Transportation Planner

Description

Lactalis USA is currently seeking candidates to join our Logistics team in Buffalo, New York.

Lactalis, the world leader in dairy, is a family-owned business with more than 85,000 pragmatic and ambitious professionals worldwide, committed to nurturing the future by providing healthy and delicious dairy products that bring people together every day. We produce award-winning dairy products that bring people together every day. We offer an enviable range of dairy brands including Galbani, President, Kraft Natural Cheese, Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond, Parmalat, Siggi's, and Stonyfield Organic in addition to several brands imported from our affiliates in Europe.

At Lactalis, our core values of AMBITION, ENGAGEMENT, and SIMPLICITY are at the heart of everything we do. We are dedicated to building a safe, diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace and we know that our candidates come from many different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. If you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job posting, we still encourage you to apply and share with us your STORY, your PASSION, and your EXPERTISE! You may be just the perfect candidate for this or other roles within our company.

Lactalis is an equal employment opportunity employer. We will not discriminate against applicants with regard to any legally-recognized basis including, but not limited to: veteran status, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, and physical or mental disabilities.

From your PASSION to ours

The Transportation Planner is responsible for developing and executing optimal transportation plans which deliver the best possible service at the lowest possible cost. The Transportation Planner will work closely with the Transportation Flows Optimization, Customer Service, and Supply Planning teams to ensure that load plans comply with required dates. The Transportation Planner is also responsible for securing carrier capacity, and managing exemptions that may occur in the execution of a shipment.

Requirements

From your EXPERTISE to ours

Key responsibilities for this position include:

* Coordinates within the Logistics department and external groups departments (Customer Service, Supply Chain Planning, Warehousing, and Transportation) to balance capacity with cost and service

* Consolidates Customer, Interplant, and Finished Goods Purchase Orders into optimal load profiles and assigns carriers to loads

* Coordinates activities with Lactalis' carriers to ensure that on-time performance is achieved.

* Transportation Planner must have a good grasp of technology and utilization of software as responsibilities will include navigating through multiple systems

* Transportation Planner works closely with Logistics Management to identify transportation improvement opportunities

* Prepares reports and completes analysis as requested.

* Keeps key internal and external customers informed of plan status and any exceptions that cause a deviation from planned dates

* Become subject matter expert for all consignee within their assigned responsibilities. This includes location detail, receiving hours, general ordering patterns and other pertinent information necessary to provide an excellent level of customer service.

* Uses best judgement and has authority to negotiate financial commitments with carriers, lumpers, and regional warehouses.

* Maintain effective working relationship with carriers, ensuring proper communication and data maintenance of service, quality, and cost items between Lactalis and the carrier.

* Manage deliveries ensuring that the company obtains the most efficient routing and freight rates after comparing and evaluating possible options and making a decision after the various possibilities have been considered.

* Manages delivery exceptions related to service and over/short/damaged, while freight is in-transit or at the time of delivery. Coordinates solutions to in-transit service failures between carriers, customers, Quality, Customer Service, and Sales.

* The Transportation team is staffed 7 days a week and will be scheduled accordingly.

* Travel and/or extended or off work, on-call hours may be required.

* This description reflects management's assignment of essential functions, it does not proscribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.

* To fulfill these responsibilities, tools such as a computer, phone or, and / or allowance(s) may be provided.

* Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these Essential Duties and Responsibilities.

From your STORY to ours

Qualified applicants will contribute the following:

Education & Experience

* A minimum of a High School Diploma

* A post-secondary education is strongly preferred.

* At least 2 years experience within Logistics / Transportation (appointments, high volume customer interaction) or related distribution experience

* Transportation Dispatch (coordination with carriers). Manual experience is acceptable, use of systemic tools is preferred.

Specialized Knowledge

* Knowledge of the United States geography, awareness of transportation and/or warehouse operations is of benefit.

Skills / Abilities

* Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Word & Excel.

* Excellent verbal communication skills and experience with customer interactions via phone/email is required.