Strategic Director, First & Middle Mile Transport

Cardinal Health; Olympia (WA); Remote; USD 107,000 - 191,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus eligible

Medical, dental, vision coverage

Paid time off

Health savings account (HSA)

401k savings plan

Access to wages before pay day (myFlex

Flexible spending accounts (FSAs)

Disability coverage

Work-Life resources

Paid parental leave

Healthy lifestyle programs

Job summary

Cardinal Health is seeking a Director of Transportation – First/Middle Mile to lead U.S. transportation across multiple sites and an extensive partner network. The role focuses on cost control, service excellence, and network optimization while mentoring a 20-person team.

The position offers remote work with travel ~15% domestically, a $200M budget responsibility, and collaboration with cross-functional teams to shape Cardinal Health's transportation strategy.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Administration, or related field.
• 12+ years in transportation and logistics, with 5+ years in leadership in multi-site environment.
• Experience managing large transportation budgets (e.g., $100M+) and delivering cost savings and performance improvements.
• Expertise in carrier management, contract negotiation, and relationship building.
• Strong analytical skills to evaluate metrics and drive improvements.
• Experience with route optimization technologies and TMS.
• Leadership, communication, and collaboration across levels and partners.
• Ability to implement transportation policies and regulatory compliance.
• Strategic thinking for long-term transportation strategies.
• Willingness to travel ~15% domestically; remote work-ready environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for all U.S. first and middle mile transportation operations across manufacturing sites, cross docks, and replenishment centers.
• Lead, develop, and mentor a high-performing team of approximately 20 transportation professionals.
• Own and manage a transportation budget of approximately $200M, driving cost efficiency, service excellence, and on-time performance.
• Drive transportation network optimization initiatives focusing on routing efficiency, capacity planning, service improvements, and cost-to-serve reduction.
• Ensure transportation excellence and consistency across the national distribution and manufacturing network.
• Lead transportation procurement activities, including carrier sourcing, RFPs, contract negotiations, and vendor management.
• Manage relationships with 100+ commercial carrier partners, ensuring strong performance, compliance, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with Distribution, Inventory, Commercial, Marketing, Systems, and Network Design teams to optimize network flow and transportation strategy.
• Establish and enforce transportation policies, governance standards, and operational best practices.
• Oversee customer onboarding, network transitions, and carrier integration initiatives.
• Leverage transportation management systems (TMS), routing technologies, and analytics to improve network performance and decision-making.

Skills

Leadership

Budget management

Carrier management

Negotiation

Analytical skills

TMS familiarity

Cross-functional collaboration

Travel readiness

Remote work setup

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management or related field

Tools

TMS

Job description

Cardinal Health is seeking a Director of Transportation – First/Middle Mile to lead U.S. transportation across multiple sites and an extensive partner network. The role focuses on cost control, service excellence, and network optimization while mentoring a 20-person team.

The position offers remote work with travel ~15% domestically, a $200M budget responsibility, and collaboration with cross-functional teams to shape Cardinal Health's transportation strategy.