Now Hiring - Grane Transportation - Manager of Carrier Sales in Oakbrook Terrace, IL

Full description of the position

Manager of Carrier Sales Location: Oakbrook Terrace, IL Department: Carrier Sales Company: Grane Logistics Express (GLX) Position Overview The Manager of Carrier Sales is responsible for leading, developing, and scaling a high-performing carrier sales organization that delivers consistent capacity, disciplined pricing, and reliable service execution. This role blends strategic leadership with hands-on carrier procurement, maintaining direct oversight of daily load coverage while coaching the team to build durable, relationship-driven carrier partnerships. This position owns carrier strategy, margin performance, and execution standards while fostering a competitive, accountable culture focused on growth, consistency, and service excellence. Essential Duties & Responsibilities Leadership & Team Development * Lead, coach, and develop the carrier sales team through clear expectations, daily feedback, and structured skill development. * Establish a high-output, performance-driven culture centered on accountability, ownership, and proactive communication. * Set performance targets, manage daily and weekly reviews, and drive continuous improvement across the team. * Identify talent gaps, mentor high-potential reps, and support succession planning as the team scales. Carrier Network & Procurement Strategy * Build, expand, and maintain a reliable network of core carriers across key lanes and regions. * Develop and execute strategic capacity plans aligned with customer mix, seasonal trends, and margin objectives. * Drive repeat carrier utilization to stabilize costs, reduce spot exposure, and improve service consistency. Daily Operational Execution * Oversee daily load coverage to ensure service reliability, on-time performance, and proactive issue management. * Support and coach the team through complex negotiations to achieve targeted margin performance. * Monitor carrier performance, compliance, safety ratings, and insurance qualification standards. Market & Business Intelligence * Maintain a strong pulse on market conditions, lane pricing, capacity shifts, and seasonal volatility. * Communicate actionable market intelligence to sales, operations, and leadership to influence pricing and strategy. * Leverage data to identify inefficiencies, improvement opportunities, and emerging carrier partnerships. Issue Resolution & Escalation * Serve as the primary escalation point for service failures, late trucks, claims, or carrier disputes. * Partner cross-functionally with operations, customer sales, and leadership to remove execution barriers and improve workflows. * Drive root-cause analysis and implement corrective actions to prevent repeat issues. Requirements & Qualifications Experience * 5+ years of experience in carrier sales, freight brokerage, or transportation operations. * 2+ years of leadership experience managing carrier sales, brokerage, or operations teams. * Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Logistics, or a related field preferred. Skills * Strong leadership, coaching, and performance management capabilities. * Proven success in carrier procurement, rate negotiation, and relationship development. * Excellent communication, decision-making, and conflict resolution skills. * Working knowledge of carrier compliance, FMCSA regulations, and insurance requirements. Attributes * Competitive, solutions-oriented, and accountability-driven. * Strategic thinker with strong execution discipline. * Thrives in fast-paced, evolving market conditions and embraces ownership. Compensation & Benefits * Base Salary: $65,000-$80,000 plus performance-based incentives * Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), and life insurance * High-growth environment with clear advancement opportunities * Open-door, performance-driven culture focused on results and continuous improvement Job Type: Full-time Pay: $65,000.00 - $80,000.00 per year Benefits: * 401(k) * 401(k) matching * Dental insurance * Health insurance * Life insurance * Paid time off * Vision insurance Work Location: In person