Director of Transportation - Food Manufacturing

CSG Talent; Minnesota; On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

CSG Talent is seeking a Director of Transportation for a growing ready-to-eat food manufacturer in the United States. This strategic, hands-on role will lead outsourced transportation across the network, manage 3PL partners, optimize freight costs, and ensure cold-chain integrity from production facilities to customers and distribution points.

You will own carrier relationships, transportation strategy, and service performance, working with cross-functional teams to align capacity with demand

Qualifications

• Extensive leadership experience in food transportation/logistics.
• Proven track record managing outsourced transportation networks and 3PLs.
• Strong carrier management, freight procurement and cost optimization.

Responsibilities

• Lead the company's transportation strategy and scalable distribution network.
• Manage relationships with third-party logistics providers and carriers.
• Oversee outsourced transportation operations and ensure service levels.
• Drive freight cost optimization through negotiations and route analysis.
• Establish KPIs for on-time delivery, costs and efficiency.
• Lead carrier procurement, RFPs, contracts and performance reviews.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain, Warehousing, Customer Service, Sales and Manufacturing.
• Ensure temperature-controlled transport integrity and compliance.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, visibility, and network efficiency.
• Develop and mentor the transportation team.

Skills

Leadership

3PL management

Carrier management

Freight procurement

Contract negotiations

Analytical skills

Stakeholder management

Team development

Tools

TMS

Job description

Director of Transportation Ready-to-Eat Food Manufacturing | United States

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.