Senior Dock Master

cw; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

CW in Richmond, VA, seeks a Senior Dock Master to lead dock operations, coordinate shipping/receiving, and ensure safety and efficiency in a high-volume logistics environment. You will drive carrier relationships, workforce planning, and continuous improvement across all dock activities.

Responsibilities include directing dock scheduling, capacity planning, process optimization, and compliance with OSHA/DOT requirements, while aligning with senior leadership to optimize throughput and client

Qualifications

• Job Description

Responsibilities

• Direct and oversee all shipping, receiving, dock scheduling, freight handling and transportation activities.
• Establish operational priorities to ensure efficient dock utilization and uninterrupted workflow.
• Manage dock capacity planning and throughput optimization for a high-volume operation.
• Serve as the primary operational authority for dock related decision making and issue resolution
• Develop and implement strategies that improve productivity, reduce congestion, and enhance client experience.
• Monitor operational trends to anticipate volume fluctuations and resource requirements.
• Manage relationships with carriers, freight brokers, transportation providers, and logistics partners
• Coordinate scheduling protocols to maximize delivery turn times and dock efficiency.
• Escalate and resolve complex freight claims, service failures, and shipment discrepancies.
• Participate in carrier reviews and recommend operational improvements.
• Develop daily, weekly, and seasonal dock operating plans based on forecasted volume and business requirements.
• Analyze workflow data and operational metrics to identify bottlenecks and process inefficiencies.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives utilizing Lean, Six Sigma, 5S, or similar methodologies.
• Implement best practices that improve labor productivity, dock cycle times, and freight flow.
• Coordinate staffing requirements and labor allocation based on business demands.
• Lead, coach, and develop dock personnel and support teams who utilize the dock.
• Establish performance expectations and operational accountability standards.
• Conduct training programs focused on safety, compliance, equipment operation, and process excellence.
• Mentor team members to develop advanced operational competencies and leadership capabilities.
• Foster a culture of safety, teamwork, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Assist with workforce planning, scheduling, and succession development.
• Maintain full compliance with OSHA, DOT, company safety requirements, and operational standards.
• Align dock operations with institutional property safety frameworks and risk management programs.
• Lead dock safety initiatives, audits, inspections, and incident investigations.
• Develop corrective action plans to mitigate operational and safety risks.
• Ensure adherence to cargo security procedures, trailer seal controls, and chain-of-custody requirements.
• Monitor hazardous material handling processes where applicable.
• Partner with leadership to maintain a best-in-class safety culture.
• Oversee the accuracy and integrity of all transportation and shipping documentation.
• Ensure timely processing and maintenance of Bills of Lading, shipping manifests, delivery receipts, packing lists, and freight records.
• Maintain accurate transaction records within company and DOT guidelines.
• Monitor inventory movement accuracy and investigate discrepancies.
• Support audits, inventory reconciliations, and compliance reviews.
• Monitor the condition and operational readiness of all dock equipment and infrastructure.
• Coordinate preventive maintenance activities for loading docks, dock levelers, overhead doors, scales, conveyors, forklifts, and material-handling equipment.
• Utilize property management software or CMMS (e.g., iOffice) to log equipment work orders.
• Partner with facilities and engineering teams to address operational deficiencies.
• Recommend infrastructure enhancements that improve efficiency, safety, and throughput.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for dock-related inquiries, escalations, and operational concerns. Collaborate with internal departments, customers, clients, and external logistics partners to ensure s

Job description

Job Title

Senior Dock Master

Job Description Summary

The Senior Dockmaster is responsible for the overall leadership, operational excellence, and strategic coordination of all dock, shipping, receiving, transportation, and freight movement activities within a high-volume commercial logistics environment. Serving as the central authority for dock operations, the Senior Dockmaster drives safety, efficiency, carrier performance, inventory accuracy, workforce productivity, and customer service while ensuring seamless movement of goods throughout the facility. This position functions as the operational liaison between operations, transportation providers, tenants/customers, vendors, building management, and senior leadership. The Senior Dockmaster proactively identifies operational risks, implements process improvements, manages dock capacity, and ensures compliance with all applicable safety and transportation regulations

Job Description

Job Description

Strategic Dock Operations Leadership

• Direct and oversee all shipping, receiving, dock scheduling, freight handling and transportation activities.
• Establish operational priorities to ensure efficient dock utilization and uninterrupted workflow.
• Manage dock capacity planning and throughput optimization for a high-volume operation.
• Serve as the primary operational authority for dock related decision making and issue resolution
• Develop and implement strategies that improve productivity, reduce congestion, and enhance client experience.
• Monitor operational trends to anticipate volume fluctuations and resource requirements.

Transportation & Carrier Management

• Manage relationships with carriers, freight brokers, transportation providers, and logistics partners
• Coordinate scheduling protocols to maximize delivery turn times and dock efficiency.
• Escalate and resolve complex freight claims, service failures, and shipment discrepancies.
• Participate in carrier reviews and recommend operational improvements.

Operational Planning & Workflow Optimization

• Develop daily, weekly, and seasonal dock operating plans based on forecasted volume and business requirements.
• Analyze workflow data and operational metrics to identify bottlenecks and process inefficiencies.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives utilizing Lean, Six Sigma, 5S, or similar methodologies.
• Implement best practices that improve labor productivity, dock cycle times, and freight flow.
• Coordinate staffing requirements and labor allocation based on business demands.

Team leadership & Workforce Development

• Lead, coach, and develop dock personnel and support teams who utilize the dock.
• Establish performance expectations and operational accountability standards.
• Conduct training programs focused on safety, compliance, equipment operation, and process excellence.
• Mentor team members to develop advanced operational competencies and leadership capabilities.
• Foster a culture of safety, teamwork, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Assist with workforce planning, scheduling, and succession development.

Safety, Security & Regulatory Compliance

• Maintain full compliance with OSHA, DOT, company safety requirements, and operational standards.
• Align dock operations with institutional property safety frameworks and risk management programs.
• Lead dock safety initiatives, audits, inspections, and incident investigations.
• Develop corrective action plans to mitigate operational and safety risks.
• Ensure adherence to cargo security procedures, trailer seal controls, and chain-of-custody requirements.
• Monitor hazardous material handling processes where applicable.
• Partner with leadership to maintain a best-in-class safety culture.

Documentation, Systems & Inventory Controls

• Oversee the accuracy and integrity of all transportation and shipping documentation.
• Ensure timely processing and maintenance of Bills of Lading, shipping manifests, delivery receipts, packing lists, and freight records.
• Maintain accurate transaction records within company and DOT guidelines.
• Monitor inventory movement accuracy and investigate discrepancies.
• Support audits, inventory reconciliations, and compliance reviews.

Facility & Dock Infrastructure Oversight

• Monitor the condition and operational readiness of all dock equipment and infrastructure.
• Coordinate preventive maintenance activities for loading docks, dock levelers, overhead doors, scales, conveyors, forklifts, and material-handling equipment.
• Utilize property management software or Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) (e.g., iOffice) to log equipment work orders.
• Partner with facilities and engineering teams to address operational deficiencies.
• Recommend infrastructure enhancements that improve efficiency, safety, and throughput.

Customer, Tenant & Stakeholder Relations

Serve as the primary point of contact for dock-related inquiries, escalations, and operational concerns. Collaborate with internal departments, customers, clients, and external logistics partners to ensure s