Director, Transportation Operations

Smithfield Foods • Suffolk, VA

1d

About The Position

As the Director, Transportation Operations, you will provide strategic leadership and direction for Smithfield’s Transportation Department, ensuring efficient, cost-effective, and reliable product movement across the supply chain. You will drive operational excellence by optimizing transportation performance, fostering carrier relationships, and leading initiatives that ensure on-time delivery and cost control. You will also attract, develop, and retain top talent while cultivating a culture of continuous improvement, safety, and service excellence that supports Smithfield’s growth and customer satisfaction goals.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited four-year college or university and 10+ years of relevant experience in Transportation, Logistics, or Customer Service; or equivalent combination of education and experience, required.
• 5+ years of demonstrated experience in team management/development required.
• Strong critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and problem-solving skills with the ability to navigate complex, unstructured challenges.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to clearly express ideas and influence across all levels of the organization.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and Transportation Management Systems (TMS) with the ability to leverage tools for data-driven decision making.
• Strong negotiation skills and the ability to build effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders to achieve business objectives.
• High level of planning, adaptability, and teamwork to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Respectful, approachable, and team-oriented with a commitment to fostering strong working relationships and a positive, performance-driven culture.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with temperature controlled and/or the perishable foods industry.
• Experience with SAP or other TMS systems.
• Ability to create value stream maps with a focus on improvement opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Implement strategic and tactical measures to improve cost efficiency, service performance, and overall transportation effectiveness across the organization.
• Manage transportation movements to meet required service levels, cost objectives, and customer expectations while ensuring optimal network utilization.
• Identify and lead cost savings projects focused on reducing transportation expenses and total supply chain costs through process improvement and vendor optimization.
• Develop and educate the Transportation Department on emerging technologies and tools to create a competitive advantage in transportation performance and customer service.
• Develop, implement, and track key delivery metrics to measure performance, communicate value, and drive accountability within the Transportation Department.
• Provide thought leadership focused on continuous improvement, leveraging root cause analysis and countermeasure implementation to enhance performance.
• Work collaboratively with Supply Chain, Operations, Finance, and other departments to drive continuous improvement initiatives and achieve shared business objectives.
• Prepare and manage transportation budgets, ensuring cost-effective operations, proper resource allocation, and alignment with financial goals.
• Utilize transportation management systems (TMS) and data analytics to monitor performance, identify trends, and implement improvement strategies.
• Present results, key initiatives, and strategic recommendations to Smithfield leadership and key stakeholders to support business decision-making.
• Drives a positive employee experience through leadership by way of employee development and coaching.

Benefits

• Smithfield is proud to offer robust, flexible and affordable benefit plans and programs to support our team members and their loved ones, and with out-of-pocket costs, on average, 20 percent less than plans offered by other employers.
• Beyond our medical plans, our Be Well programs offer tools and resources to enhance your quality of life, at no additional cost. These programs are uniquely tailored to our Smithfield team and provide support for elective surgeries, weight loss, mental health, cancer, kidney disease, diabetes, smoking cessation, asthma, maternity management and more.
• Our company invests in your future. We offer comprehensive training and professional development programs designed to help you reach your full potential. Our partnership with GUILD supports your continuing education with tuition assistance covering English language learning and various certificate programs, while our leadership development initiatives nurture high-potential talent.
• For those looking to build specialized skills, we offer apprenticeship programs that combine hands-on experience with focused learning.
• We also offer unique benefits like our Smithfield Scholarship Program for employees’ children.
• Smithfield’s Education Reimbursement Program provides financial reimbursement to team members who want to further their formal education by obtaining a GED/High School Equivalency (HSE) Diploma or by pursuing an academic degree at an accredited college or university that is not a Guild learning partner.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director