Terminal Manager - Houston (personnel)

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Terminal Manager

Department: Operations

Location: Houston

Reports To: Terminal Manager

Position Type: Full-time

Company Overview

Gulf Winds International, Inc. is a leading provider of drayage, transloading, and storage, serving importers and exporters globally. The Company prides itself on innovation, people, and purpose, redefining expectations for intermodal trucking. With a robust presence at major ports, including Houston, Dallas, Mobile, Memphis, Savannah, Charleston, Norfolk, Baltimore, and Chicago, Gulf Winds is dedicated to delivering top-notch services through continuous investment in technology and infrastructure. Ownership: The company is backed by The Sterling Group, a Houston-based private equity firm. Since 1982, The Sterling Group has partnered with management teams to grow and build winning businesses in the industrial sector. Over 75% of Sterling’s past partnerships have been with family businesses and corporate carve-outs. Sterling excels as a partner bringing its operational focus and expertise to support company objectives. Today, Sterling has over $5.7 billion in assets under management.

Purpose of Position

The Terminal Manager is responsible for the overall leadership, performance, and operational success of the Houston terminal. This position provides direct leadership to the dispatch, scheduling, and operational support teams, ensuring a high-performing and engaged workforce that delivers exceptional service to drivers and customers. The Terminal Manager is accountable for employee development, retention, operational execution, profitability, driver retention, safety compliance, and continuous process improvement. This role partners closely with cross-functional departments to drive operational excellence, achieve business objectives, and foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and customer focus.

Leadership & Personnel Management

• Lead, coach, and develop dispatchers, schedulers, and operational support staff to achieve individual and team performance goals.
• Conduct regular one-on-one meetings, performance evaluations, and coaching sessions to promote growth and accountability.
• Hire, onboard, train, and retain high-performing team members while creating development and succession plans for key positions.
• Foster a positive and engaged team culture aligned with the company's mission, vision, and values.
• Manage staffing levels, workload distribution, and departmental structure to ensure operational efficiency and employee success.
• Address employee relations matters, performance concerns, and disciplinary actions in partnership with Human Resources.
• Establish and monitor departmental KPIs and performance expectations for the operations team.
• Drive employee engagement initiatives and promote a culture of recognition, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Operations Leadership

• Provide leadership and oversight of daily terminal operations, ensuring effective execution of transportation and dispatch activities.
• Guide the dispatch and scheduling teams in prioritizing workload, managing capacity, and meeting customer requirements.
• Collaborate with Safety, Driver Recruiting, Customer Service, Sales, and other departments to support operational success.
• Monitor terminal volumes, service levels, driver utilization, and customer performance metrics.
• Ensure operational processes are followed consistently while identifying and implementing efficiency improvements.
• Support conflict resolution involving drivers, customers, and internal teams while maintaining positive working relationships.
• Maintain strong relationships with independent contractors and company drivers to support retention and operational stability.
• Promote a culture focused on safety, compliance, quality, and customer service excellence.

Financial & Business Management

• Manage terminal financial performance, including revenue, margins, operating costs, and profitability.
• Review and analyze margin reports, driver productivity metrics, operational costs, and terminal performance indicators.
• Partner with leadership to develop action plans that improve financial and operational results.
• Support implementation of new customer accounts and operational initiatives.
• Ensure accurate completion of operational reporting, reconciliation activities, and business performance tracking.

Facility & Asset Management

• Oversee terminal facilities and ensure a safe, organized, and professional working environment.
• Coordinate equipment and asset needs with Maintenance & Repair and other support functions.
• Ensure adequate supplies, resources, and operational readiness to support terminal activities.

Requirements: Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Proven ability to lead, motivate, coach, and develop operational teams.
• Strong personnel management experience, including hiring, performance management, employee development, and succession planning.
• Excellent communication, conflict resolution, and interpersonal leadership skills.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to manage margins, costs, productivity, and operational performance.
• Knowledge of transportation, logistics, and supply chain operations, preferably within the Houston market.
• Familiarity with the owner-operator model and driver management best practices.
• Ability to build strong partnerships across departments and influence results through collaboration.
• Strong organizational and decision-making skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Experience driving accountability and performance through KPIs and operational metrics.

Minimum Qualifications

• 5+ years of transportation, logistics, or supply chain experience.
• 3+ years of progressive people leadership experience managing operational teams.
• Demonstrated success in employee development, retention, and performance management.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel, Outlook, and Word.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to lead in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment.