Transportation Manager

SUMMARY 

The Transportation Manager is accountable for the performance, cost, and service delivery of all transportation activities, including inbound and outbound freight, plant-to-plant transfers, and milk hauling. This role ensures transportation operations align with business needs and Sartori’s commitment to service excellence. 

The role drives continuous improvement and innovation across the transportation network, including process, technology, and partner strategy, to support operational efficiency and long-term growth. The Transportation Manager also owns carrier relationships and is responsible for managing transportation spend, budgeting, and financial performance. This position provides strategic direction and cross-functional partnership to ensure transportation capabilities effectively support broader business objectives.  

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following.  Other duties may be assigned. 

• Leads the strategic direction for transportation functions, managing external partnerships, negotiating and administering freight contracts, overseeing carrier payables, and managing customer billable rates  

• Develops a comprehensive business plan that includes analysis of the current network and provides recommendations to support future growth  

• Plans, develops, and implements goals, objectives, policies, and priorities related to transportation operations  

• Serves as the primary liaison and resource for transportation across Supply Chain, Operations, Customer Service, IT, Sales, Marketing, Finance, and other cross-functional teams  

• Partners with Customer Service and Warehouse teams to plan and execute effective shipment strategies  

• Communicates transportation performance, challenges, and improvement opportunities to stakeholders at all levels of the organization  

• Oversees carrier relationships, including contract management and service performance expectations  

• Serves as the functional subject matter expert on Transportation Management System (TMS) processes  

• Manages freight claims through final resolution  

• Fosters a collaborative, high-performance culture across departments  

• Prepares and maintains operational reports, metrics, and budget-related analysis to support performance tracking and decision-making  

• Leads staffing and personnel management activities, providing guidance, leadership, and development opportunities within the Transportation team  

• Conducts root cause analysis on issues related to order fulfillment, transportation, logistics systems, imports/exports, and customer concerns, and recommends effective solutions  

• Ensures on-time and in-full delivery performance, including special order fulfillment, new product launches, back-order fulfillment, donations, and product disposition  

• Manages order expediting, product returns, and shipments requiring specialized handling or transportation  

• Leads continuous improvement initiatives and promotes a Lean culture, including 5S practices  

• Participates in or leads cross-functional initiatives to drive improvements in customer satisfaction, processes, productivity, and quality  

• Ensures compliance with all company Safety, HACCP, and GMP policies  

• Immediately reports any food safety or quality issues to management or authorized personnel 

DIRECT REPORTS 

This position is responsible for direct reports within the Transportation Department. 

 QUALIFICATIONS  

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

 EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE 

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, or other related field required.  

• 3-5 years of relevant experience in this role required.  

• Experience with all modes of transportation, including but not limited to parcel, LTL, full/partial truckload, intermodal, and international freight required. 

• Experience in a food manufacturing environment, preferred. 

• Experience with JDE and TMS (MercuryGate / Infios) systems, preferred.  

 SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES 

• Judgment: Forms sound opinions and make solid decisions  

• Quality Commitment: Consistently strives to meet high standards of excellence  

• Collaborative: Partners with others to realize better results  

• Builds Trust: Establishes trust through reliability and honesty  

• Customer Focused: Understands and responds effectively to stakeholder needs  

• Problem Solver: Identifies root causes and recommends effective solutions  

• Handles Ambiguity: Remains effective in unclear or changing conditions  

• Results-driven: Focuses on achieving results that promote business success  

 CERTIFICATIONS 

Accredited Supply Chain Certifications, preferred. 

 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

WORK LOCATION 

This role is expected to be onsite at our Sartori Whey location in Plymouth, WI 3 days per week and may work remotely 2 days per week. Remote work must be performed within Wisconsin or another approved state in accordance with company policy. 

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS 

Occasional Travel (up to 10%) – Limited travel for training, meetings, or visits to other Sartori manufacturing facilities 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS  

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a Team Member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.   

The role requires extended periods of standing, movement between work areas or locations, climbing stairs, bending or stooping, crouching or squatting, kneeling, twisting, and reaching at various heights. The role may involve lifting or carrying up to 25 pounds. The role requires frequent grasping or gripping, fine finger manipulation, precise hand coordination, and sustained use of hands or arms. The role requires the ability to see details at close range, see at a distance, distinguish colors, perceive depth, hear alarms, signals, or verbal instructions, and communicate verbally.  

WORK ENVIRONMENT  

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a Team Member encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

This role is performed in both an office and non‑office setting. The work environment includes exposure to production equipment and machinery, outdoor work conditions, airborne particles or dust, and wet or humid work conditions. The typical noise level for this role is moderate to loud. The role may require working off‑shift hours and on‑call availability based on operational needs. 

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by Team Members assigned to this work.  This is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities.  Sartori Company reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet organizational and business needs as necessary.