Transportation Planner

Lactalis Transportation Planner

We are hiring a Transportation Planner based in Buffalo, NY. The role is responsible for securing carrier commitments and negotiating competitive freight costs to ensure domestic network coverage.

The Transportation Planner operates with a high sense of urgency, transforming planned shipments into live carrier tenders within a fast-paced environment. This role works closely with Transportation Planning Managers and the broader organization to align daily execution with strategic goals, maintaining a consistent flow of freight while delivering superior customer service.

• Coordinate directly with Transportation Planning within Lactalis USA Logistics to balance cost and service.
• Maintain visibility to external stakeholders in Supply Planning, Customer Service, Sales, and Leadership.
• Prioritize actions to mitigate overall cost while maximizing on‑time service probability.
• Collaborate with Transportation Planning Management to identify continuous improvement opportunities.
• Keep key internal and external stakeholders informed of execution status and immediately communicate exceptions that deviate from established plans.
• Serve as subject‑matter expert with Lactalis‑approved carriers, understanding their core capabilities, service areas, capacity needs, and lead‑time requirements.
• Use available technology, market data, and practical experience to convert ad‑hoc capacity into long‑term commitments.
• Maintain clear communication and data integrity related to all active and prior carrier negotiations.
• Respect routing to avoid making service concessions to end‑users.
• Oversee execution and manage exceptions while freight is in‑transit, including OSDR, service failures, and quality issues.
• Note:
  
  The Transportation team is staffed 7 days a week and will be scheduled accordingly.

Education

• High School Diploma or Equivalent is required. Post‑secondary education is favored.

Experience

• 2+ years of experience in Refrigerated Logistics / Transportation (appointments, high‑volume customer interaction, frozen/perishable) or related distribution experience.

Certifications & Knowledge

• Experience as a Carrier Sales/Logistics Coordinator, Transportation Procurement, Transportation Rates Coordinator, or equivalent activities where buying/negotiating trucking for freight transportation is preferred.
• Intermediate knowledge of United States geography.
• Intermediate knowledge of domestic transportation marketplace.
• Basic knowledge of inbound and outbound warehouse/dock operations.
• Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Word & Excel.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Competencies

• Fleet management.
• Logistic customer administration and relationship management.
• Logistic service level management.
• Transport management (order processing and process analysis).

We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards Program with a variety of benefits and coverage options, including significant support for insurance costs, generous contributions to retirement plans, Paid Time Off from day one, and opportunities for training and development, including Education Reimbursement.

Lactalis is an equal employment opportunity employer. We will not discriminate against applicants with regard to any legally‑recognized basis including, but not limited to: veteran status, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, and physical or mental disabilities. Further, any division of the Company that is an affirmative action employer will comply with all related legal obligations.