Sr. Manager, Linehaul

DHL Express; Erlanger (KY); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

DHL Express in Erlanger, KY seeks an experienced Linehaul Director to lead U.S. linehaul networks across Express and ACS, ensuring safe, cost-efficient, and reliable transport capabilities.

The role requires strong leadership, vendor management, and a data-driven approach to optimize routes, schedules, and KPIs while coordinating with hubs, stations, and external carriers. Travel around 15% may be required.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or equivalent certification such as CSCP, PMP, or a transportation/logistics credential.
• Ten or more years of progressively responsible experience in transportation, logistics, network operations, or a related field.
• Proven leadership and people-management experience in a multi-shift environment.
• Experience with carrier sourcing, vendor management, contract compliance, and cost control.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability using KPIs and data.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute linehaul strategies optimizing routes, schedules, capacity, and total network cost.
• Provide direct oversight of U.S. linehaul operations across Express and ACS over multiple shifts.
• Lead, coach, and develop linehaul managers and planners; establish priorities and development.
• Monitor KPIs: on-time performance, service failures, capacity, and cost efficiency.
• Use data to identify inefficiencies, forecast needs, and improve network design.
• Coordinate truck requests with hubs, gateways, and stations.
• Direct contingency planning and recovery for disruptions.
• Ensure carrier viability through vendor vetting and procurement tools.
• Review carrier performance and initiate corrective actions as needed.
• Create bid profiles for scheduled and ad hoc moves; partner with Procurement.
• Collaborate on network changes and seasonal plans with various functions.
• Maintain deep knowledge of linehaul and air networks for planning.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

KPI analysis

Negotiation

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Master's degree

CSCP

PMP

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Job description

What makes DHL great? Our People! We know each employee’s individual contributions make us the #1 Express Delivery and Logistics Company in the world.

DHL Express is committed to maintaining an environment that empowers every team member to make the greatest possible impact on our business. Our corporate culture is about personal commitment – to our business, to each other and to our global communities. DHL is dedicated to being a great place to work. In addition to competitive compensation packages, our employees enjoy a range of programs, services and benefits that bring the best to their personal lives.

Leads the strategic and day-to-day management of the U.S. linehaul network supporting hubs, gateways, stations, and meet-points across Express and ACS operations. Accountable for safe, compliant, reliable, and cost-effective physical transportation of cargo; carrier and contract performance; network optimization; contingency recovery; and leadership of a multi-shift linehaul team. Partners across Air Network, Network Planning, Procurement, Operations, Customer Service, and external carriers to meet service commitments and advance continuous improvement.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute linehaul strategies that optimize routes, schedules, capacity utilization, service reliability, and total network cost.
• Provide direct oversight of U.S. linehaul trucking operations across Express and ACS, ensuring organized, efficient, safe, and reliable execution over multiple shifts.
• Lead, coach, and develop linehaul managers, supervisors, coordinators, controllers, and planners; establish priorities, accountability, training, succession, and professional development.
• Monitor operational and financial KPIs, including on-time performance, service failures, capacity utilization, carrier performance, and cost efficiency; identify trends and implement corrective action.
• Use operational data and business insights to identify inefficiencies, forecast needs, build business cases, and improve network design and execution.
• Ensure prompt, cost-conscious fulfillment of scheduled and ad hoc truck requests; coordinate and approve transportation needs with hubs, gateways, and stations.
• Direct contingency planning and recovery for distressed trucks and network disruptions, minimizing service and customer impact while communicating status to stakeholders.
• Ensure carrier viability through vendor‑vetting processes and select carriers for scheduled runs using approved procurement tools and services, risk, and cost factors.
• Review carrier performance and compliance; initiate corrective action, escalation, or sourcing changes when requirements are not met.
• Create and evaluate bid profiles for scheduled and ad hoc moves and partner with Procurement on competitive sourcing decisions.
• Collaborate with Network Planning, Air Network, hubs, gateways, stations, Customer Service, and other functions on network changes, seasonal plans, and contingency operations.
• Maintain strong knowledge of the linehaul network and an operational understanding of the air network to support integrated planning and decision-making.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or relevant professional certification, such as CSCP, PMP, or a transportation/logistics credential.
• Experience with air/ground network integration, procurement bidding tools, and large-scale linehaul network design.
• Experience leading continuous-improvement initiatives in a regulated, safety-sensitive, or time-definite transportation environment.
• Ten or more years of progressively responsible experience in transportation, logistics, network operations, or a related field, including significant experience supporting time-critical operations.
• Proven leadership and people-management experience, including leading managers or multi-level teams in a multi-shift environment.
• Demonstrated experience with carrier sourcing, vendor management, contract compliance, rate negotiation, and transportation cost control.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability, with experience using KPIs and operational data to drive decisions and measurable improvement.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Strong written and oral communication, influence, collaboration, and executive‑presentation skills.
• Fluent in spoken and written English.
• Ability to work a variety of shifts and provide operational support within a 24-hour environment.
• Ability to travel approximately 15%.

Ancillary Qualifications:

Qualifications listed below, while not necessarily a requirement for this position in each circumstance, provide additional depth and value to the role.

The preceding job description is not intended to describe in detail the multitude of tasks that may be assigned, but rather to provide a general overview of the expectations and responsibilities of this position. As the nature of business demands change, so may the functions of this position. Additional duties and responsibilities may be assigned.

DHL is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. The EEO is the Law poster is available here: https://www.eeoc.gov/employers/eeo-law-poster