Director of Transportation

Ready-to-Eat Food Manufacturing | United States (Relocation to Midwest)

The Opportunity

We are partnering with a growing ready-to-eat food manufacturer to appoint a Director of Transportation to lead and optimise its transportation network across the business.

This is a strategic and hands-on leadership position, responsible for overseeing transportation operations, managing third-party logistics (3PL) partners and ensuring the efficient, cost-effective and reliable movement of temperature-controlled products from manufacturing facilities to customers and distribution points.

The successful individual will take ownership of carrier relationships, transportation strategy, service performance and freight costs, driving improvements across a complex supply chain where product quality, freshness and on-time delivery are critical.

Importantly, this is an outsourced transportation model, with the focus on managing external carriers and 3PL providers rather than overseeing a company-owned fleet.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the company's transportation strategy, ensuring reliable, cost-effective and scalable distribution across its network.

• Manage and develop relationships with third-party logistics providers, freight carriers and transportation partners.

• Oversee outsourced transportation operations, holding providers accountable for service levels, delivery performance and contractual commitments.

• Drive freight cost optimisation through carrier negotiations, network analysis, route optimisation and improved load utilisation.

• Establish and manage KPIs covering on-time delivery, transportation costs, service levels, claims, carrier performance and operational efficiency.

• Lead carrier procurement, RFPs, contract negotiations and ongoing supplier performance reviews.

• Partner closely with Supply Chain, Warehousing, Customer Service, Sales and Manufacturing to align transportation capacity with production schedules and customer demand.

• Ensure effective management of temperature-controlled transportation, maintaining product integrity, food safety and quality throughout transit.

• Identify opportunities to improve transportation processes, technology, visibility and overall network efficiency.

• Lead, develop and build capability within the transportation team.

Experience & Background

• Significant transportation and logistics leadership experience within food manufacturing, food distribution, grocery, consumer goods or another relevant temperature-controlled environment.

• Proven experience managing outsourced transportation networks and third-party logistics providers.

• Strong background in carrier management, freight procurement, contract negotiations and transportation cost optimisation.

• Experience managing complex, multi-site distribution networks and high-volume freight movements.

• Strong understanding of refrigerated and temperature-controlled transportation requirements.

• Demonstrated success improving service performance, reducing freight expenditure and driving operational efficiencies.

• Commercially astute, with strong analytical, negotiation and stakeholder management capabilities.

• Experience leading and developing transportation or logistics teams.

The Ideal Candidate

An experienced transportation leader who understands how to get the best out of a network of external transportation partners. Someone commercially minded, operationally credible and capable of balancing service, cost and product integrity within a fast-paced food manufacturing environment.