US First & Middle Mile Transportation Strategy Lead

Cardinal Health; Annapolis (MD); Remote; USD 107,000 - 191,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

PTO (Paid time off)

HSA

401k savings plan

MyFlexPay access

FSAs

Disability (short/long-term)

Work-Life resources

Parental leave

Healthy lifestyle programs

Job summary

Cardinal Health is seeking a Director of Transportation – First/Middle Mile to lead US operations across manufacturing sites, cross docks and replenishment centers. You will drive cost efficiency, service excellence and on-time delivery while managing a ~ $200M budget and a team of about 20 transportation professionals.

This senior role requires strategic thinking, carrier management, TMS proficiency, and collaboration with cross-functional teams to optimize the network and implement long-term

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Administration, or a related field preferred
• 12+ years of progressive experience in transportation and logistics, with at least 5 years in a leadership role
• Proven track record of managing large transportation budgets (e.g., $100M+) and delivering on cost-saving and performance improvement targets
• Demonstrated expertise in carrier management, contract negotiation, and relationship building
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to evaluate performance metrics and drive improvements
• Experience with route optimization technologies and transportation management systems (TMS)
• Excellent leadership and communication skills; able to collaborate across levels and with external partners
• Ability to develop and implement transportation policies; regulatory compliance
• Strategic thinker capable of long-term transportation planning
• Experience in customer onboarding/offboarding and a customer-centric approach
• Willingness to travel ~15% domestically

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 focused 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 and continuous improvement.
• Partner with Distribution, Inventory, Commercial, Marketing, Systems, and Network Design teams to optimize network flow.
• 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.

Skills

Leadership

Budget management

Carrier management

Strategic thinking

Transportation analytics

TMS experience

Stakeholder collaboration

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain/Logistics or related field

Tools

TMS

Routing technologies

Job description

Cardinal Health is seeking a Director of Transportation – First/Middle Mile to lead US operations across manufacturing sites, cross docks and replenishment centers. You will drive cost efficiency, service excellence and on-time delivery while managing a ~ $200M budget and a team of about 20 transportation professionals.

This senior role requires strategic thinking, carrier management, TMS proficiency, and collaboration with cross-functional teams to optimize the network and implement long-term