Logistics & Distribution Manager

Position summary The Logistics & Distribution Manager is responsible for leading and executing Ostara’s finished goods distribution network with primary accountability for railcar fleet management, rail and truck transportation execution, warehouse and 3PL capacity strategy, and delivered-cost performance. This role is both strategic and hands-on, owning the day-to-day performance of the rail, trucking, and warehouse network while building the processes, systems, and visibility needed to scale efficiently. The role ensures finished goods move from production facility to end customer safely, reliably, and cost effectively across domestic and international markets. This includes ownership of railcar utilization, trucking coordination, carrier and warehouse partner performance, demurrage and other transportation-related costs, and continuous improvement initiatives. The successful candidate is a self-starter with an owner’s mindset, comfortable operating in ambiguity, solving problems directly, and building a disciplined, scalable logistics function. Essential functions Rail Fleet & Transportation Management Own the performance of the railcar fleet, including availability, utilization, cycle time, dwell time, maintenance coordination, and lease effectiveness Manage and oversee day-to-day rail and trucking execution across shipments, returns, storage, and customer deliveries Coordinate directly with railroads, trucking carriers, railcar lessors, repair providers, terminals, and third-party logistics partners to resolve delays and improve performance Ensure reliable transportation capacity across rail and truck modes to meet production and customer requirements Minimize demurrage, switching, storage, and other transportation-related fees through proactive management and escalation Maintain full visibility of railcar and shipment status, billing, documentation, and movement across the network Ensure all regulatory requirements and certifications for domestic and international transportation are met Warehouse & 3PL Network Management Lead the strategy and execution for contracted warehouse and storage capacity across the distribution network (domestic and international) Identify, secure, and optimize third-party warehouse space to support seasonality, congestion management, and customer service Manage relationships with warehouse, terminal, and storage partners, including service levels, capacity commitments, and performance reviews Evaluate and adjust network footprint based on demand, cost, and service requirements Distribution Economics & Network Performance Own total logistics cost performance for the distribution network, including railcar lease expenses, freight (rail and truck), warehouse costs, demurrage, and transportation-related fees Analyze logistics data to improve delivered cost, service reliability, and asset utilization Develop and manage KPIs including railcar turns, utilization, dwell time, warehouse utilization, on-time delivery, and cost per shipment Partner with Finance, Sales, and Operations to support margin analysis, accruals, budgeting, and performance reporting Pursue recovery of costs from third parties where applicable Cross-Functional Execution Partner daily with plant operations, sales, and finance to align production schedules, inventory, shipment timing, and customer commitments Own on-time delivery performance and customer service reliability across the distribution network Lead issue resolution for transportation, storage, and delivery disruptions Support decisions on inventory positioning, customer sourcing, and network flow strategy Provide operational input on material handling, loading/unloading, and storage practices to improve logistics efficiency Own transportation and distribution planning required to execute the S&OP plan, including railcar allocation, trucking strategy, warehouse positioning, and capacity planning Translate S&OP supply plans into executable transportation and ne…

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