Shipping and Logistics Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Shipping & Logistics Manager

Logistics Department

Reports To:  VP of Operations

Direct Reports:  Yard Lead, Shipping Clerk, Logistics Operators (3)

About the Position

The Shipping & Logistics Manager owns how FALK's insulated metal panels leave the plant and reach the jobsite. This role leads FALK's move from outsourced freight brokerage to in-house freight management, builds the internal brokerage function, and prepares FALK to take over dispatching from its dedicated carrier partner.

Every outbound trailer runs through this role: the load plan, the carrier, the rate, and the yard that gets it loaded and moving. The Shipping & Logistics Manager uses data and AI-assisted tools to plan fuller loads, price freight accurately, and spot problems before they reach the customer, while leading a team of five in the yard and shipping office.

Role Responsibilities

Logistics Strategy & Leadership

• Lead FALK's shift from outsourced brokerage to in-house freight management, aligning capacity, equipment, staffing, and systems with business growth.
• Build and run the internal brokerage function, including carrier sourcing and vetting, rate negotiation, load tendering, and TMS and load-board processes.
• Use AI-assisted tools within the TMS and load boards to speed up carrier matching, screen carrier safety and compliance records, and benchmark quotes against current market rates.
• Manage the dedicated carrier partnership and learn the dispatch operation well enough to lead the planned transition of dispatching to FALK.
• Anticipate seasonal and winter-condition constraints, using historical shipment data and forecasting tools to plan capacity and develop scalable solutions.
• Partner with executive leadership on future logistics capabilities, including where automation and AI can reduce manual work as volume grows.

Load Planning & Optimization

• Build a load plan for every outbound trailer, sequencing panels by length, profile, and gauge to get the most square footage out of each trailer type (step deck, gooseneck, extendable drop deck, flatbed).
• Own FALK's load-planning and 3D load-building software, along with its panel-dimension and trailer-spec library, and keep that data accurate so automated load suggestions can be trusted.
• Work with Production Scheduling so panels come off the line in load order, which cuts rehandling and partial loads.
• Assign A-grade and B-grade loads across dedicated and brokered carriers to reduce cost per shipment.
• Recommend changes to the trailer fleet mix based on actual load data, using analysis tools to model the cost and fill-rate impact of each option.

Freight Cost, Rates & Profitability

• Analyze market rates against internal costs, using AI-assisted rate benchmarking and data analysis to find savings and pricing gaps.
• Partner with Sales on quoting accuracy and freight-aware order sizing.
• Flag orders or order combinations that don't load efficiently, and build simple automated checks that catch them earlier in the order process.
• Own the logistics KPIs and report on them weekly: fill rate per trailer type, freight cost per square foot shipped, cost per shipment, on-time delivery, damage-free delivery, and carrier scorecards.
• Use AI and reporting tools to automate KPI dashboards and weekly summaries, so time goes to fixing problems rather than compiling data.

Yard, Equipment & Loading Operations

• Continuously optimize yard layout, staging, traffic flow, and loading zones to improve safety, organization, and turnaround time.
• Evaluate and maintain material-handling equipment (hilos, combi lifts, trailers), track usage and repair history, and recommend investments and replacement plans.
• Have loads pre-loaded or loaded quickly so trucks spend as little time as possible waiting.
• Set loading standards for each trailer type, covering weight distribution, securement, and legal dimension limits.

Team Development, Customer Care & Coordination

• Develop standardized work, structured OJT, and cross-training for Logistics Operators and shipping staff.
• Use AI tools to draft and maintain work instructions, loading standards, and training materials, and teach the team to use them in their daily work.
• Coach the team on proactive, professional communication with customers and carriers, especially around scheduling.
• Serve as the primary logistics leader in planning with Production, Sales, and Operations.
• Follow FALK's AI Usage Policy, protecting customer, pricing, and carrier information when using AI tools.

Mission, Values & Customer Focus

• Partner with leadership to understand and support FALK's Mission and Values, and cascade that mission and those values throughout the FALK team, including actively educating and reinforcing the team's understanding of FALK's mission and values on an ongoing basis.
• Champion a customer-friendly and installer-friendly approach across the business, building FALK's reputation as the industry expert.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in logistics, transportation, or shipping, including 2+ years leading a team.
• Hands-on freight brokerage or carrier management experience: carrier sourcing and vetting, rate negotiation, and load tendering.
• Experience with flatbed and open-deck freight; building materials, steel, or long-length product strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of a TMS and load boards; experience with load-planning or 3D load-building software is a plus.
• Solid understanding of DOT securement rules, weight distribution, and legal and oversize dimension limits.
• Strong analytical skills, including advanced Excel and comfort working with KPIs and cost data.
• Comfort using AI tools for analysis, reporting, and documentation, and the judgment to check their output.
• Clear, professional communicator with customers, carriers, and internal teams under schedule pressure.
• Familiarity with forklift and material-handling operations and yard safety practices.
• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Business, or a related field, or equivalent experience.