Overview
OPERATIONS MANAGER — PROJECT FLOW & WAREHOUSE COORDINATION Jobs in Waterloo, IA at Perfect Picket Fence and Stain
THE JOB IN ONE SENTENCE: Make sure every fence project moves seamlessly from contract signed to installation-ready — so our crew never wastes a morning waiting on missing material, permits, or staging.
We’re Perfect Picket Fence and Stain, a Cedar Valley fencing company growing fast. We’re hiring our Operations Manager — the critical bridge between sales and installation. This role exists to take the operational chaos out of running a growing trades company and replace it with a clean, predictable rhythm.
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WHAT YOU’LL ACTUALLY DO
This is a hybrid role: about 70% coordination (laptop, Monday.com, vendor calls, permits, scheduling) and 30% physical (walking the warehouse, verifying inventory, receiving deliveries, pre-staging material). You’ll move between both because the job requires both.
- Project Flow: Own every project from contract signed to installation handoff. Schedule installs, manage lead times, coordinate handoffs between sales, the shop, and the install crew.
- Permits & Utilities: Submit permits per city using our documented ordinance library. Schedule utility locates two weeks ahead. Track everything in Monday.com.
- Material Readiness: Ensure every installation has its material palletized, strapped, hardware-boxed, and waiting in the pre-stage area before the install crew arrives in the morning.
- Inventory & Material Protection: Conduct regular inventory counts. Receive weekly Friday deliveries. Treat every piece of material as money on the shelf — protect it from damage, loss, and disorganization.
- Vendor Coordination: Forecast and place orders 1-2 weeks ahead. Manage routine purchases. Maintain working relationships with our core vendors.
- Shop Supervision: Directly supervise our shop fabricator. Hold the shop to clear standards for cleanliness, organization, and safety. Be a doer as well as a director.
- Fill the Gaps: Improve systems, processes, and operations as we grow. Not fabrication, not installation — but everything in between that makes the company run better.
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A TYPICAL DAY
You arrive at our Waterloo warehouse at 7:00 AM. The install crew is loading the trailer you pre-staged yesterday. You answer their last-minute material questions, then turn to next-day pre-staging. Mid-morning is laptop work — permits, utility requests, Monday.com updates, material forecasting. Throughout the day you move between desk, floor, and outside material yard. Friday is delivery day and weekly schedule planning.
Standard business hours, Monday through Friday. We install 10-11 months of the year — early March through late December — with a slower winter break for system improvements and reorganization. This role is salaried and paid through the winter break.
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WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR
- 1-3 years in operations, logistics, project coordination, or warehouse management. Construction or trades background is a plus, not required.
- Strong tech proficiency — non-negotiable. We run on Monday.com, Slack, CompanyCam, Google Workspace, n8n automation, and AI tools like Claude. If you’re nervous about using technology, this isn’t the role.
- Comfortable using AI to accelerate routine work. We treat AI as a force multiplier, not a threat. If the idea of leveraging AI energizes you, you’ll thrive here.
- Inventory or material flow ownership in a previous role — actually responsible for accuracy, not just present in the warehouse.
- Detail-oriented with strong follow-through. You finish what you start and notice what others miss.
- Self-directed. You don’t wait to be told. You see what needs doing and you do it or escalate it.
- Innately curious. You naturally ask "why is this done this way?" and "can we do it better?"
- Willing to do physical work. Material gets moved and palletized — you’re part of that. Must be able to lift 50-80 lbs.
- Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation. Some travel to suppliers required.
- Forklift certification preferred; willingness to be certified required.
- Stability. We want someone who plans to grow with us over multiple years.
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WHAT YOU’LL GET
- Salary: $50,000 – $55,000 starting, $55,000 – $60,000 year-two target based on performance.
- Performance Bonus: Annual bonus tied to operational targets (material waste reduction, on-time staging, permit and utility timing).
- Discretionary Bonuses: Company-wide bonuses for exceptional performance.
- Clothing Allowance: Approximately $1,000 annual Perfect Picket clothing package.
- PTO: 40 hours annual PTO plus paid holidays.
- Winter Break Pay: Income protected through the off-season.
- Real Growth Path: As our systems mature and the company grows, this seat grows with it.
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SUCCESS AT 90 DAYS
We measure outcomes, not effort. A successful Operations Manager will have:
- Installation crews arriving every morning to a fully pre-staged job, ready to load with no inventory sourcing required.
- 100% on-time permit and utility timing — no installation delays caused by missing inputs.
- Material waste and missing inventory incidents reduced by at least 50% vs. current baseline.
- Visible warehouse order — material organized, protected, and trackable.
- A working relationship with the shop fabricator that holds the standard for quality.
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ABOUT PERFECT PICKET
Founded by Nicholas Graham to fill a real gap in Cedar Valley fencing, we’re built on the principle: "Can we do better? If yes, then do better." Our core values shape how we hire and work:
- Perfect Day Commitment — face every day with a winning attitude.
- Pursuit of Excellence — always ask if we can do better.
- Clear Communication — open, frequent, respectful.
- Own It — personal responsibility for every task and interaction.
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START DATE
Monday, July 7, 2026 — or earlier for the right candidate.
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HOW TO APPLY
Submit your application through Indeed. In your cover letter or message, please answer these two questions:
1. Tell us about a time you saw a broken process at a previous job and improved it. What did you do, and what changed?
2. Why does this role at Perfect Picket interest you specifically?
APPLICATIONS WITHOUT RESPONSES TO THESE TWO QUESTIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. We’re looking for people who read carefully and follow through — this is the first chance to demonstrate that.
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It’s a perfect day at Perfect Picket. We’re excited to meet you.
Pay: $50,000.00 – $55,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Paid time off
Application Question(s):
- Tell us about a time you saw a broken process at a previous job and improved it. What did you do, and what changed?
- Why does this role at Perfect Picket interest you specifically?
Experience:
- operations, logistics, project/warehouse management: 1 year (Required)
Work Location: In person
Title: OPERATIONS MANAGER — PROJECT FLOW & WAREHOUSE COORDINATION
Company: Perfect Picket Fence and Stain
Location: Waterloo, IA
