Operations Manager - Transportation

About the role

The Transportation Operations Manager is responsible for supervising the day-to-day dispatch and delivery operation supporting a multi-temperature grocery distribution center. This role manages transportation associates and dispatch execution, coordinates third-party carrier performance, oversees yard and equipment activity through the Yard Management System (YMS), and monitors routes and deliveries through Omnitracs and other transportation systems.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and coordinate daily dispatch operations for chill, frozen, dry, and other assigned grocery delivery activity.
• Ensure loads are dispatched in alignment with planned warehouse dispatch times, carrier dispatch times, customer delivery windows, and route requirements.
• Maintain clear shift handoffs and communicate outstanding loads, rollovers, equipment constraints, service risks, and unresolved issues to appropriate stakeholders.
• Oversee daily yard and trailer activity using YMS, including trailer location, status, availability, dock assignments, and equipment movements.
• Coordinate with yard spotters, warehouse teams, carriers, maintenance providers, and other partners to support safe and timely trailer movement and equipment readiness.
• Manage daily execution of third-party carriers and serve as an operational point of contact for dispatch, equipment, driver, service, and delivery issues.
• Provide timely communication to stores, Store Operations, Customer Service, and other stakeholders regarding delivery ETAs, delays, service disruptions, and recovery plans.
• Respond to transportation-related store concerns, calls, and emails; investigate delivery issues and coordinate resolution with the responsible carrier or internal team.
• Monitor hours-of-service and other driver-related operational constraints when they may affect safe and on-time execution, and coordinate appropriate recovery plans with carrier partners.
• Identify recurring dispatch, delivery, yard, equipment, carrier, or data issues and recommend practical process improvements.
• Monitor operational KPIs such as On-Time Delivery, dispatch timeliness, late-delivery causes, equipment availability, and carrier performance; use results to drive corrective action.
• Participate in carrier service and performance reviews and provide operational data, findings, and follow-up on assigned countermeasures.
• Partner with Distribution Center Operations to support the timely flow of merchandise from loading through final store delivery.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain management, logistics, business administration, or a related field preferred; equivalent transportation or distribution experience may be considered.
• Three to five years of transportation, dispatch, delivery, logistics, or distribution experience, including experience supervising employees or leading a dispatch operation.
• Experience managing third-party carriers and multi-stop store delivery operations preferred; grocery, retail, chill, frozen, or multi-temperature distribution experience strongly preferred.
• Working experience with transportation technology such as Omnitracs, TMS, YMS, telematics, route monitoring, or comparable systems preferred.
• Strong leadership, coaching, communication, and customer service skills.
• Ability to manage a fast-paced dispatch operation and make timely decisions while balancing safety, service, cost, and operational priorities.
• Knowledge of dispatch, route execution, yard and trailer management, carrier management, delivery windows, and transportation exception handling.
• Effective problem-solving, organization, time-management, and attention-to-detail skills.
• Strong work ethic, self-motivation, accountability, and a positive attitude.
• Microsoft Office: Outlook, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Bilingual in Spanish strongly desired.

Qualifications

• Education/Training/Experience: Bachelor's degree in supply chain management, logistics, business administration, or a related field preferred; equivalent transportation or distribution experience may be considered. Three to five years of transportation, dispatch, delivery, logistics, or distribution experience, including experience supervising employees or leading a dispatch operation. Experience managing third-party carriers and multi-stop store delivery operations preferred; grocery, retail, chill, frozen, or multi-temperature distribution experience strongly preferred. Working experience with transportation technology such as Omnitracs, TMS, YMS, telematics, route monitoring, or comparable systems preferred.

Skills

• Strong leadership, coaching, communication, and customer service skills.
• Ability to manage a fast-paced dispatch operation and make timely decisions while balancing safety, service, cost, and operational priorities.
• Knowledge of dispatch, route execution, yard and trailer management, carrier management, delivery windows, and transportation exception handling.
• Effective problem-solving, organization, time-management, and attention-to-detail skills.
• Strong work ethic, self-motivation, accountability, and a positive attitude.
• Microsoft Office: Outlook, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

Benefits

Our company provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics.

Pay

The salary range for this position is $80,000.00 to $120,000.00 annually. The actual starting pay will be determined by a number of qualifications, including, experience and relevant skills.

Schedule

This position has a desk in a distribution center office but requires regular presence in transportation dispatch, yard, dock, and warehouse operating areas. The office is situated in a warehouse office setting and climate-controlled environment. Operational support may require work throughout a standard multi-temperature warehouse and outdoor yard environment where temperatures vary considerably: General indoor warehouse and outdoor yard temperatures are partially dependent upon weather conditions. Chill/Produce refrigerated coolers are maintained at 40-45 degrees. Frozen refrigerated coolers are maintained between 0 and 25 degrees. Some cold environments require special uniforms or personal protective equipment.