Senior Logistics Manager

The Senior Logistics Manager leads transportation execution, private fleet coordination, and logistics administration for Essex Food Ingredients along with FMCSA/DOT compliance oversight for Essex Food Ingredients and Processor's Choice. This role manages Frazer Drivers, Sayreville Drivers, and the Logistics Coordinator, ensuring safe, compliant, cost-effective, and customer-focused delivery performance across locations.

The position reports to the VP of Supply Chain and serves as the primary logistics leader for fleet activity, route performance, driver accountability, transportation issue resolution, and compliance readiness. The role is senior in scope because it supports multiple companies, multiple locations, regulatory risk oversight, and cross-functional process standardization.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Leadership, Management, & Accountability

• Directly manage Frazer Drivers, Sayreville Drivers, and the Logistics Coordinator.
• Set expectations for professionalism, safety, attendance, customer interaction, paperwork accuracy, equipment care, and communication.
• Provide coaching, daily direction, performance feedback, and accountability for results.
• Develop consistent procedures for dispatching, routing, driver check-in, delivery confirmation, exception management, and logistics communication.

1. Transportation, Fleet & Service Execution

• Partner with warehouse, customer service, purchasing, sales, and operations teams to improve freight planning and customer delivery performance.
• Lead daily delivery execution, dispatch coordination, routing support, load prioritization, and driver communication across Frazer and Sayreville operations.
• Ensure outbound deliveries are completed safely, accurately, on time, and align with customer expectations.
• Monitor fleet utilization, route efficiency, driver productivity, delivery reliability, and service exceptions.
• Resolve delivery disruptions, equipment issues, missed deliveries, customer escalations, and transportation service failures.

1. FMCSA/DOT Compliance Oversight

• Oversee FMCSA/DOT compliance activities for Essex Food Ingredients and Processor's Choice, including driver qualification files, CDL and medical certification tracking, motor vehicle records, hours-of-service requirements, vehicle inspections, accident documentation, and required regulatory records.
• Coordinate with HR, Safety, Operations, and third-party resources on driver onboarding, annual reviews, compliance documentation, drug and alcohol testing coordination where applicable, and corrective actions.
• Maintain audit readiness for internal reviews, insurance reviews, DOT inquiries, and regulatory compliance checks.
• Promote a proactive safety culture through consistent expectations for safe driving, vehicle inspections, load securement, incident prevention, and driver accountability.

1. Carrier, Freight and Cost Management

• Evaluate internal fleet and outside carrier options to balance service, cost, capacity, risk, and customer needs.
• Review freight costs, accessorial charges, fuel impacts, routing inefficiencies, and recurring service issues to identify savings and process improvements.
• Track transportation spending, service levels, utilization, compliance completion, and improvement opportunities.

This job description is not intended to be all inclusive and the employee will also perform other reasonably related business duties as assigned by the immediate supervisor and other management as required.

Education/Experience

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
• Five or more years of progressive logistics, transportation, fleet, dispatch, or distribution leadership experience.
• Working knowledge of FMCSA/DOT requirements, including driver qualification, hours of service, vehicle inspection, safety, accident documentation, and compliance recordkeeping.
• Experience managing drivers, dispatch activity, route planning, delivery performance, and transportation issue resolution.
• Ability to lead teams, standardize processes, communicate across departments, and use operational data to drive improvement.
• Experience in food ingredients, distribution, manufacturing, or B2B distribution environments preferred
• Advanced knowledge of MS Office (Outlook, Excel, Word, etc. and ERP/TMS/WMS experience

Specialized Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Proven Management and/or relationship management experience
• Strong communication skills, and able to lead and motivate team members, while driving consistent results
• Strong leadership and management skills in accordance with Essex Core Values
• Self-Driven, motivated individual with an active continuous improvement approach

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Working Hours/Environment

• Office hours are 40-50 per week - Monday - Friday, 8:00 - 5:00; may require additional hours periodically, including evening and weekends depending on business needs
• Work typically performed in an indoor office and warehouse setting

Tools and Equipment Used

• Personal computer, copier, fax/scanner, phone, and other typical office equipment

Travel

• This role requires presence in both Frazer & Sayreville as business predicates.

Physical & Mental Demands

• Frequently required to sit at a desk/workstation for long period of time
• Ability to work at a computer terminal for extended periods of time
• Digital dexterity and hand/eye coordination in operation of office equipment
• Light lifting and carrying supplies, files, etc.
• Ability to speak to and hear employees/clients via phone or in person
• Body motor skills sufficient to enable incumbent to move around the office environment

This job description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment. This job description is not intended and should not be construed, to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or work conditions associated with the job. Furthermore, the employer reserves the right to revise or change job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.