Director, Transportation Operations

Novolex•Lake Forest, IL

4d•$170,000 - $200,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, Transportation Operations is a critical leadership role within the Transportation Center of Excellence (COE), responsible for leading Transportation service execution functions supporting on-time delivery performance, OTIF outcomes, Customer Pickup (CPU) Planning, and real-time shipment visibility across the transportation network. This role serves as the operational owner responsible for protecting service performance through proactive shipment visibility, execution management, delivery assurance processes, customer collaboration, and CPU planning optimization. The Director leads teams responsible for real-time track & trace capabilities, service risk mitigation, triage workflows, exception management, and operational coordination to ensure freight moves efficiently and customer commitments are achieved. The Director, Transportation Operations partners closely with Planning, Carrier Strategy, Systems, Reporting & Analytics, Customer Service, and Freight Operations teams to drive execution discipline, improve operational reliability, strengthen delivery performance, and ensure visibility capabilities support proactive decision making. This position requires a highly operational leader with strong transportation execution experience, service-oriented leadership capabilities, and the ability to build scalable processes that improve transportation performance and customer outcomes.

Requirements

8+ years of experience in transportation, logistics, supply chain operations, or freight execution leadership
5+ years leading transportation operations teams or service execution functions
BA/BS degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Operations, Business, or related field
Experience managing transportation visibility, track & trace operations, delivery performance, or execution management activities
Strong understanding of OTIF performance management and transportation operational KPIs
Experience leading cross-functional operational improvement initiatives
Ability to lead teams within fast-paced transportation environments with competing priorities
Proven ability driving accountability and operational discipline across organizations

Nice To Haves

Experience with Blue Yonder TMS, FourKites, SAP, or transportation visibility technologies
Manufacturing, transportation operations, freight management, or distribution experience
Experience supporting Customer Pickup (CPU) operations or transportation planning functions
Experience leading transportation service recovery or execution management processes
Continuous Improvement or Lean process improvement experience

Responsibilities

Lead Transportation Operations functions supporting on-time delivery performance, OTIF execution, CPU Planning, and shipment visibility capabilities
Drive operational execution strategies to improve service reliability, delivery assurance, and transportation performance outcomes
Own real-time shipment visibility processes, track & trace capabilities, and at-risk load management activities
Lead execution triage processes, escalation workflows, and service recovery efforts to protect customer commitments
Oversee OTIF failure documentation, service analytics inputs, and execution visibility supporting root cause identification
Lead CPU Planning operations to optimize carrier coordination, dock readiness, appointment management, and operational flow efficiency
Partner cross-functionally to improve execution discipline, operational consistency, and transportation performance across the network
Establish service performance governance, KPI visibility, and operational accountability processes
Partner with Systems and Reporting teams to strengthen visibility tools, execution analytics, and transportation performance insights