 5S/housekeeping standards in docks, staging, and yard areas; implement visual controls and standard work.
• Identify and execute process and technology improvements (ERP discipline, yard check processes, communication tools, and workflow standardization).
• Support audits and compliance reviews related to shipping documentation, traceability, safety, and customer requirements.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive experience in logistics, shipping/receiving, yard operations, or supply chain within a heavy industrial, metals, fabrication, or distribution environment.
• 3+ years of leadership experience managing supervisors/leads and frontline teams across multiple operational functions.
• Strong working knowledge of shipping/receiving documentation (BOLs, packing lists, purchase orders) and material traceability practices.
• Experience coordinating dispatch/routing and working with carriers and drivers in a fast-paced, customer-driven environment.
• Proficiency with ERP/WMS systems and Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel, Word); ability to analyze data and drive performance.
• Demonstrated ability to build standard work, train teams, and lead continuous improvement in safety, quality, and throughput.
• High school diploma or GED required; bachelor’s degree in supply chain, logistics, business, or related field preferred (or equivalent experience).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a steel service center, fabrication shop, or industrial distribution environment handling long and heavy loads.
• Knowledge of DOT load securement requirements and best practices for protecting steel products during transport.
• Forklift and overhead crane operational experience and/or familiarity with certification requirements; rigging knowledge.
• Experience leading physical inventories and cycle count programs; proven record reducing inventory discrepancies.
• Experience implementing logistics KPIs, dashboards, or scheduling/yard management tools.

Work Environment and Physical Demands

This position operates in both indoor warehouse and outdoor yard environments within a steel fabrication and distribution facility. The work environment includes exposure to moving trucks, forklifts, cranes, and other heavy equipment. Noise levels can be moderate to loud. While this is a leadership role, routine time in the yard and on the docks is required to support safety, coaching, and operational execution. PPE is required in production, yard, and shipping/receiving areas.

Schedule

Full‑time, on‑site. Schedule aligns to operational needs and may include early mornings, evenings, and occasional weekends to support customer deliveries, production demands, and peak shipping periods.

EEO/ADA Statement & Disclaimer

Willbanks Metals, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee; duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.