We are hiring for a full-time Transportation Specialist to join the Project Preserve Department at Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee.
Who we are: Since 1978, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, a member of the Feeding America™ food bank network, has been providing food to our neighbors at risk of hunger in Middle and West Tennessee. Our mission is “to provide food to people facing hunger and work to advance hunger solutions.” Last year, we provided more than 36 million meals through our network to 420 Partner Agencies across our 46-county service area. To learn more about our work, visit our website secondharvestmidtn.org and follow us on social media.
What you’ll do:
Summary: The Transportation Specialist provides first-in-class freight and logistical services to food bank customers for Project Preserve, a social enterprise program of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. This position ensures all transportation processes and procedures are followed and administered to ensure customer satisfaction and successful supply chain process flow. The Transportation Specialist supports and fosters our deep commitment to diversity and inclusion, which is the foundation for ensuring a culture of belonging for all personnel.
Key Responsibilities:
- Acts as primary in-house contact to maintain close communication and develop healthy relationships with freight carriers and brokers to provide prompt service and competitive rates for all outbound customer orders and inbound inventory replenishment.
- Create, process and release load sheets day of receipt to maintain our customer lead time requirements for mixed load and assembly orders.
- Work closely with Supply Chain Specialist and Production Manager for prompt end-to-end order fulfillment.
- Ownership and oversight of carrier scorecard. Track weekly to make score adjustments. Monthly report out to Director Supply Chain. Discuss scores quarterly with carriers to leverage outcomes.
- Responsible for arranging transportation of purchased goods (both inbound and outbound).
- Selects carriers and 3PLs for both inbound and outbound loads based on established criteria.
- Serves as the primary contact with all carriers and 3PLs to solve any potential issues with released loads.
- Tracks current rate structures and advise on needed adjustments when necessary.
- Maintains timely and accurate record of bids won via Freight Paid worksheet.
- Maintain timely and accurate records of invoices on Freight Paid worksheet.
- Maintains current and accurate freight information on ProjectPreserve.org.
- Confirms the legitimacy of fees incurred from carriers.
- Processes direct load freight rate requests promptly, typically within the same day as receipt.
- Establishes and maintains strong relationships with multiple carriers/brokers and provide long-term, competitive freight rates for all lanes served throughout all markets served. Communicates our needs respectfully with enthusiasm and professionalism.
- Resolves issues pertaining to all carrier shipments.
- Develops and maintains strong internal relationships and can communicate effectively with multiple departments.
- Apprises Director, Supply Chain of changes/fluctuations in market as well as opportunities and issues with existing vendor options.
- Acts to be an effective administrator-level user of ProjectPreserve.org, Admin and Subject Matter Expert for all things freight and database related to ProjectPreserve.org.
- Works closely with the finance team to process all freight bills promptly and provide prompt input and resolution to all invoice issues.
- Supplies prompt feedback to the Project Preserve team. The in-house expert for the current trends for transportation in the markets we serve.
- Cross-trains with Supply Chain Specialist, Production Manager and Director, Supply Chain as needed.
- Serves as a backup to the Supply Chain Specialist in the areas of:
- Receiving PO’s – production and direct (drop ship).
- Processing all PO receiving & invoicing paperwork.
- Invoicing direct ship and production orders.
- Order Entry
- Updates job knowledge regularly by taking part in educational opportunities.
- Other duties as assigned.
Supervisory Responsibilities: No, this position does not have supervisory responsibilities.
When & Where:
- Schedule:
- Monday – Friday, 7:30am – 4:00pm.
- Occasional duties may be necessary, as well as responding to issues, outside of normal working hours (e.g., disaster response, community events, etc.).
- Travel:
- Occasional daytime travel needed, up to 10% of work week within the local service area.
- Current driver’s license with copy of current auto insurance and acceptable Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) results needed.
- Flexibility: Our flexible work program is a strategic tool to achieve organizational goals, empower employees to do their best work and foster engagement by supporting high performance, business continuity as well as wellbeing and work-life-balance. WorkFlex arrangements are complex and specific to individuals and roles.
- Essential business/ first responder: In instances of a federal, state or locally declared emergency, Second Harvest is typically considered an essential business service and emergency responder. All employees may be required to perform regular or emergent duties on-site. Employee safety is balanced with business and community necessity. Some positions are more likely to be required on-site than others.
Is this you?
- Education: High School Diploma or equivalent; Bachelor’s degree preferred.
- Experience: 3+ years of related experience and/or training.
- Skills & Capabilities:
- Intermediate to advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, Outlook, Excel, and Word.
- Maintain 3PL vendor scorecard to achieve higher standards of customer service and 3PL accountability.
- Strong oral and written communication abilities, both internally and externally.
- Organize, coordinate, and direct projects.
- Adapt to a fast-paced, sales-focused work environment.
- Interact with all levels of the organization with confidence and professionalism.
- Ability to learn new databases and software.
- Create a transportation matrix to manage rates and lanes.
- Strong ability to tender LTL and FTL freight rates from multiple carriers with a history of success.
- 2+ years of experience with scheduling inbound and outbound freight loads.
- Competencies: Attention to detail, Safety and Risk Management, Quality Improvement, Technical Proficiency
- Other requirements: Our pre-hire process requires acceptable results from the following: professional reference feedback, criminal background, and Motor Vehicle Record. Current Driver’s License and automobile insurance are also required. Criminal backgrounds are evaluated on a case-by-case basis considering several factors (timing, frequency, severity and job relation).
What Second Harvest has to offer:
- Work with a purpose: As one of middle Tennessee’s largest nonprofits, our local hunger relief work is uniquely rewarding, hands on and solutions oriented. We are innovative, mission-focused, diverse, collaborative, values-driven and focused on results. A career with Second Harvest ensures that you not only earn a paycheck, but also help your local community through meaningful work. If you are passionate about serving your neighbors in need and are committed to our mission of ending hunger, we invite you to join our 120+ person team in the fight against hunger, as we work to achieve our vision of a hunger free community.
- Award winning workplace: we are a best-in-class workplace because we are passionate and people focused – we listen, respect, care and challenge each other, so that our neighbors can count on us. Our employees have identified us among The Tennessean’s Top Workplaces eight times based solely on employee surveys and feedback. We are invested in our team and offer frequent whole-person wellness opportunities through our Harvest Wellbeing Program. We focus on staff physical and mental health, financial empowerment, personal and professional development as well as social and community engagement. There is ample opportunity to be engaged, have work-life-balance and grow with Second Harvest.
- Compensation & Benefits: Second Harvest is proud to offer rich and affordable total compensation packages. Full-time employment includes 34+ days off, medical (employee-only is 100% employer paid), dental, vision, 403b retirement (up to 3% match, 5% base, length of service vesting), disability insurance (short and long term) and long-term care insurance.
- DEIB & Equal Employment Opportunity: we celebrate and value diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. We are intentionally working to diversify our team so that our employees reflect the diverse communities that we serve. Candidates from historically underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply! Our goal is to attract, develop, retain and promote a talented and diverse workforce in a culture where all employees will contribute to their fullest potential. We provide equal employment to all applicants and employees regardless of race, religion, color, gender, disability, national origin, ancestry, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information or other legally protected characteristics.