Transportation Manager

Transportation Manager - Franklin KY

DESCRIPTION:

We're looking for a Transportation Manager to be responsible for designing, optimizing, and managing the transportation network to ensure cost‑effective, reliable, and scalable freight movement across the enterprise. This role owns the transportation strategy, TMS governance, and third‑party logistics (3PL) relationships while partnering closely with Operations, Customer Care, IT, Finance, and Procurement to drive service performance, cost optimization, and continuous improvement.

This position plays a critical role in the implementation and ongoing optimization of the ERP and TMS platforms and serves as the primary liaison with external transportation partners, carriers, and international freight forwarders.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Own the design, performance, and continuous optimization of domestic and international transportation network.
• Analyze freight flows, modes, lanes, and service levels to optimize cost, capacity, and transit performance.
• Utilize cost‑to‑serve analysis and transportation data to identify and deliver sustainable freight savings.
• Partner with Operations and Supply Chain leaders to align transportation strategy with production, inventory, and customer service objectives.
• Serve as the business owner for the Transportation Management System (TMS), including configuration, data integrity, and continuous improvement.
• Lead transportation process design and integration within the new ERP environment.
• Ensure accurate execution, reporting, and analytics across systems to enable real‑time decision making.
• Partner with IT and external vendors to support system enhancements, issue resolution, and user adoption.
• Manage strategic relationships with 3PL provider(s), ensuring alignment on performance, cost, service, and continuous improvement objectives.
• Establish and manage relationships with domestic carriers and international freight forwarders.
• Develop and monitor carrier and 3PL KPIs including on‑time delivery, cost performance, tender acceptance, and exception management.
• Lead quarterly business reviews (QBRs) and performance discussions with transportation partners.
• Oversee day‑to‑day transportation execution to ensure freight issues are identified, escalated, and resolved effectively.
• Support facilities and customer care teams by providing guidance and escalation support for shipment disruptions and capacity constraints.
• Ensure consistent transportation processes and standards across all shipping locations.
• Identify and implement transportation process improvements that reduce cost, improve service reliability, and enhance scalability.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable transportation, safety, and regulatory requirements.
• Support audits and special transportation initiatives as required.
• Partner effectively with cross‑functional teams (Operations, Customer Care, IT, Finance, Procurement) to drive transportation and network improvements, even when authority is indirect.
• Communicate transportation strategies, risks, and tradeoffs clearly to internal stakeholders and external partners.
• Act as a hands‑on, data‑driven leader who drives accountability through KPIs, root cause analysis, and performance management.
• Influence decision making by providing fact‑based recommendations aligned with business priorities and customer commitments.
• Analyze complex transportation challenges such as capacity constraints, service disruptions, cost pressures, and system limitations.
• Make balanced decisions that consider cost, service, risk, and operational impact.
• Challenge historical practices and lead change initiatives that deliver measurable business value.
• Demonstrate decisiveness in high‑pressure situations to maintain service continuity and minimize customer impact.
• Support special projects, audits, and operational initiatives as assigned.

BACKGROUND PROFILE:

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management or a related field required.
• 7-10 years of progressive experience in transportation, supply chain network design, or logistics operations, preferably within manufacturing or industrial environments.
• Knowledge and experience working with TMS platforms and 3PL providers.
• Strong analytical skills with proven ability to translate data into actionable insights.
• Experience with ERP implementations or major system transformation ownership preferred.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and problem‑solving skills.