Job Title
Operational Excellence Expert
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Position Summary
The Sort Center Operational Excellence Expert is responsible for real-time operational flow management, execution control, and performance oversight across the sortation network within a Contract Logistics facility operating under a 4PL model.
In this role, physical sortation, loading, unloading, and material handling activities are primarily performed by a 4PL partner. The Supervisor represents company on the floor and within the control function, ensuring optimal flow of freight through the sort center by monitoring throughput, balancing volume, coordinating resources, and proactively resolving bottlenecks.
The role is highly focused on flow orchestration, system visibility, and execution alignment, rather than direct labor management.
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Key Responsibilities
Sort Center Flow Control & Execution
- Monitor and manage real-time flow of freight across inbound, sortation, and outbound areas.
- Ensure volume is balanced across lanes, zones, and sort destinations to prevent congestion or starvation.
- Execute flow control strategies aligned with sort plan, departure schedules, and network commitments.
- Adjust priorities dynamically based on volume fluctuations, service levels, and operational constraints.
- Support smooth start-up, peak execution, and shift handover with clear status updates.
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Real-Time Operational Monitoring
- Track system and floor performance including throughput, dwell time, backlog, trailer status, and departure adherence.
- Monitor sortation systems, conveyors, scan compliance, and exception flow.
- Identify bottlenecks, misroutes, and capacity constraints and initiate corrective actions.
- Ensure alignment between system-driven plans (WMS/TMS) and physical execution on the floor.
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4PL Oversight & Coordination
- Act as the primary contact for 4PL Sort Leads, Area Leads, and Control Room personnel.
- Validate staffing levels, lane coverage, and resource allocation against planned volume.
- Direct flow adjustments through 4PL leadership to maintain operational efficiency.
- Address execution gaps and enforce adherence to sort plans, SOPs, and KPIs.
- Escalate critical flow disruptions, service risks, or repeated performance issues.
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Departure & Service Level Management
- Ensure outbound loads depart on time and meet network cut-off requirements.
- Monitor trailer build progress and staging readiness.
- Coordinate recovery plans for late volume, missed connections, or capacity issues.
- Prioritize critical shipments and customer commitments to protect service levels.
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Safety, Quality & Compliance (QSHE)
- Ensure all sort center activities comply with QSHE standards and site safety rules.
- Monitor safe behavior around sort equipment, dock operations, and material handling areas.
- Intervene immediately when unsafe conditions or practices are observed.
- Support incident reporting, investigations, and corrective actions.
- Assist with audits, customer visits, and compliance reviews.
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Issue Management & Problem Solving
- Identify flow disruptions, system issues, and operational inefficiencies in real time.
- Perform first-level troubleshooting and coordinate with IT, engineering, maintenance, and planning teams.
- Drive rapid response to minimize service impact and restore flow.
- Support root-cause analysis for recurring sortation failures or process gaps.
- Ensure timely escalation of critical issues.
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Performance Tracking & Communication
- Track and validate key sort center KPIs such as throughput, scan rates, mis-sort rates, dwell time, and on-time departures.
- Participate in tier meetings, control tower calls, and shift handovers.
- Maintain accurate logs of flow issues, decisions, and outcomes.
- Provide structured feedback to 4PL leaders on performance and execution standards.
- Communicate clearly across shifts and functions to maintain continuity.
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Continuous Improvement Support
- Identify inefficiencies in flow, layout, or sort logic.
- Support implementation of process improvements, system enhancements, and updated SOPs.
- Drive consistency in execution of standardized work across shifts.
- Contribute to peak planning, capacity modeling, and process optimization initiatives.
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Qualifications
Required
- High school diploma or equivalent required.
- 2-5 years of experience in warehouse, logistics, or sort center operations.
- Experience in high-volume, time-sensitive environments (e.g., sort centers, parcel hubs, cross-docks).
- Strong understanding of sortation flow, dock operations, and outbound scheduling.
- Ability to manage execution and influence outcomes without direct authority.
- Strong analytical and real-time decision-making skills.
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Preferred
- Experience in a 3PL or 4PL operating model.
- Experience in a high-volume Sort Center, Hub, or Cross-Dock environment.
- Familiarity with WMS, TMS, sortation systems, and control tower tools.
- Understanding of linehaul operations and network flow.
- Exposure to Lean, continuous improvement, and process optimization.
- Experience managing peak/seasonal volume surges.
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Key Competencies
- Real-time flow control and decision making
- Sort center and network operations expertise
- Partner coordination and performance oversight
- Strong situational awareness and problem solving
- Urgency and execution discipline
- Clear and concise communication under pressure
- Data-driven mindset and KPI focus
- Customer and service-level orientation
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