Director of Breakbulk Operations

About the Role

Own the overall performance of a business segment, including customers, operations, and business activities. Act as the primary operational leader for the segment, ensuring customer requirements, service commitments, and operational expectations are consistently achieved. Develop and execute plans that support growth, profitability, operational efficiency, and customer retention while managing financial performance through labor efficiency, equipment utilization, warehouse utilization, claims performance, and controllable operating costs.

Responsibilities

• Maintain a thorough understanding of customer forecasts, operational requirements, vessel schedules, warehouse utilization, and labor demands.
• Identify operational risks, resource constraints, and business challenges before they impact performance.
• Drive continuous improvement in safety, quality, productivity, customer service, and profitability.
• Review upcoming customer activity, vessel schedules, warehouse requirements, customer forecasts, and special projects to develop labor and equipment plans.
• Maximize productivity while managing gang structure, overtime, guarantee time, labor availability, labor efficiency, and operating costs.
• Ensure labor, equipment, warehouse space, and operational resources are properly planned and available.
• Verify Warehouse Senior Supervisors and Superintendents have established operational plans and necessary resources to execute work safely and efficiently.
• Monitor warehouse utilization, cargo flow, and operational capacity, proactively addressing constraints.
• Adjust operational plans as business conditions change to maintain safe, efficient, and customer-focused operations.
• Lead, coach, and develop Warehouse Senior Supervisors and operational leadership teams.
• Establish clear expectations and accountability throughout the organization.
• Develop future operational leaders through coaching, mentoring, cross-training, succession planning, and leadership development.
• Maintain strong relationships with customers and key stakeholders, participating in meetings, planning discussions, and business development activities.
• Ensure customer communications are timely, accurate, and professional, resolving escalated concerns promptly.
• Coordinate with Vessel Operations, Customer Service, Maintenance, Administration, and other groups to support safe and efficient terminal operations.
• Balance labor, equipment, warehouse space, and shared terminal resources across operational priorities.
• Proactively identify and resolve cross-functional resource conflicts before they impact customers or performance.
• Own the financial performance of the business segment through effective management of labor, equipment, warehouse utilization, claims performance, and controllable operating expenses.
• Participate in budgeting, forecasting, and business planning activities.
• Review operational and financial performance against budget and implement corrective actions when needed.
• Promote and maintain a safety-first culture, ensuring compliance with company policies, customer requirements, labor agreements, and regulatory requirements.
• Hold operational leaders accountable for safe work practices and operational compliance.
• Review significant incidents, injuries, cargo claims, inventory discrepancies, and operational failures to ensure corrective actions are implemented.
• Promote operational quality by minimizing cargo damage, inventory discrepancies, and customer claims through disciplined execution.

Non-Negotiable Expectations

• Customer commitments are honored or proactively communicated when conditions change.
• Warehouse Senior Supervisors and Warehouse Superintendents are provided the support, direction, and resources necessary to be successful.
• Operational issues, customer concerns, and resource conflicts are addressed promptly and escalated when necessary.
• Directors anticipate issues, make timely decisions, and take ownership of outcomes.
• Problems are owned, not delegated; Directors are accountable for identifying issues, driving solutions, and ensuring results.
• Directors operate as members of the Mid-Atlantic leadership team and make decisions that support the overall success of the terminal.
• Directors continuously seek opportunities to improve safety, service, quality, productivity, and profitability.
• Operational processes are standardized, documented, and consistently executed across the business segment.