Director of Logistics

Job description

The Director of Logistics (Global Freight & Partner Management) is a strategic executive who builds and leads a high-performing international team to oversee outsourced transportation networks. This leader directs a centralized team of logistics managers and data analysts across multiple time zones to manage third-party logistics (3PL) providers and global freight forwarders. Unlike a traditional operations director, this specialized role owns the external partner network and the internal global team that governs it. They design end-to-end global transportation strategies, build robust vendor compliance programs, and hold freight forwarders strictly accountable to transit times, capacity commitments, and cost KPIs. This role requires heavy expertise in customs compliance, international trade lanes, aggressive freight contract negotiation, and cross-functional leadership of distributed teams. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Global Team Leadership & Development: Direct, mentor, and scale a global team of logistics managers, freight coordinators, and data analysts across regions (e.g., AMER, EMEA, APAC) to build a unified supply chain organization. Vendor Governance & Performance: Establish strict Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for all freight forwarders, custom brokers, and 3PL partners. Freight Procurement & Negotiation: Lead high-stakes RFP processes for ocean, air, and over-the-road (OTR) freight, securing competitive contract rates and guaranteed space allocations. Team Resource Allocation & KPIs: Define clear performance metrics, growth paths, and workload allocations for internal analysts and managers to maximize operational efficiency. Liaison with Global Trade Options: Ensure absolute compliance with international trade laws, customs regulations, duties, tariffs, and import/export documentation requirements. Risk Management & Exception Handling: Develop contingency plans for global transit bottlenecks, port labor disputes, customs delays, and geopolitical supply chain disruptions. Strategic Carrier Balancing: Audit and allocate freight volumes dynamically across multiple providers to prevent over-reliance on a single freight forwarder. Audit & Financial Control: Implement rigorous freight bill auditing (FBA) workflows to eliminate billing inaccuracies, accessory overcharges, and hidden booking fees. REQUIRED: Education: Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Industrial Engineering, Business, or Logistics. A Master's degree or MBA is highly preferred. Experience: 10+ years in global logistics, with at least 5 years specifically managing multi-million dollar outsourced freight forwarding accounts and global 3PL networks. Exposure to planning or manufacturing experience a plus. Leadership Experience: 5+ years of direct people management experience, with a proven track record of managing remote, international, or matrixed teams of professional-level staff. Technical Expertise: Deep knowledge of Transportation management (TM) software, freight tracking platforms (e.g., Project44, FourKites), and data-driven visibility tools. Credentials: Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) designation is highly advantageous. SKILLS: Cross-Cultural Leadership: Exceptional capability to manage diverse, cross-functional teams across different time zones, languages, and corporate cultures. 3PL/Forwarder Auditing: Advanced ability to evaluate freight forwarder networks, financial health, lane strengths, and digital tracking capabilities. Contract Law & Incoterms: Expert-level mastery of international commercial terms (Incoterms 2020) and complex transportation legal contracts. Data-Driven Sourcing: Strong proficiency in logistics analytics to model total landed costs, spot-market trends, and optimal route planning. Cross-Border Logistics: Deep understanding of key ocean trade lanes, air freight networks, customs clearance frameworks, and intermodal drayage operations.