Director of Logistics

Arkadia Search Recruiting; San Clemente (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Arkadia Search Recruiting partners with an established organization to appoint an experienced Director of Distribution & Logistics, leading global logistics strategy across North America, Europe, and Asia, with emphasis on trade compliance, 3PL management, and continuous improvement.

Based in San Clemente, CA, this in-office leadership role requires building scalable operations, developing a high-performing team, and delivering measurable cost and service improvements through data, KPIs, and

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive supply chain, distribution, or logistics experience.
• Significant leadership experience within logistics, distribution, transportation, or related operations.
• Strong international logistics experience, including moving products across global markets.
• Experience managing 3PL relationships and holding external logistics partners accountable to defined service levels and performance expectations.
• Experience working with international 3PLs and/or broader international logistics operations.
• Experience identifying and improving operational processes within growing or changing organizations.
• Experience working with WMS and TMS platforms and an understanding of the capabilities required to support effective logistics operations.
• Experience using data, reporting, and KPIs to improve logistics performance and decision making.
• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Industrial Engineering, Business, or a related field

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a global logistics and distribution strategy supporting continued business growth.
• Lead international logistics activities across North America, Europe, and Asia.
• Manage and optimize relationships with international and domestic 3PL partners.
• Establish clear processes, service-level expectations, KPIs, and accountability with logistics partners.
• Support the continued expansion of the organization’s international and domestic 3PL network.
• Oversee U.S. distribution and warehouse operations while strengthening processes and operational execution.
• Ensure effective management of international trade compliance, customs requirements, tariffs, HTS classifications, and other global logistics considerations.
• Evaluate logistics costs, service levels, inventory positioning, and total landed costs.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a logistics and distribution team.
• Partner closely with executive leadership and cross-functional teams to improve communication and execution across departments

Skills

Global logistics

3PL management

Trade compliance

Leadership

WMS

TMS

Cost optimization

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management

Industrial Engineering

Tools

WMS

TMS

ERP

Job description

We are partnering with an established, growing organization seeking an experienced Director of Distribution & Logistics to lead and evolve its global logistics and distribution operations. This role sits at the intersection of international logistics, trade compliance, 3PL management, distribution operations, process improvement, and team leadership. The organization is continuing to expand internationally and is looking for a leader who can strengthen existing operations while building scalable capabilities across North America, Europe, and Asia. This is a highly visible leadership opportunity for someone who can set long-term direction while staying close enough to the operation and the people doing the work to understand problems, improve processes, and ensure execution.

Why This Opportunity Stands Out

This is more than a traditional distribution leadership role. You'll have the opportunity to help lead:

• Global logistics and distribution strategy across North America, Europe, and Asia
• International logistics, customs, tariffs, and trade compliance
• Strategic 3PL partnerships and continued expansion of the organization's global logistics network
• U.S. distribution and warehouse operations
• Distribution processes, service levels, and total landed cost optimization
• WMS, TMS, analytics, and logistics technology initiatives
• Development of a high-performing logistics team
• Process improvement across a growing organization

The environment is fast paced, collaborative, and growth oriented. Success requires someone who can identify opportunities for improvement without assuming the people doing the work are the problem. The right leader will listen first, build trust with the team, understand existing processes, and then create practical solutions that improve the operation.

What You'll Be Doing

• Develop and execute a global logistics and distribution strategy supporting continued business growth
• Lead international logistics activities across North America, Europe, and Asia
• Manage and optimize relationships with international and domestic 3PL partners
• Establish clear processes, service-level expectations, KPIs, and accountability with logistics partners
• Support the continued expansion of the organization's international and domestic 3PL network
• Oversee U.S. distribution and warehouse operations while strengthening processes and operational execution
• Ensure effective management of international trade compliance, customs requirements, tariffs, HTS classifications, and other global logistics considerations
• Evaluate logistics costs, service levels, inventory positioning, and total landed costs
• Manage relationships and negotiations with carriers, logistics providers, and other external partners
• Identify breakdowns in existing workflows and implement practical process improvements across logistics and distribution
• Leverage WMS, TMS, analytics, and other logistics technologies to improve efficiency and visibility
• Establish KPIs and accountability around cost, service, quality, safety, and operational performance
• Develop scalable processes capable of supporting continued growth
• Lead, mentor, and develop a logistics and distribution team
• Partner closely with executive leadership and cross-functional teams to improve communication and execution across departments

What They're Looking For

• 10+ years of progressive supply chain, distribution, or logistics experience
• Significant leadership experience within logistics, distribution, transportation, or related operations
• Strong international logistics experience, including moving products across global markets
• Strong working knowledge of international trade compliance, customs, tariffs, HTS classifications, and related global logistics requirements
• Experience managing 3PL relationships and holding external logistics partners accountable to defined service levels and performance expectations
• Experience working with international 3PLs and/or broader international logistics operations
• Working knowledge of warehouse and distribution operations, with the ability to effectively lead and support teams responsible for day to day execution
• Experience identifying and improving operational processes within growing or changing organizations
• Experience working with WMS and TMS platforms and an understanding of the capabilities required to support effective logistics operations
• Experience using data, reporting, and KPIs to improve logistics performance and decision making
• Ability to build trust, develop teams, and lead through influence
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively with executives, operational teams, cross-functional partners, and external providers
• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Industrial Engineering, Business, or a related field

Experience within consumer electronics, technology, or another physical product environment is a plus. Advanced supply chain certifications, Six Sigma experience, or an MBA are also beneficial but not required.

The Right Person

The ideal candidate is a strong logistics leader who understands that sustainable operational improvement starts with people.

They are someone who:

• Leads with a servant leadership mindset and takes time to listen, learn, and understand before making major changes
• Is approachable, collaborative, and capable of building credibility with teams at every level of an organization
• Can balance long term global strategy with hands on operational problem solving
• Has strong international logistics instincts and understands the complexities of moving products across borders
• Can effectively manage 3PL relationships and establish the processes, expectations, and service levels necessary for those partnerships to succeed
• Understands warehouse and distribution operations without necessarily needing to have spent their entire career running distribution centers
• Recognizes when operational problems are caused by unclear processes or poor cross-functional communication rather than simply blaming the people doing the work
• Can bring greater structure and accountability to an evolving operation without creating unnecessary complexity
• Uses data to make decisions while maintaining strong operational instincts
• Leads with humility, curiosity, accountability, and professionalism
• Thinks about building an operation for the long term rather than pursuing short term fixes
• This is an in office leadership position based in San Clemente, California
• The role will require significant time with the distribution operation during the initial onboarding period
• Domestic and international travel will be required
• The role reports directly to senior operations leadership
• International logistics, trade compliance, 3PL management, process improvement, and continued global expansion will be major areas of focus