Manager, Outbound Logistics (Jersey City)

We produce the world’s BEST Strawberries & our Go-to-Market team is a major reason why!

We are seeking a highly organized, motivated, and ownership-minded individual to join its elite Go-to-Market team and to oversee critical operations. This role oversees Outbound logistics, inclusive of internal cross-docks, pick and pack, running internal direct-store-delivery, coordinating warehouse deliveries with owned trucks, and coordinating with 3PLs and freight forwarders to optimize our distribution. 

As the Manager, Outbound Logistics, you will oversee a team of drivers and our pick-and-pack operators and be responsible for building, managing, and executing standardized procedures that ensure the safe, timely, and efficient staging and distribution of Oishii’s highly perishable products. You will coordinate closely with cross-functional stakeholders in farm operations, sales, business operations, R&D, & human resources (among many others) ensuring that all pick & stage/logistics activities are successful. You must be capable of building and overseeing processes and operations. You must have an excellent understanding of KPI management and proven experience driving continuous improvement. Most importantly, you are highly collaborative and have an ownership mindset as you take responsibility for everything that happens or fails to happen within your area of responsibility. 

What you’ll be responsible for:

• Be a leader across the organization, own your departments, develop your team members, and set the example for what good leadership looks like. 
• Own the outbound logistics process, partnering with 3PLs and managing an internal distribution network of 2-4 drivers. 
• Utilize transportation software to effectively route deliveries in the most cost effective manner, prioritizing for customer’s preferred delivery date. 
• Partner with Manager, Sales & Operations Planning to effectively maximize distribution capacity, ensuring the most efficient path to market. 
• Utilize supply and demand forecasting to effectively procure raw materials and staff labor, ensuring Oishii is never bottlenecked by a lack of execution. 
• Oversee daily picking and staging of all Oishii products, while maintaining flawless quality control throughout the entire supply chain.
• Manages cut and freeze operations for products that do not flow through traditional retail channels. 
• Own the procurement and auditing of packaging materials, managing long and short lead time items, working across marketing teams and production teams and ensuring our products can continue to be sold across various sales channels. 
• Monitor customer feedback and action process adjustments/feedback sessions as necessary to ensure product quality is always up to Oishii standards.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Oishii’s “Local Central Control” structure to execute daily tasks, partnering with General Managers to promote successful growth/expansion of the business. 
• Set short-term and long-term goals for team members, oversee their professional development, and manage against KPIs. 
• Maintain the internal fleet of vehicles, partnering with local mechanics and ensuring 100% uptime of vehicles, with no critical failures.
• Responsible for all hiring and onboarding in respective departments. 

Who will love this job: Individuals who identify with our Core Values and exhibit skills within those values will thrive at Oishii. 

• One Team, One Fight!
  • Ability to quickly shift priorities to meet deadlines and effectively communicate, both verbally and in writing, clearly, concisely and with purpose. 
  • Ability to work cross functionally at all levels including across all locations, and collaborate at various levels of the organization with a focus on unifying all functions to deliver exceptional results. 
  • Ability to lead through others and develop teams with a diverse level of experience to succeed.  
• Focus.
  • Ability to remove obstacles in order to prioritize which could include problem solving, working through ambiguity and using fact based or sound judgment.
  • Ability to synthesize information quickly to aid in the troubleshooting process. 
• GSD (Get Sh** Done!)
  • Possessing an entrepreneurial mindset with the tenacity to develop ideas, test and implement them rapidly.
  • Capable of prioritizing tasks and  considering the resources available when doing so.
  • A bias for action! Ability to hold yourself accountable and take ownership of driving results that impact company outcomes.

What we’re looking for in a Manager, Outbound Logistics:

• Experienced logistics professional with experience in a fast paced start-up environment, preferably in the CPG, food, agriculture, wine/beer space (but open to other areas). 
• Must be able to demonstrate ownership-minded team player who won’t stop until the job is done and provide references who can speak to this. 
• Experience managing “always on” teams – logistics are always running so able to balance teams of people across multiple days/shifts, executing 7 days / week (should have evidence of past management of 2+ direct reports)  
• Experience managing hourly labor 
• Experienced in warehousing, inventory and basic pick & stage and distribution operations (small operations/small business experience is fine). 
• Negotiations experience in some past role – price conscious and knows how to work with vendors to get the best price 
• Experience with ERP systems or working with Quickbooks/Shopify 
• Experience managing external vendors, and comfort with different types of vendors – this role will own negotiating freight rates, overseeing drivers, working with mechanics and material suppliers.
• Experience managing and executing to a budget. 
• Experience with perishable product operations preferred but not required. 
• Meticulous, dependable, and self-motivated team player with a positive attitude.
• Highly organized with strong task management and prioritization skills.
• Capable of managing numerous projects across multiple departments simultaneously with poise.
• Very collaborative and able to work well with a diverse team, senior management, junior employees, external contractors, and various other stakeholders
• Strong communicator - both verbal and written - and proven ability to motivate and inspire.
• Strong analytical skills in Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel and proficient in Microsoft Office, Google Suite, Slack, and Asana

Additional Details:

• Must have a vehicle and valid driver’s license
• Location: Jersey City, NJ (with travel to our Phillipsburg, NJ facility)

Perks at Oishii:

• Base Salary 90K and Equity 
• Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance
• 100% Employer Paid Life Insurance + Long Term Disability Insurance
• EAP Access
• Pet Insurance
• 401(k) Retirement Plan (Roth & Traditional)
• Paid Parental leave
• Office social events including happy hours, parties, and community service projects
• Employee activity groups for basketball players, Yoga Enthusiasts, runners

About Us:

At Oishii, we grow the best berries in the world by deploying ground-breaking vertical farming technology that pushes the boundaries of agriculture. We’re the first in the WORLD to grow fruit in an indoor vertical farm at commercial scale. Our proprietary technology enables us to grow the very best produce year-round, at the same high level of quality, all without using any pesticides. 

Oishii has been profiled in Eater, NPR, Time Magazine, and Fortune. Oishi was also one of the Fast Companies Most Innovative Companies of 2022. https://www.fastcompany.com/90724410/most-innovative-companies-food-2022

At Oishii, everything we do works toward accomplishing our mission of transforming agriculture sustainably while bringing produce that truly delights people everywhere. This requires farmers, engineers, scientists, product managers, and members of many other backgrounds to work together day-in and day-out to innovate, while operating increasingly large farms. We have an amazing mission-driven team of highly motivated and engaged members. 

Learn More https://oishii.com/.