Category Manager - Logistics

Position Overview

Title:

Category Manager
- Logistics

PADNOS is seeking a Category Manager
- Logistics to own the strategy, sourcing, commercial agreements, cost performance, and provider portfolio for PADNOS's enterprise-wide third-party transportation network across Michigan and northern Indiana. The network includes van trailers, dump trailers, highsides, flatbeds, and other specialized equipment.

This is a strategic category management role. The Category Manager works closely with operations and dispatch but is primarily accountable for provider strategy, sourcing, cost, performance, contracts, and resolution of systemic issues.

• Develop and maintain a written logistics category strategy and execution roadmap covering provider strategy, sourcing priorities, cost reduction, risk, and performance improvement.
• Develop and execute competitive sourcing events, including network-wide bids, targeted lane bids, market tests, and negotiations, based on category strategy, provider performance, contract timing, and market conditions.
• Monitor transportation rates, carrier capacity, fuel trends, equipment availability, and relevant market developments, and use those insights to guide sourcing strategies and negotiations.
• Partner with operations, risk management, dispatch, finance, safety, and site leadership to translate operational requirements into sourcing strategies and drive adoption of awarded providers, routing guides, contracts, and corrective actions.

• Build and maintain a pipeline of logistics cost-reduction opportunities, establish financial baselines, forecast expected impact, track implementation, and document savings and cost avoidances.
• Maintain complete documentation of provider agreements, rate schedules, fuel-surcharge formulas, accessorial terms, and renewal dates.
• Ensure awarded rates and routing instructions are implemented accurately and on time, and regularly check for missing lanes, expired rates, and other coverage gaps.
• Lead cost improvement through provider selection, rate negotiation, asset utilization, rate and accessorial compliance, routing, load-weight, and mode optimization.

• Establish and report a concise logistics scorecard covering service, cost, contract and routing compliance, provider risk, and freight-audit performance. Measures include tender acceptance, on-time delivery, claims, cost per gross ton, savings, accessorials, invoice first-pass performance, exception aging, rejected and unrouted invoice visibility, and rate-table coverage.
• Own and lead the monthly freight review with senior leadership, including the preparation and advance distribution of accurate, concise, decision-ready metrics and updates.
• Own the validation and integrity of logistics reporting. Investigate and reconcile material anomalies before distribution, clearly identify known data limitations, and drive permanent correction at the source.
• Analyze recurring freight-audit and invoice exceptions, quantify their impact, identify root causes, and drive corrective actions to closure.

• Develop and manage a balanced transportation-provider portfolio across company-operated capacity, dedicated solutions, asset-based carriers, brokers, and spot capacity, considering cost, service, equipment availability, provider concentration, and business-continuity risk.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for provider service issues and billing disputes. Use scorecards and improvement plans to address poor performance and remove providers when necessary.
• Onboard and develop new providers, partnering with risk management, safety and operations to ensure they meet PADNOS safety, insurance,…