Inbound Freight Program Leader - San Antonio, TX

H-E-B; San Antonio (TX); On-site; USD 100,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

H-E-B is seeking a Produce Transportation Leader to provide strategic leadership and program management across Produce Merchandising, Supply Chain, and Transportation. You will partner with Buying and Planning teams to align transportation with seasonal sourcing, growth initiatives, and cost goals.

You will lead cross-functional programs to improve visibility, capacity planning, service performance, and supply chain efficiency, influencing stakeholders across the organization.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of program management, supply chain, transportation, logistics, or produce operations experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead Produce Strategy & Partnership initiatives to support seasonal sourcing and purchasing strategies.
• Provide transportation expertise during sourcing decisions to ensure capacity alignment and service execution.
• Serve as the primary bridge between Merchandising, Supply Chain, Transportation Operations, Carrier Management, and Logistics teams.
• Develop reporting, forecasting, and visibility processes to improve transportation readiness and execution.
• Lead strategic programs from concept through implementation with governance and benefit realization.

Skills

Program management

Supply chain

Transportation planning

Cross-functional leadership

Stakeholder management

Job description

Responsibilities

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a Partner encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Job Summary

As a Produce Transportation Leader, you will provide strategic leadership and program management across Produce Merchandising, Supply Chain, and Transportation. This role serves as the primary transportation partner to Produce Buying and Planning teams, ensuring transportation requirements are incorporated into sourcing decisions, seasonal strategies, and growth initiatives. You will lead cross-functional programs that improve transportation visibility, capacity planning, service performance, and supply chain efficiency while influencing stakeholders across multiple organizations. The role requires strong business acumen, strategic thinking, and the ability to align diverse teams toward common objectives that support both service and cost goals.

Key Responsibilities & Essential Functions

Produce Strategy & Partnership

• Partner with Produce Buying and Planning teams to support seasonal sourcing and purchasing strategies.
• Provide transportation expertise during sourcing decisions to ensure supply chain feasibility, capacity alignment, and service execution.
• Develop strong relationships within the Produce organization to understand emerging business needs, market conditions, and sourcing opportunities.
• Identify transportation risks and opportunities associated with seasonal transitions, promotional events, and supplier changes.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Serve as the primary bridge between Merchandising, Supply Chain, Transportation Operations, Carrier Management, and Logistics teams.
• Align stakeholders on transportation strategies that support business growth, service objectives, and cost performance.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives that improve visibility, planning, communication, and execution across the produce supply chain.
• Influence decision-making across multiple stakeholder groups to achieve enterprise outcomes.

Transportation Planning & Visibility

• Provide early visibility to Transportation teams on expected volumes, sourcing regions, timing, seasonal transitions, and operational requirements.
• Facilitate proactive transportation planning to secure capacity and minimize service disruptions.
• Develop reporting, forecasting, and visibility processes that improve transportation readiness and execution.
• Support transportation sourcing, routing strategies, and capacity planning for produce movements.

Program Management & Continuous Improvement

• Lead strategic programs from concept through implementation, including planning, execution, stakeholder management, and benefit realization.
• Establish performance metrics, reporting standards, and governance processes for assigned initiatives.
• Develop business cases and recommendations to support transportation and supply chain improvements.
• Identify and implement continuous improvement opportunities that enhance service, efficiency, and collaboration.

Work Experience

• 5+ years of experience in program management, supply chain, transportation, logistics, or produce operations, including 3+ years of direct transportation planning or inbound transportation experience.
• Experience supporting fresh or produce supply chains, including seasonal sourcing, capacity planning, forecasting, and transportation execution.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives, influence stakeholders, and deliver strategic programs that improve service, supply chain performance, and business outcomes.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Experience in inbound transportation operations, including transportation planning, carrier capacity management, freight execution, and service performance management.
• Experience supporting fresh produce supply chains with an understanding of seasonality, perishability, harvest schedules, sourcing regions, transit requirements, and time-sensitive transportation needs.
• Knowledge of transportation planning principles for fresh produce, including capacity forecasting, network planning, carrier sourcing, appointment coordination, and contingency planning during seasonal transitions.
• Understanding of produce procurement, buying cycles, and supplier networks, with the ability to translate sourcing strategies into transportation execution plans.
• Experience collaborating with Produce Buying, Produce Planning, Transportation, Supply Chain, and Operations teams to balance service, freshness, cost, and capacity requirements.
• Knowledge of refrigerated transportation networks, carrier market dynamics, and produce transportation best practices across domestic and cross-border supply chains.
• Strong program leadership and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to lead cross-functional initiatives, influence without authority, and drive alignment across diverse business functions.
• Strategic and analytical thinker capable of developing business cases, translating complex data into actionable insights, and balancing service, cost, and operational objectives.
• Excellent communication, change management, and relationship-building capabilities, with a proven ability to lead organizational change, manage competing priorities, and build partnerships across Merchandising, Supply Chain, Transportation, and Operations.

Physical Demands & Working Conditions

• Work collaboratively in a fast-paced, change-oriented environment
• Work extended hours

Last revised: 10/1/2023