Director, Logistics & Transportation

Doskocil Mfg.•Lancaster, TX

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Petmate is seeking a Director, Logistics & Transportation to lead the execution of its end-to-end logistics and transportation strategy across ocean, air, truckload, less-than-truckload, parcel, intermodal, and rail. The role oversees the movement of products from global suppliers and vendors through manufacturing facilities, distribution centers, warehouses, and third-party logistics providers to retail, e-commerce, and direct-to-consumer customers. It provides strategic and operational leadership for import operations, international and domestic transportation, freight procurement and contracting, carrier and 3PL management, e-commerce logistics, landed-cost optimization, and transportation performance. The Director leads Petmate’s Traffic Department and broader Logistics & Transportation organization, driving performance, process discipline, and continuous improvement. The role partners with the SVP Supply Chain and teams across sourcing, procurement, supply planning, manufacturing, distribution, finance, legal, sales, marketing, and new product development. Its work affects freight expense, inventory availability, customer service, chargebacks, working capital, landed cost, and overall supply chain effectiveness. The position is based at Petmate’s corporate office in a professional, climate-controlled setting. Employees should be comfortable around dogs and other pets in shared spaces. Occasional visits to manufacturing and distribution sites may be required; these sites may be loud and not climate-controlled, and require adherence to safety protocols and use of PPE as needed. The role requires flexible hours, including nights and weekends, in support of a 24-hour operational environment. Petmate is an equal opportunity employer.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, International Business, Business Administration, or a related field.
At least 8 years of progressive experience in logistics, transportation, imports, or global supply chain.
At least 3 years in a leadership role overseeing multimodal logistics operations.
Proven experience managing high-volume import, transportation, and distribution operations.
Extensive experience with ocean freight, air freight, domestic transportation, carrier and 3PL management, and freight procurement.
Strong contract negotiation experience with ocean carriers, domestic carriers, NVOCCs, freight forwarders, 3PLs, and logistics providers.
Demonstrated experience managing significant transportation budgets and delivering cost-reduction strategies.
In-depth knowledge of domestic and international shipping regulations, including weight limits and hazardous materials handling.
Proficiency in transportation management systems and logistics software for tracking and reporting shipment data.
Strong understanding of global sourcing, purchase-order flow, inventory planning, distribution operations, and retail and e-commerce customer requirements.
Willingness to work flexible hours, including nights and weekends, in support of a 24-hour operational environment.
Ability to lead supply chain and transportation activities; negotiate and manage contracts; analyze financial and operational information; communicate and present effectively; manage carriers, brokers, 3PLs, and vendors; solve operational problems; influence and collaborate cross-functionally; manage risk and contingency plans; prioritize under tight deadlines; maintain customer-service orientation; and balance cost, inventory, service, speed, and compliance.
Frequently stand and walk, occasionally sit, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds; required vision abilities include close, distance, color, peripheral, and depth perception, and ability to adjust focus; regularly talk and listen.
Comfort working around dogs and other pets in shared office spaces; occasional site visits require adherence to safety protocols and PPE use as needed.

Nice To Haves

MBA or equivalent advanced degree.
Experience in consumer products, retail, or another high-volume import and distribution environment.

Responsibilities

Partner with the SVP Supply Chain to develop and execute logistics and transportation strategy aligned with corporate supply chain objectives.
Oversee inbound and outbound logistics across vendors, manufacturing plants, distribution centers, warehouses, 3PLs, and retailer distribution centers.
Establish and manage a network of exporters, freight forwarders, carriers, 3PLs, and other transportation providers, ensuring transportation capacity supports product flow.
Optimize the order cycle and product flow from purchase order through final customer delivery, and develop contingency plans for disruptions and other supply chain risks.
Direct imported-product movement from international suppliers through ports, ocean and air transportation, customs clearance coordination, and final delivery to distribution centers.
Lead ocean and air freight programs, procurement, contract negotiations, carrier allocations, routing strategies, and monitoring of international freight markets.
Provide operational leadership for domestic inbound, outbound, and inter-facility transportation across truckload, LTL, parcel, intermodal, rail, drayage, and other modes.
Lead domestic carrier sourcing, negotiations, routing strategies, and provider relationships; monitor carrier performance, pickup and delivery, freight claims, accessorial charges, and service.
Identify shipment-consolidation, mode-selection, routing, and other transportation cost-reduction opportunities while maintaining service and compliance.
Support transportation and compliance requirements for retail, e-commerce, and direct-to-consumer customers, including retailer routing guides and special customer requirements.
Partner with Sales, NPD, Marketing, Manufacturing, and Distribution to reduce SIOC charges, support e-commerce growth, manage parcel strategy, and reduce customer chargebacks through root-cause analysis and corrective action.
Partner with Supply Planning, Sourcing, and Procurement on import plans based on purchase orders, production schedules, inventory requirements, and forecasted demand.
Monitor purchase-order flow and identify transportation, documentation, customs, product availability, and supply risks; communicate expected arrival dates and develop plans to prioritize or expedite shipments.
Coordinate inbound capacity with distribution centers and warehouses and support seasonal and promotional transportation planning.
Manage transportation budgets and freight forecasts; analyze logistics expenses, identify cost reductions, partner with Finance on forecasts and budget variances, and present reports to senior leadership.
Lead provider RFPs, negotiations, agreement implementation, service-level agreements, performance expectations, cost targets, and regular business reviews; hold providers accountable for service and issue resolution.
Develop and maintain logistics standard operating procedures, use transportation and logistics systems to track shipments and costs, and create performance reporting and dashboards.
Use data and analytics to identify trends, service issues, capacity risks, and savings opportunities; troubleshoot delays, missing cargo, and compliance discrepancies.
Collaborate cross-functionally and provide leadership with visibility into freight conditions, costs, capacity risks, product delays, and potential inventory or customer-service impacts.
Represent logistics in internal and external meetings with customers, providers, and regulatory authorities.
Lead and develop the Traffic Department, setting responsibilities and performance expectations, establishing development plans, delivering training, supporting succession planning, and fostering accountability and continuous improvement.
Monitor and report KPIs including shipment targets, freight costs, savings, container costs, transit-time reliability, on-time pickup and delivery, customer performance, chargebacks, SIOC costs, utilization, demurrage, detention, accessorial costs, claims, and provider performance.