COMPANY DESCRIPTION
At AirLife, we are dedicated to improving the quality of every breath. Excellence with Every Breath is not just a tag line, but the way we work and take care of our customers. With a mindset to evolve, innovate, and grow, we are a premier manufacturer of the highest-quality and market-leading breathing consumables. This growth philosophy has positioned us to increase our global footprint and business reach, impacting even more people around the world. Our expanding family of the most trusted brands offers a product portfolio that spans the continuum of care from first responder to home care, with safety, patient comfort, and clinical performance in mind. Collective expertise allows us to provide quality products and experiences to our patients, customers, and our people. Our values of Customer first, Differentiate with our People, Bias for Action, Continuous Improvement and Accountability define who we are and how we work. Join us!
POSITION SUMMARY
The Director of Global Transportation is responsible for leading AirLife’s end-to-end global transportation network, including domestic and international freight operations. This role is responsible for developing global transportation strategy, driving operational excellence, ensuring medical device compliance alignment, and managing high‑performance carrier relationships across ocean, domestic, parcel, and international freight channels.
This leader must excel at carrier accountability, scorecard governance, global freight management, and RFP execution at all levels, while remaining grounded in day‑to‑day operational execution. The ideal candidate brings a strong understanding of medical device requirements and stays current with transportation industry trends and evolving global logistics knowledge.
POSITION QUALIFICATIONS
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:
- Deep expertise in global transportation operations, including ocean, domestic truckload/LTL, parcel, drayage, and multimodal logistics.
- Strong understanding of global freight management, carrier strategy, and RFP execution.
- Knowledge of Incoterms, customs processes, and international trade compliance requirements.
- Ability to develop and manage KPIs, scorecards, and freight performance analytics and dashboards.
- Experience with Transportation Management Systems (TMS) and related technologies.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and cost optimization capabilities.
- Excellent leadership, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
- Ability to operate strategically while maintaining hands-on operational involvement.
- Ability to stay current with global transportation trends, including carrier market cycles, capacity impacts, and emerging technologies.
- Results‑driven mindset with a continuous improvement orientation
Level of Experience:
- 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in transportation, logistics, or global supply chain.
- Proven success managing global freight operations and carrier networks.
- Experience in regulated industries (medical device, pharma, or healthcare manufacturing preferred).
Level of Education:
- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Business, or related field required.
- Advanced degree preferred.
Travel:
- Moderate travel (up to ~30%), including occasional international travel.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Line Manager Duties:
- Provide clear direction, coaching, and performance management to support team development and achievement of AirLife goals.
- Align team’s objectives with AirLife priorities, ensuring compliance, promoting a culture of accountability, and upholding AirLife values.
- Take accountability and ownership for actively participating in recruitment processes and supporting fair treatment in disciplinary processes for your team.
- Drive continuous improvement by fostering innovation, operational excellence, and adoption of best practices within the team.
- Champion employee engagement, inclusion, and career development through regular check-ins, talent reviews, and succession planning.
- Manage your team’s budget responsibly and exhibit financial accountability.
Individual Contributor Duties:
Global Transportation Leadership
- Lead all domestic and international transportation operations across ocean, parcel, truckload/LTL, drayage, and multimodal flows.
- Develop and execute global transportation strategy aligned with business growth and service objectives.
- Build scalable processes and governance to improve visibility, predictability, and execution.
- Stay current with transportation trends, emerging best practices, regulatory changes, and global market dynamics to guide strategic decision-making.
Operational Excellence
- Oversee booking, routing, tracking, and escalation management for global shipments
- Improve transit time consistency, touting efficiency, and freight performance to distribution centers, manufacturing sites, and global partners.
- Drive structured exception management and proactive communication across the shipment lifecycle.
- Strengthen process discipline and standardization in daily global operations.
Carrier Performance & Accountability
- Own a robust carrier scorecard program, setting KPIs and enforcing service-level expectations across ocean carriers, NVOCCs, forwarders, parcel providers, and domestic carriers.
- Lead Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs), performance deep dives, and corrective action programs.
- Optimize the global carrier portfolio, ensuring alignment with service requirements, cost objectives, and compliance expectations.
Global Freight Management & RFP Strategy
- Lead RFPs at all levels, including domestic transportation, ocean freight, NVOCCs, forwarders, and global 3PL partnerships.
- Benchmark rates, analyze market trends, and recommend award strategies supported by data and operational performance.
- Maintain strong relationships with logistics providers and ensure adherence to contractual commitments.
Cost Optimization & Financial Leadership
- Analyze transportation performance, lane economics, cost drivers, and network efficiency opportunities.
- Support budgeting, forecasting, and continuous improvement initiatives to reduce cost‑to‑serve without compromising service.
- Identify opportunities for consolidation, modal optimization, and long‑term cost reduction.
Compliance & Risk Management
- Ensure transportation practices align with medical device compliance expectations, documentation requirements, and global trade regulations.
- Maintain audit‑ready shipment documentation and ensure product traceability through transportation workflows.
- Develop global risk mitigation plans for port delays, geopolitical events, carrier disruptions, and capacity fluctuations.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with Supply Planning, Distribution, Manufacturing, Quality, Procurement, Customer Service, and Regulatory to support business priorities.
- Participate in S&OP processes and align transportation capabilities with global demand and supply strategies.
- Support new product introduction, market expansion, and customer-focused logistics programs.
OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES
- Uphold and embody AirLife’s values in all aspects of work.
- Demonstrate accuracy and thoroughness in daily work; look for ways to improve and promote quality & safety.
- Inspire the trust of others; treat people with respect and dignity and embrace the value of diversity.
- Use time efficiently; perform job accurately, thoroughly, and conserve Company resources to improve profits.
- Contribute to building and maintaining a positive team environment.
- Assure all policies and guidelines are implemented and followed.
QUALITY POLICY
At AirLife, Quality is our promise. It is our commitment to customer satisfaction and our dedication to product excellence in an evolving global healthcare market. This promise is kept through a continuously improving and effective Quality Management System and compliance to Regulatory Requirements.
DEIA STATEMENT
At AirLife, we are committed to building a diverse workforce and an inclusive workplace that reflects the communities and customers we serve. We believe our philosophy on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Advancement (DEIA) encourages excellence and equips us to serve an evolving global marketplace.
Please note: The responsibilities outlined above are not exhaustive and may evolve over time. The role holder may be required to undertake additional duties as reasonably expected to meet the needs of the company.
