Vice President, Routing & Transportation Excellence

• Health/Rx
• Dental
• Vision
• Flexible and health spending accounts (FSA/HSA)
• Supplemental life insurance
• 401(k)
• Paid time off
• Paid sick time
• Short term & long term disability coverage (STD/LTD)
• Employee stock ownership (ESOP)
• Holiday pay for company designated holidays

At KeHE, we’re obsessed with creating solutions, unboxing potential, and serving others – and it all starts with you. As an employee-owned distributor of natural and organic, specialty, and fresh products, we’re committed to making a positive impact and scaling our success together. With a culture that fosters development and opportunity, you’ll be embarking on a career that’s moving forward. When you join KeHE, you’re becoming part of a team that is a force for good.

The Vice President of Routing & Transportation Excellence is responsible for developing and executing the long-term transportation delivery and routing strategy that enables KeHE’s growth objectives, customer service commitments, operational excellence, and cost leadership. This executive oversees enterprise transportation planning, network optimization, routing strategy, transportation costing and asset utilization across the organization. This role will also provide executive support for pricing at Trademark Logistics.   

The role serves as a key strategic partner to Executive Leadership, Sales, Supply Chain, Operations, and Finance to develop scalable transportation solutions that improve service, enhance network efficiencies, drive profitable growth, and create competitive advantage. The Vice President will lead transformative initiatives focused on transportation network design across outbound and inbound transportation, technology enablement, operational excellence, and transportation economics across both KeHE and Trademark Logistics.  

DUTIES, TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Transportation Strategy & Leadership 

• Develop and execute a multi-year transportation network strategy aligned with KeHE's growth, customer service, and profitability objectives.
• Establish the vision and roadmap for transportation planning, routing optimization, fleet utilization, and transportation technology transformation.
• Partner with Executive Leadership to identify and prioritize strategic transportation initiatives that support enterprise growth and scalability.
• Evaluate emerging market trends, transportation innovations, regulatory changes, and industry best practices to ensure KeHE maintains a competitive advantage.
• Lead transportation-related strategic planning efforts, including network expansion, customer growth opportunities, acquisitions, and supply chain transformation initiatives.

Network Optimization 

• Provide executive oversight for transportation planning and routing operations across the enterprise.
• Drive continuous optimization of inbound and outbound transportation networks to improve service, efficiency, and network performance.
• Partner with Distribution Center, Supply Chain, and Transportation leaders to optimize transportation flows, lane strategy, and service models.
• Establish performance metrics and governance processes to ensure exceptional execution and accountability across the transportation organization.
• Lead enterprise initiatives focused on reducing transportation costs while improving on-time delivery performance and customer satisfaction.

Transportation Costing & Customer Proposals 

• Own transportation costing methodologies supporting customer proposals, bid opportunities, strategic growth initiatives, and Trademark Logistics pricing.
• Partner with Sales, Finance, and Commercial leadership to ensure transportation pricing strategies support profitable growth.
• Provide executive oversight of transportation spend, cost-to-serve analysis, and transportation investment decisions.
• Develop business cases and ROI analyses for network, fleet, technology, and process improvement investments.
• Identify opportunities to improve transportation economics through network design, optimization, carrier strategies, and asset utilization.

Asset Utilization & Productivity

• Establish enterprise strategies to maximize utilization of transportation assets, including tractors, trailers, drivers, and third-party transportation resources.
• Drive initiatives that improve fleet productivity, reduce empty miles, increase backhaul opportunities, and optimize equipment deployment.
• Partner with Fleet and Operations leaders to ensure transportation assets are effectively aligned to business demand and network requirements.
• Monitor enterprise utilization metrics and identify opportunities to improve productivity, efficiency, and return on assets.

Continuous Improvement 

• Define and execute the transportation technology roadmap, leveraging Transportation Management Systems, advanced analytics, automation, artificial intelligence, and optimization platforms.
• Sponsor enterprise initiatives that improve visibility, decision-making, and operational performance through data-driven solutions.
• Champion continuous improvement methodologies and foster a culture of operational excellence across the organization.
• Lead large-scale transformation initiatives that improve transportation capabilities, organizational effectiveness, and customer outcomes.

Executive Leadership & Talent Development

• Develop leadership capabilities, succession plans, and talent pipelines across assigned transportation functions.
• Foster collaboration across Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, Technology, and Customer Experience teams.
• Serve as the executive transportation advisor to senior leadership, providing strategic recommendations on transportation investments, network design, risk mitigation, and growth opportunities.
• Promote a culture centered on safety, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Other duties and projects as assigned.

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:

• Ability to set long-term organizational direction and lead teams through transitions, restructuring, or growth; skill in balancing vision-setting with sound change management practices.
• Knowledge of routing, scheduling, and network design principles; skill in optimizing transportation systems for efficiency, cost control, and service reliability.
• Knowledge of financial principles and analytical methods; ability to interpret data and forecasts to inform planning, budgeting, and operational decisions.
• Knowledge of process improvement methodologies; ability to maintain efficient, safe, and compliant operations aligned with quality and productivity standards.
• Ability to identify and respond to internal and external customer needs; skill in maintaining service quality and responsiveness.
• Skill in building relationships and coordinating across departments and stakeholders to align goals and execute initiatives.
• Ability to mentor and coach staff; skill in succession planning and building organizational talent pipelines.
• Demonstrated success leading enterprise transportation strategy, network optimization, fleet operations, and transportation planning functions.
• Significant experience managing large-scale transportation budgets and transportation cost structures.
• Proven ability to develop and execute transformational initiatives that improve operational and financial performance.
• Strong financial acumen with experience in transportation economics, pricing strategy, cost modeling, and investment analysis.
• Experience leading geographically dispersed teams and complex cross-functional organizations.
• Exceptional executive communication, stakeholder management, and change leadership skills.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: 

Required

• Bachelor's Degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Business Administration, Engineering, or related field.
• 15+ years of progressive transportation, logistics, supply chain, or network optimization leadership experience, including executive-level responsibilities.

Preferred

• Master's Degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Engineering, or related discipline.
• Experience in food distribution, grocery, wholesale, transportation, or retail supply chain environments.
• Experience leading transportation network design and optimization initiatives.
• Lean Six Sigma certification or equivalent operational excellence expertise.
• Experience implementing advanced transportation technologies, analytics, and automation solutions.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• These physical demands are representative of the physical requirements necessary for an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job.