Job Title: Global Inbound Logistics Manager
Job Type: Exempt/ Full -Time
Location: Columbia, Maryland, USA/ Austin, Texas, USA/ Remote
Positions: 1
Reporting to: Global Procurement & Supply Chain Director – Liquid Cooling
About Us:
Tate Americas is a key business within Kingspan Data Solutions and is at the forefront of delivering integrated solutions to the rapidly expanding data centre market. We combine engineering expertise, advanced manufacturing and operational excellence to deliver complex, mission-critical projects for some of the world’s largest technology companies.
With significant investment and ambitious growth plans, Tate is evolving beyond traditional manufacturing to become a fully integrated solutions provider, offering customers a seamless delivery model from design and manufacturing through installation, commissioning and final handover.
About the Role:
The Global Inbound Logistics Manager owns how material moves into Tate’s liquid cooling manufacturing network. This is the first dedicated logistics role on the liquid cooling supply chain team, reporting to the Global Director of Procurement – Liquid Cooling.
Tate is scaling liquid cooling manufacturing at our main Glasgow, Kentucky factory in the U.S.. The Global Inbound Logistics Manager will convert the inbound network to Tate-controlled terms, stand up the freight forwarder and carrier structure to operate it, and make landed cost a number the business manages.
This role will work in close partnership with the Trade Compliance Manager. The Global Inbound Logistics Manager owns physical movement, freight cost, and carrier and forwarder commercial terms. Trade Compliance owns classification, valuation, COO, and duty. Incoterms selection, customer broker selection, and IOR structure will be a collaborative decision between the two roles.
This is a role for someone who has built a logistics capability, and who is comfortable operating where the process doesn’t fully exist. The position for this role is either remote or hybrid within the Columbia, MD area.
This is a role for someone who has done this after at a high level and who has managed complex global programs, built the logistics infrastructure from the ground up, and delivered supply chain outcomes that had measurable impact on the business.
You will help shape the supply chain strategy reporting to the Global Director of Procurement and Supply Chain of Liquid Cooling. The right person for this role sees around corners and acts accordingly with a sense of urgency.
What You’ll Do:
- Lead the conversion of supplier-controlled inbound freight to EXW and FCA (or DAP at times) terms across the domestic and international supply base, working with Strategic Sourcing and Commodity Management to carve freight out of piece price.
- Build and maintain Tate’s global supplier routing guide covering approved carriers and forwarders by lane, booking lead times, documentation requirements, packaging and labeling standards, and escalation paths.
- Establish and enforce a routing compliance program including measurement of supplier adherence and a chargeback mechanism for non-compliant shipments.
- Own the operating relationship with Tate’s primary global freight forwarder and the domestic LTL, truckload, and drayage carrier base including scope of work, rate structures, standard operating procedures, and service level agreements.
- Run competitive rate events and lane benchmarking on a defined cycle and hold quarterly business reviews against agreed performance metrics rather than anecdotal service feedback.
- Design and operate the international inbound lanes that feed liquid cooling production globally for stainless steel and mechanical component content.
- Establish the ocean, air, and expedited air decision framework with a documented approval threshold so that premium freight carries a names owner and a quantified cost.
- Design inbound material flow into all of U.S. plants including direct-to-plant versus consolidation, cross-dock, milk runs, and inter-plant transfers.
- Partner with plant operations on dock scheduling, receiving windows, dock-to-stock cycle time, and trailer yard management.
- Manage logistics for special handling requirements including oversized weldments and rack sets, supplier-held bill-and-hold inventory, returnable packaging, and dunnage programs, including load-out and cooperation terms negotiated into supplier agreements in advance of a billing event.
- Build and own the inbound freight budget and the landed cost model covering freight, duty, insurance, handling, and packaging by part and by lane, in partnership with Trade Compliance and Finance.
- Define and report the logistics scoreboard including on-time-to-dock, transit variance, cost per pound and per unit shipped, expedite spend and expedite root cause, damage and claims, and dock-to-stock time.
- Run freight audit and pay, resolve carrier invoice disputes, and close the gap between quoted, accured, and actual freight cost.
- Improve inbound data integrity within Tate’s ERP environment including advance ship notices, shipment milestones, receiving transactions, and freight cost capture, identifying and closing configuration gaps.
- Evaluate and, where justified by the business case, implement a transportation management system or supply chain visibility platform including selection and rollout.
- Document the standard work including routing guides, standard operating procedures, exception handling, and the escalation matrix that allows the network to run consistently.
Additional Expectation
- Remain compliant with the Code of Conduct and Policies which includes the Kingspan Group Compliance Policy.
- Ensure that all duties related to product compliance are adhered to in accordance with the Product Compliance Policy, Laws, Regulations, and market demands.
- Responsible for all tasks to achieve compliance goals and demands of the Compliance Management System.
- Must raise concerns related to the Compliance Management System to their supervisor, manager, or any member of the Leadership Team, or through the confidential whistle blower service.
What You’ll Bring:
- A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Engineering, International Business, General Business Management or a related field. Additional certification such as APICS CLTD, CSCP, Lean, or Six Sigma are a plus.
- 7-12+ years of experience in international and domestic logistics, including at least three years managing global inbound freight for a manufacturing operation, preferably within data center infrastructure, HVAC, fluid systems, precision manufacturing, or a related technical industry.
- Demonstrated experience converting supplier-managed freight to buyer-controlled terms with quantified cost and service results. This is central to the role and candidates should be prepared to walk through specific program in detail.
- Working fluency in Incoterms 2020 and their practical implications for cost, risk transfer, and customs exposure.
- Deep experience managing freight forwarders, customer brokers, Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier, and domestic carriers at a senior level, including rate negotiation, service level definition, and resolving service escalation in a timely manner.
- Experience supporting multi-site manufacturing operations where inbound material is production critical.
- In-depth understanding of Asia to U.S. trade lanes.
- Experience moving stainless steel, tubing, weldments, or other dense or oversized industrial freight is a plus.
- Excellent cross-functional communication and influence skills that are able to engage credibly with plant operations, engineering, finance, and executive leadership with direct authority.
- Strong commercial acumen that is proficient in freight rate structures, landed cost modeling, accessorial and surcharge management, and carrier contract structuring.
- Proficiency in ERP systems, as well as knowledge of transportation management and supply chain visibility platforms.
- Strong analytical skills: comfortable building a cost model from raw data and working with lane-level freight spend and carrier performance data.
- Comfort operating within a function that is still being built, where process and infrastructure are being established.
- Familiarity with liquid cooling infrastructure, data center supply chains, or thermal management components is an advantage.
- Ability to travel globally as required.
What You'll Get
- Pay range: $125,000 USD to$130,000 USD. This role is eligible for a discretionary bonus.
- Career Scope and Advancement: As we grow, new positions and career opportunities arise, offering accelerated paths for the right candidates, locally and globally.
- World of Wellness Philosophy: We empower you to take charge of your health and well-being. You’ll have access to a wide range of medical, dental, and vision benefits, along with personalized guidance from a “Health Advocate.” We also offer other supplemental options, including 401k, legal, disability, and theft insurance, to ensure your financial wellness.
- Corporate Social Responsibility: Through Planet Passionate we are determined to reduce our manufacturing carbon (CO2e) emissions to as close to zero as technically possible, together with halving carbon intensity in our primary supply chain. We are very involved in our community, and you will have ample opportunities to support us, in creating a better world.
- Skills Development: Given the dynamic pace of our business and a strong collaborative environment, your new role will be diverse and multifaceted – allowing you to be more versatile and develop a broader skill set.
- Mentorship and development: At Tate, we don’t believe in hierarchy, we work together as one team for one common goal. You will have access and exposure to our senior leaders and experts for learning in your role, and additionally mentorship for the future.
- Culture: We have a great team culture, highly collaborative, supportive and social. Together we innovate, collaborate, take ownership and strive for excellence.
Tate Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to legally protected characteristics. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of post-offer requirements, including a background check and drug screening, in accordance with company policy and applicable laws.
Stay connected with us on LinkedIn for insights into life at Tate. Join us in our mission to make a difference through exceptional solutions.
