Director of Transportation & Logistics (US/MX)

CHURCH BROTHERS FARMSDirector of Transportation & Logistics (US/MX)· Salinas, California · Full-time · Reports to the Chief Operating OfficerLocation: Salinas, CA — with regular travel to Gonzales and Yuma, and to San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora, MX every 4–6 weeksReports to: Chief Operating OfficerDirect reports: Sr. Logistics Manager (US/MX); Appointment Loading Lead; CBL Del Norte Logistics Manager; CBL Del Norte Customs Control Coordinator; After-Hours Logistics Operations Coordinator (indirect)Base salary: $165,000 + depending on experienceABOUT CHURCH BROTHERS FARMSChurch Brothers Farms is a family-owned grower, processor, and shipper of fresh vegetables based in Salinas, California. Our family of companies includes True Leaf Farms, CBRT / Mann Packing, and CBL Del Norte in San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora, Mexico. We supply retail and foodservice customers across North America, and we move product year-round from California, Arizona, and Mexico.THE OPPORTUNITYThis is a newly created position, built to bring all transportation, delivered program, cross-border logistics, and appointment loading under one experienced leader reporting directly to the COO.You will own freight end to end — strategy, cost, carrier network, cold chain, service performance, and the team. That includes the freight P&L and the authority that goes with it: setting carrier standards, replacing carriers who do not meet them, publishing the claims and evidence standards the department operates under, and executing bill-back and recovery without asking permission case by case.The business has grown quickly, and the freight operation now carries real cost exposure in temperature claims, freight losses, and retail fines. We are hiring a leader who can reverse that trend structurally — through carrier quality, cold-chain discipline, and disciplined lane-level margin management — while protecting the service levels our sales organization and retail partners depend on.If you want a role where the mandate is clear, the problems are real, and the authority to fix them comes with the job, this is that role.WHAT YOU WILL OWNFreight cost, margin, and the P&LThe freight P&L, including a working model of revenue, cost, and margin by lane, customer group, and entity.Lane-level margin through fuel and market volatility — indexed rate structures, contract terms, and disciplined RFP execution, with rate action taken before erosion shows up at quarter close.Review, corrective action, and closure of every material freight loss, and the trend line over time.Elimination of avoidable OTIF fines on retail lanes through appointment discipline, realistic transit planning, and carrier accountability.Growth of the delivered program, working with Sales to convert FOB customers where the economics support it.Claims, cold chain, and evidence standardsThe written claims determination standard for temperature, condition, and freight loss claims — published, trained to, and applied consistently to like loads.Root-cause reduction of temperature claims across the cold chain: pre-cool discipline, carton temperature, load configuration, reefer set-point verification, and in-transit monitoring.Origin evidence requirements on every load — pulp-temperature documentation at loading on every shift including nights, QA and pre-cool records, and load photographs.Authorized-dealer reefer downloads on every temperature claim, with download integrity validated before it forms the basis of a determination.The temperature instruction standard by pack type and commodity, with documented change control and communication to Shipping, Sales, and carriers.A formal recovery function so carrier-responsibility claims are pursued to conclusion rather than absorbed, with no claim aging past 30 days without a documented status and named owner.Carrier claim disputes end to end, including adversarial ones.Carrier network and procurementUpgrading the contracted carrier base and replacing carriers that do not meet the published minimum standard.A quarterly carrier scorecard covering on-time performance, temperature compliance, equipment condition, claims history, and responsiveness.Minimum equipment and food-safety standards, and the reduction of trailer rejections for tears, holes, dirt, or odor.A documented carrier bill-back policy for OTIF fines and service failures, with the authority to execute it.The semi-annual RFP process and all rate negotiations, including expanding asset-carrier relationships to reduce spot-market exposure.Appointment loading and customer serviceAppointment loading performance across all facilities — Hansen Street, San Juan Bautista, Gonzales/CBRT, the Markon cross-dock, and Yuma seasonal operations.Published service standards for response time, appointment accuracy, and overbooking prevention, reported weekly.Coordination with Shipping so appointment volume matches dock capacity and truck turn times are protected.After-hours and weekend coverage for overnight and long-haul operations.Cross-border and Mexico operationsCBL Del Norte transportation and the movement of finished product from San Luis Río Colorado to U.S. customers.Border-crossing timing aligned with Sales priorities.The cold-chain corrective actions in place at the Mexico plant — carton pre-assembly and pressure tunnel staging — and the same pre-load temperature verification discipline at every origin facility.C-TPAT certification and qualified-vendor status for all cross-border partner carriers.Cost/benefit and feasibility of hauling from SLRC to the U.S. using Church Brothers trucking resources.Team, systems, and visibilityLeading, coaching, and holding accountable the Sr. Logistics Manager, Appointment Loading leadership, and the CBL Del Norte logistics team — with bench strength and documented succession for every critical role.A weekly transportation KPI package covering all groups: U.S., Mexico, appointment loading, and delivered program.Real-time shipment visibility and exception alerting so service risks surface before they become claims or fines.The department’s AI and automation agenda: ETA accuracy from actual DC receiving data, inbound truck tracking to relieve peak-time cooler congestion, GPS-driven retail in-transit reporting, and visibility on Mexico trucks in transit.Standardized, current SOPs across CB Logistics and Appointment Loading.WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKEIn the first year, we expect the following to be in place and running.A published claims determination and evidence standard the department owns and operates to.A carrier scorecard with published minimum standards, and a bill-back policy in force.A weekly transportation KPI package covering all groups, including Mexico and Appointment Loading.A root-cause plan for OTIF fines and freight loss, with named owners and dated milestones.Temperature claims, freight losses, and retail fines trending down against prior year, segmented by company versus carrier responsibility.A carrier network measurably better than the one you inherit, with underperformers replaced.Transportation issues resolved in the department rather than escalating to the executive team.WHAT YOU BRING10+ years of progressive transportation and logistics leadership, including direct accountability for a freight P&L.Experience leading transportation for a perishable, temperature-controlled product line — fresh produce strongly preferred.A track record of reducing freight claims, retail fines, and freight loss through structural change rather than one-off fixes.Deep carrier network relationships and a strong record in rate negotiation, RFP execution, and carrier performance management.Hands-on experience adjudicating temperature and condition claims under Blue Book guidelines, including interpretation of reefer downloads and portable recorder data.Demonstrated experience building and running a carrier bill-back and claims recovery program to conclusion.Experience managing a major retail OTIF program — Walmart preferred — including fine dispute and root-cause reduction.Experience with U.S./Mexico cross-border logistics, customs compliance, and C-TPAT requirements.Experience building and leading a management layer — hiring, developing, and holding managers accountable.Strong systems and analytics capability: TMS platforms, Tableau or equivalent BI tools, and Excel-based modeling.Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, business, logistics, or a related field; equivalent experience considered.Bilingual English/Spanish strongly preferred.HOW YOU WORKYou operate independently at a senior level and resolve complex, high-stakes issues without executive involvement.You communicate clearly and credibly with front-line coordinators, retail buyers, carrier executives, and the C-suite alike.You use data to drive decisions, and you build the reporting that does not yet exist.You stay calm and decisive under pressure during peak season and service failures, and you practice blameless problem solving.You are willing to work irregular hours including weekends and holidays during peak periods, and to travel as the business requires.Church Brothers Farms is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.