Senior Manager, Yard Operations

Slate Auto•Warsaw, IN

About The Position

The Senior Manager, Yard Operations is the operationally responsible leader for Slate’s Finished Vehicle Yard (FVY), the interface between manufacturing and commercial vehicle delivery. This founding leadership role builds the operation from the ground up and owns vehicle custody, location accuracy, condition, security, and the full carrier handoff process from factory release through departure. The role directly leads FVY Operations across three crews and both shifts, with coordinated responsibility for Quality & Inspection and in-yard Repair Operations. It oversees yard receipt and inventory management, outbound logistics, EV-specific operating and safety standards, physical security, staffing and team development, inspection and repair coordination, infrastructure and equipment planning, reporting, systems integrity, and continuous improvement. The Senior Manager is the primary operational point of contact for Slate Sales and carrier partners and is accountable for safe, accurate, high-throughput vehicle delivery.

Requirements

12 or more years of progressive operations or logistics management experience, including at least 5 years leading multi-shift manufacturing, distribution, or vehicle logistics operations.
Demonstrated experience managing large hourly workforces of 90 or more team members, including coordinated functions, across multiple shifts in a high-throughput environment.
Strong working knowledge of finished-goods vehicle lot operations, logistics, or automotive manufacturing support functions.
Experience managing third-party carrier or logistics relationships, with accountability for scheduling adherence and fulfillment performance.
Proven safety leadership and EHS compliance experience in a manufacturing or automotive environment, including oversight of physical security programs such as access control, surveillance, and incident response.
Proficiency with WMS, ERP, or inventory management systems such as SAP or equivalent.
Strong data literacy and ability to build, interpret, and act on operational dashboards and KPI reports.
Bachelor’s degree in operations management, supply chain, business, engineering, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
Authorization to work permanently in the United States; visa sponsorship is not available.

Nice To Haves

Experience in finished vehicle logistics, automotive OEM yard operations, or vehicle remarketing or auction operations.
Familiarity with vehicle carriers and remarketing platforms used by automotive sales partners.
Experience with battery-electric vehicle operations, including charging infrastructure, state-of-charge management, or high-voltage safety programs such as NFPA 70E.
Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma certification at Green Belt level or higher.
Experience establishing a new operation or leading a facility launch.
Exposure to EV or new-model launch environments.

Responsibilities

Direct the Finished Vehicle Yard operation across three crews and both shifts, ensuring uninterrupted vehicle flow.
Manage physical and systematic receipt of vehicles released by Manufacturing, including VIN scanning, condition check-in, and slot assignment.
Maintain effective lot management, accurate WMS/ERP location tracking, inventory integrity, and documented cycle counts of every yard zone each shift.
Coordinate outbound logistics with Slate Sales carrier partners, including appointment scheduling and shipping throughput.
Set EV yard operating standards for state-of-charge management, charging rows, 12-volt battery maintenance, and outbound charge levels.
Own vehicle handoff from appointment booking through release authorization, documentation, gate verification, loading, and departure confirmation.
Ensure mandatory pre-release inspections and signed condition reports are completed before loading; hold release authority.
Oversee gate and loading operations, traffic separation, and loading in appointment order.
Post each pickup’s release in systems and provide Sales with signed bills of lading, condition reports, and updated VIN status during the same shift.
Manage short-ships, carrier no-shows, condition disputes, manifest discrepancies, and other readiness escalations.
Own FVY physical security with Slate Security, including perimeter protection, gate access, badge and visitor management, and video surveillance.
Maintain electronic key and fob controls and resolve unreturned fobs by shift end.
Lead EV protection and emergency readiness, including quarantine protocols, coordination with qualified technicians, and the site pre-incident plan with EHS and Slate Security.
Enforce traffic and personnel safety standards, suspend outdoor vehicle movement during severe weather, and oversee incident reporting and escalation.
Lead, develop, and performance-manage the FVY Operations Manager and, through that role, shift leads and frontline teams.
Partner with HR on staffing, onboarding, training, and performance for a direct FVY team of approximately 58–67 FTE across three crews.
Champion safety compliance, conduct regular safety walks, and promote proactive near-miss reporting.
Coordinate with Manufacturing Quality to ensure final inspections are complete and vehicles receive a Quality pass before carrier handoff.
Coordinate inspection standards, disposition criteria, audit readiness, quality metrics, and feedback on recurring defects with Manufacturing Quality.
Oversee the in-yard repair organization in coordination with GA Manufacturing, ensuring defective vehicles are repaired, re-inspected, and returned to active inventory without disrupting carrier schedules.
Coordinate repair scope, parts availability, technician support, root-cause disposition, prioritization, capacity planning, and repair-cycle SLAs.
Maintain repair disposition records by VIN, including root cause, labor, and classification.
Provide operational input on yard sizing, pavement, lighting, and fixed-facility planning.
Develop, procure, and commission EV charging infrastructure and yard mobile and handling equipment with manufacturing, material handling engineering, and Procurement.
Support capital planning and decisions on new versus refurbished yard equipment.
Own FVY reporting on throughput, capacity, carrier fulfillment, inspection pass rates, and repair queue health.
Lead continuous improvement in receiving, storage utilization, outbound throughput, and repair-cycle time.
Partner with IT/Systems to maintain WMS/ERP data integrity across vehicle transactions and release events.
Develop and maintain FVY standard operating procedures and ensure consistent standards across all crews.