National Distribution Manager

Reports to: Director of Distribution. The National Distribution Manager is responsible for overseeing end‑to‑end distribution operations, ensuring timely, cost‑effective, and compliant movement of goods from manufacturing and co‑packing facilities to customers, distribution centers, and franchise partners. The role leads distribution strategy, 3PL management, and continuous improvement initiatives while maintaining the highest standards of food safety, quality, and service. It partners cross‑functionally with Procurement, Manufacturing, Quality, and Finance to support service level targets, cost controls, and growth initiatives. Responsibilities Freight & Transportation Management Lead all inbound and outbound transportation activities, including TL, LTL, drayage, and refrigerated freight. Manage relationships with 3PLs, carriers, and freight brokers. Negotiate carrier contracts, rates, and service‑level agreements to meet cost and service objectives. Monitor freight spending, lane performance, accessorial, and carrier compliance. Develop contingency plans for capacity constraints, weather disruptions, and peak seasons. Collaborate with transportation and logistics teams to optimize outbound and inter‑facility shipments. Support distribution network design, including DC footprint, capacity planning, and lane optimization. Identify cost‑reduction opportunities while maintaining service and product integrity. Food Safety, Quality & Compliance Ensure compliance with FDA, USDA, and customer requirements. Maintain cold‑chain integrity and temperature control standards throughout transportation and storage. Lead root cause analysis for freight‑related quality issues and corrective actions. Cost Control & Continuous Improvement Assist with transportation and distribution budgets, forecasts, and KPIs. Drive continuous improvement initiatives to reduce freight costs, damages, and lead times. Implement routing guides, mode optimization, and network design improvements. Track and report metrics such as freight cost and damage rates. Systems & Analytics Lead the use and optimization of TMS, WMS, ERP, and freight audit/payment systems. Analyze data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement. Support system implementations, integrations, and upgrades. Leadership & Cross‑Functional Collaboration Support and develop a team of logistics and distribution professionals. Establish performance goals, coaching, and succession planning. Partner with Quality Control, Operations and Finance to support customer requirements and margin goals. Act as escalation point for service failures and customer‑impacting issues. Other duties, as assigned. Qualifications Bachelor's degree in supply chain, or related field. At least 5+ years of progressive experience in frozen food distribution or cold‑chain logistics. At least 5+ years managing multi‑site, multi‑region distribution operations. Deep knowledge of frozen cold‑chain requirements and global food safety regulations. Experience with global trade compliance and customs processes. Advanced WMS and ERP experience (SAP, Oracle, Manhattan, Blue Yonder, NetSuite). International logistics and trade compliance. Operational excellence on a scale. Financial and cost‑to‑serve optimization. Strong people leadership across cultures. Risk management and resilience planning. Regular presence in frozen warehouse environments (freezer conditions). Feedback is a gift! Ability to provide constructive feedback and recognition to every member of the organization, along with Franchisees, to ensure we have an open and transparent culture of high performance standards. High emotional intelligence with the ability to work with, and support diverse teams by being highly empathetic, intuitive, self‑motivated and driven. Teams Win! Has to be a team player who fosters a collaborative and engaged team work environment. Being a Brand Ambassador, with an excellent knowledge of and commitment to Paris Baguette's Mission, Vision, Brand Values and Culture. Benefits Competitive compensation. Free Cake for your Birthday. Medical, Dental, Vision benefits. 401K Retirement Plan. Paid time off, paid Holidays. High Performance Culture. Experience: Full‑time; Salary: $80,000 – $90,000 yearly. #J-18808-Ljbffr