Director of Transportation

About Williams-Sonoma DC - Olive Branch, MS

Since it was founded in 1956, Williams-Sonoma has grown from Chuck Williams’ single store in Sonoma, CA into one of the largest retailers in the country, with some best known and most beloved brands in home furnishings, including Williams–Sonoma, Pottery Barn and West Elm. Our Distribution Centers serve as vital connections between factories and our retail, online and mail-order customers around the world. The Supply Chain environment is dynamic and fast-paced, and the network is expanding rapidly. If you have a background in distribution, manufacturing, engineering, transportation, finance, human resources, or home delivery—and are looking for a job with a strong opportunity for gaining new skills and for advancement—our Supply Chain Organization could be just the place for you.

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. Supply Chain Overview

• Leading the industry in sustainability, diversity, and responsibility, we are recognized for our continuous action and progress in areas such as Barron's 100 Most Sustainable Companies, Forbes Best Employers for Women and Diversity, Newsweek America's Most Responsible Companies, and USA Today Customer Service Champions.

• We employ over 4,000 full-time associates across the Supply Chain, operating 14.5 million square feet of small parcel, personalization, furniture, and manufacturing space in the domestic US, with an agile and capable distribution network.

• The Transportation Department in Memphis, TN manages ocean, air, trucking, and rail, with over 30 transportation professionals and 700 associates in our Sourcing offices in 10 countries in Asia and Europe.

Director of Transportation Position

We are seeking a highly accomplished transportation leader to oversee the strategy, execution, and continuous improvement of our end-to-end transportation network. This role is responsible for leading all transportation modes, including Less-than-Truckload (LTL), Full Truckload (FTL), Intermodal, Parcel, Ocean, and Air Freight, while optimizing service, cost, network efficiency, and customer experience. Partner closely with Distribution Operations, Supply Planning, Inventory Management, Merchandising, Customs Compliance, Finance, Customer Care, Procurement, and Technology to ensure our transportation network supports business growth while maintaining operational excellence.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute an enterprise transportation strategy supporting domestic and international operations.

• Optimize transportation networks across LTL, Truckload, Intermodal, Parcel, Ocean, and Air.

• Lead transportation procurement, carrier sourcing, contract negotiations, and annual bid events.

• Develop long-term network strategies that improve service, resiliency, and cost efficiency.

• Monitor transportation market conditions and proactively adjust network strategies.

• Domestic Transportation:

  • Capacity planning.

  • Routing optimization.

  • Carrier management.

  • Pickup and delivery coordination.

  • Peak season readiness.

  • Transportation procurement.

  • Performance management.

• Parcel Operations & Optimization:

  • Develop multi-carrier parcel strategies across multiple parcel carriers, and emerging last-mile providers.

  • Lead parcel carrier negotiations and optimize transportation spend while maintaining service commitments.

  • Drive parcel optimization initiatives including zone skipping, carrier diversification, consolidation, dimensional weight reduction, packaging optimization, and routing improvements.

  • Monitor parcel KPIs including cost per package, on-time delivery, transit performance, delivery exceptions, claims, and customer experience.

  • Partner with Distribution Centers to improve carton utilization, packaging efficiency, and shipping profiles.

  • Ensure peak season parcel capacity and network resiliency.

• International Transportation:

  • Lead global transportation strategy across Ocean Freight, Air Freight, Freight Forwarders and NVOCCs, Import transportation planning, and International carrier management.

  • Partner closely with Customs Compliance and Global Sourcing teams to ensure efficient inbound transportation and regulatory compliance.

• Carrier Management:

  • Build executive relationships with transportation providers.

  • Negotiate transportation contracts and service agreements.

  • Develop carrier scorecards measuring cost, service, capacity, claims, and performance.

  • Drive continuous improvement initiatives with transportation partners.

• Financial & Operational Leadership:

  • Manage a multi-million-dollar transportation budget.

  • Lead freight forecasting, budgeting, and transportation productivity initiatives.

  • Identify opportunities to reduce freight costs while protecting service levels.

  • Utilize transportation analytics to support strategic decision making.

• Analytics & Continuous Improvement:

  • Develop transportation dashboards and executive KPI reporting.

  • Analyze transportation performance, cost-to-serve, carrier utilization, and network efficiency.

  • Lead transportation optimization projects using data and analytics.

  • Champion continuous improvement and process simplification.

• Cross-Functional Leadership:

  • Collaborate with Distribution Operations, Inventory Planning, Supply Planning, Customer Care, Merchandising, Finance, Customs Compliance, Procurement, and Information Technology.

  • Build strong partnerships across the organization and influence strategic decisions through collaboration and data.

• People Leadership:

  • Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing transportation organization by building strong leadership talent, coaching and mentoring managers and individual contributors, creating clear accountability and performance expectations, supporting succession planning and employee development, and fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, inclusion, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Business, Engineering, or a related field.

• At least 10+ years of progressive transportation leadership experience.

• At least 5 years leading managers and cross-functional teams.

• Experience managing domestic and international transportation networks.

• Demonstrated expertise in LTL, Full Truckload, Intermodal, Parcel Operations, Ocean Freight, Air Freight, Carrier Procurement, and Transportation Management Systems (TMS).

Preferred Experience

• Experience with Infor, Power BI, SQL, SAP, Oracle, Manhattan, Blue Yonder, or similar transportation and analytics platforms.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic thinking with the ability to translate vision into execution.

• Strong executive presence and communication skills.

• Exceptional financial and analytical acumen.

• Customer-focused decision making.

• A collaborative leadership style that builds trust across the organization.

• Proven ability to influence without authority.

• Calm, decisive leadership during periods of change and operational disruption.

• A continuous improvement mindset with a passion for innovation.

• High integrity, accountability, and ownership.

• A commitment to coaching, mentoring, and developing future leaders.

Success Measures

• Improved on-time delivery performance.

• Reduced transportation cost per shipment and cost per package.

• Improved parcel, LTL, Truckload, Ocean, and Air carrier performance.

• Increased transportation network resiliency during peak seasons.

• Enhanced carrier scorecards and supplier relationships.

• Improved transportation visibility and executive reporting.

• Measurable productivity improvements and freight savings.

• Strong employee engagement, leadership development, and succession planning.

Company Benefits

• Generous discount on all Williams-Sonoma, Inc. brand products.

• 401(k) plan and other investment opportunities.

• Paid vacations, Employee Assistance Programs, Time Off to Volunteer, Matching Gifts Community Service Program, and Holidays (in some locations).

• Health benefits, dental and vision insurance, including same-sex domestic partner benefits, Legal and Identity Protection Plans and Pet Insurance.

EEO Statement

We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law. We strive to foster a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected.