North America Transportation Manager

WireCo WorldGroup•Leawood, KS

About The Position

The North America Transportation Manager owns the execution, performance, and continuous improvement of WireCo’s North American transportation operations, supporting entities in the United States and Mexico and associated domestic, cross-border, and international freight movements. The role delivers safe, reliable, compliant, and cost-effective transportation that supports customer commitments and operational requirements. The Manager is accountable for transportation budgets, carrier procurement and performance, freight planning, transportation systems, and inbound and outbound freight execution. The position leads the team responsible for daily transportation operations, export bookings, shipping documentation, and transportation compliance. Working with manufacturing, distribution, supply chain, commercial, and finance teams, the Manager translates business priorities into transportation plans, owns service and cost results, and develops the people, processes, and systems needed to improve regional performance. The role also supports global transportation initiatives and is expected to model and motivate WireCo Business System behaviors: Teamwork, Accountable, Self-Aware, Noble Intent, Determined, Transparent, and Curious.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Business, or a related field.
Six or more years of progressively responsible experience in transportation, logistics, or supply chain, including at least two years leading teams and managing North American domestic and cross-border freight.
Demonstrated experience managing United States–Mexico transportation operations.
Experience managing a multimodal transportation network, including truckload, less-than-truckload (LTL), intermodal, parcel, and ocean or air freight.
Demonstrated success improving transportation service, controlling costs, and strengthening operational reliability.
Experience managing carrier procurement, competitive bid events, rate negotiations, service expectations, and routing guides.
Strong financial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, freight audit accuracy, and understanding transportation’s impact on profitability.
Knowledge of import and export requirements, shipping documentation, Incoterms, Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) classification, customs brokerage, the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA), and other applicable free trade agreements.
Strong analytical skills, including interpreting transportation data, developing performance dashboards, identifying root causes, and recommending corrective actions.
Proficiency with TMS and ERP systems, Microsoft Excel, and business intelligence tools such as Power BI.
Ability to implement process improvements, strengthen system adoption, and establish consistent practices across multiple facilities.
Strong communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills, including the ability to influence internal stakeholders and hold external partners accountable.
Ability to coach and develop employees, manage competing priorities, and maintain service and compliance in a fast-paced, global, matrixed organization.
Commitment to safety, ethical business practices, sustainability, and the WBS behaviors.
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without restriction.
Must successfully complete a post-offer background check; a criminal conviction will not be an automatic bar to employment.
Must be willing and able to pass a post-offer drug screen and physical, if required.
Must be 18 years of age or older.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or relevant professional certification in transportation, logistics, supply chain, or international trade.
Transportation management experience in a manufacturing environment with multiple plants and distribution centers.
Experience with Canadian freight movements and broader international transportation networks.
Experience with network optimization, TMS enhancements, freight analytics automation, or other transportation improvement initiatives.
Demonstrated success maintaining service during capacity shortages, border disruptions, port delays, labor disruptions, or other logistics challenges.
Experience incorporating sustainability objectives into transportation planning and carrier selection.
Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute transportation plans that align carrier capacity, shipping requirements, service expectations, and cost with business priorities.
Manage daily inbound and outbound freight performance across domestic, cross-border, and international movements in the region.
Develop and manage transportation budgets, forecasts, and cost-reduction plans; monitor spending, explain variances, and improve freight expense, cost to serve, and freight as a percentage of sales.
Lead carrier sourcing, rate negotiations, quarterly U.S. domestic and annual cross-border bid events, lane optimization, carrier onboarding, and routing guide management.
Establish and monitor transportation KPIs for on-time pickup and delivery, transit time, freight damage, capacity acceptance, and cost; own corrective actions and sustained improvement.
Manage carrier and logistics partner relationships, maintain scorecards, conduct quarterly business reviews, and manage escalations.
Hold carriers, brokers, and third-party logistics providers accountable for service, safety, compliance, and financial commitments.
Manage export bookings, shipping documentation, customs processes, and applicable trade requirements; maintain controls and clear responsibilities with internal teams, customs brokers, and logistics partners.
Monitor transportation risks such as capacity constraints, border delays, port congestion, and labor disruptions; develop alternatives and coordinate responses that protect customer service and operational continuity.
Coordinate with customer care, fulfillment, supply planning, commercial teams, plant operations, and distribution centers to align forecasts, production schedules, shipping priorities, carrier capacity, and customer delivery requirements.
Identify and execute continuous-improvement initiatives using freight analytics, root-cause analysis, and standard work to improve service and reduce avoidable costs.
Drive effective use of the TMS, reporting tools, and related enterprise systems; partner with IT to resolve issues, implement enhancements, automate processes, and improve data quality and adoption.
Manage freight audit and payment accuracy, accessorial charges, invoice disputes, and claims; partner with Finance on reconciliation, reporting, and recovery of amounts owed.
Maintain transportation dashboards and reporting routines and communicate service, cost, capacity, compliance, and improvement trends, risks, and recommended actions to leadership.
Set team expectations and responsibilities, coach team members, manage performance, develop capabilities, and train plant and distribution center partners on transportation processes, compliance, systems, and best practices.
Contribute North American operational insights to global network planning, supplier benchmarking, sustainability initiatives, and standardized transportation practices; implement regional actions supporting broader priorities.
Perform other duties as assigned.