Job Title: Manager, Logistics
Company: Southwire
Location: U.S. (exact location not specified)
Type: Full-time
Salary: Not listed
Requirements:
Experience managing logistics operations in manufacturing or distribution
Strong leadership and organizational skills
Familiarity with transportation, warehousing, and supply chain processes
Ability to coordinate cross-functional teams and meet deadlines
Proficiency with logistics software and systems (e.g., SAP, WMS)
Responsibilities:
Oversee day-to-day logistics operations, including shipping, receiving, and inventory management
Ensure timely and cost-effective transportation of goods
Develop and implement strategies to improve logistics efficiency and accuracy
Lead, train, and evaluate logistics staff
Collaborate with supply chain, production, and customer service teams
Click here for more job details and a link to apply.
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Would You Take It?
This role offers the chance to lead logistics operations at a major industrial company. It’s high-responsibility work with a broad scope—but it also likely involves tight timelines, constant coordination, and performance pressure.
If you interview, ask what TMS/WMS they’re on and whether most outbound is flatbed for reels or parcel/pallets - when I standardized flatbed carrier scorecards on OTIF and claims per 1,000 loads at a wire manufacturer, detention dropped 22% in a quarter. Also clarify if you own returnable reel recovery; that can quietly eat margin without a clear process and KPI.
I’d press on who owns S&OP and if Logistics can move production dates — “coordinate cross-function” is vague and you’ll eat OTIF misses without real levers. In a similar manufacturing role, we cut reel damage claims about 35% by standardizing dunnage and strap counts per flatbed, cost us pennies per load.
If it’s a lot of flatbed for reels, ask who owns load securement and appointment windows, not just transportation — that’s where dwell and missed pickups pile up. When I took over a mixed manufacturing network, moving those to yard ops cut dwell from about 90 to about 50 min and bumped OTIF by about 10 pts in one quarter.
At my last plant, locking down shift coverage and labor rules upfront made all the difference — three shifts with weekend mandates but no OT budget tanked dock throughput and truck turn times. Make sure you’d own labor planning and have the authority to flex staffing during peaks; it’ll save you hours and a few gray hairs .
One thing I’d clarify is whether Logistics owns the freight budget and carrier contracts — without that, you can’t fix OTIF no matter how well you “coordinate cross-functional.” Building on @rbaker, ask who controls the TMS/WMS roadmap and data standards; , inheriting a TMS with no live tender visibility will sink dwell and detention fast. If they won’t give budget control, at least lock in authority over the routing guide and weekly carrier scorecards.
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