Yard Specialist

Location: Detroit, MI
Pay: $25.00–$30.00/hour
Schedule: Monday–Friday | 6:00 AM–3:00 PM
Employment Type: Full-Time | Direct Hire
Classification: Hourly | Non-Exempt

Position Overview

An established Michigan-based general contractor is seeking a dependable, safety-focused Yard Specialist to support daily material, equipment, inventory, and vehicle operations at its Detroit facility.

The Yard Specialist is responsible for keeping the construction yard organized, safe, accurate, and operating efficiently. This position involves receiving and staging construction materials, loading and unloading trucks, operating material-handling equipment, verifying shipments, tracking inventory, directing yard traffic, and maintaining an orderly work environment.

The ideal candidate has previous experience in a construction yard, warehouse, building-material supplier, equipment yard, logistics operation, or similar industrial environment and is comfortable working outdoors and performing physical work throughout the day.

Key Responsibilities

• Organize and maintain yard inventory, including lumber, pipe, pallets, construction materials, equipment, tools, and trailers.
• Ensure materials and equipment are safely stored, clearly organized, and readily accessible.
• Load and unload materials from company vehicles, delivery trucks, and trailers.
• Safely operate forklifts/Hi-Los, pallet jacks, and other material-handling equipment as qualified.
• Stage materials and equipment for upcoming construction projects and deliveries.
• Assist truck drivers, employees, and other personnel with locating, loading, and unloading materials.
• Guide vehicles and delivery trucks entering, moving through, and exiting the yard.
• Maintain safe and efficient vehicle and pedestrian traffic throughout the facility.
• Inspect incoming and outgoing materials for quantity, accuracy, condition, and damage.
• Verify materials and deliveries against purchase orders, shipping documents, packing slips, and other paperwork.
• Identify and report damaged, missing, or incorrect materials.
• Maintain accurate inventory records and update logs as materials enter and leave the yard.
• Support inventory counts and help resolve discrepancies.
• Maintain a clean, organized yard free of unnecessary hazards.
• Perform basic cleaning and upkeep of equipment, tools, and work areas.
• Follow established company safety procedures when handling materials and operating equipment.
• Assist with additional yard, material-handling, and operational responsibilities as needed.

Required Qualifications

• Valid chauffeur license with an acceptable driving record.
• Previous experience working in a yard, warehouse, construction, building-material, logistics, shipping/receiving, or industrial environment preferred.
• Experience loading, unloading, staging, and organizing materials.
• Ability to accurately verify shipments and maintain basic inventory records.
• Comfortable working around trucks, trailers, construction equipment, and material-handling equipment.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively with drivers, employees, vendors, and other personnel.
• Basic computer skills, including experience with Microsoft Excel.
• Ability to work independently and prioritize multiple responsibilities.
• Ability and willingness to work outdoors and remain physically active throughout the shift.
• Strong commitment to workplace and equipment safety.

Preferred Qualifications

• CDL is preferred but not required.
• Hi-Lo/Forklift license or certification is preferred but not required.
• Previous experience operating a forklift, Hi-Lo, pallet jack, or similar equipment.
• Construction-material or construction-yard experience.
• Shipping and receiving experience.
• Inventory-control experience.
• Experience handling lumber, pipe, pallets, tools, equipment, trailers, or similar construction materials.

Ideal Candidate

The strongest candidate will be someone who is comfortable taking ownership of a busy construction yard rather than someone whose experience is limited to picking and packing inside a warehouse.

They should understand how to receive, inspect, stage, organize, load, and track materials, while safely operating around trucks and heavy equipment. Candidates from construction yards, building-material suppliers, equipment rental operations, lumber yards, industrial warehouses, or contractor facilities should translate particularly well.

A strong candidate will also have a chauffeur license, clean driving history, forklift/Hi-Lo experience, strong attendance, and enough computer ability to maintain accurate inventory records.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to regularly lift, carry, push, and pull materials weighing up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds from floor to waist and waist to shoulder.
• Ability to stand, walk, bend, stoop, reach, climb, push, pull, and perform physical material-handling activities throughout the workday.
• Ability to safely climb in and out of trucks and equipment when required.
• Ability to work outdoors in changing weather conditions.
• Ability to safely work around moving vehicles, equipment, and construction materials.

Compensation & Benefits

Pay: $25.00–$30.00/hour, based on experience.

As a non-exempt position, applicable overtime is paid in accordance with wage-and-hour requirements.

The position offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, paid time off, and a 401(k) plan, subject to applicable eligibility requirements.

Schedule: Monday–Friday | 6:00 AM–3:00 PM
Location: Detroit, MI
Pay: $25.00–$30.00/hour
Employment Type: Full-Time | Direct Hire