Overview
The
Carrier Procurement Manager is responsible for developing, implementing, and championing a carrier management strategy for NFI Non-Asset services that drives carrier compliance and sets NFI and our overarching customers up for success.
Responsibilities
- Lead and facilitate domestic multi-modal annual RFPs (Full Truckload, LTL, Intermodal, Dedicated Fleet, LTL, etc.) across national and regional networks.
- Execute rapid tactical mini-bids to resolve routing guide failures, capture favorable market spot shifts, or support seasonal volume spikes.
- Establish sourcing timelines, bid rules, baseline target rates, and scoring weights tailored to individual domestic client SLAs.
- Extract, scrub, and normalize historical domestic shipment data, origin-destination lane profiles, seasonal volume distributions, and facility dwell metrics.
- Build standardized procurement bid packages including electronic RFP templates, lane matrices, baseline fuel/accessorial schedules, and operational profile questionnaires.
- Audit raw data to eliminate anomalies, ensure high carrier bid participation, and reduce post-award price revisions.
- Manage bid communication, pre-bid Q&A windows, carrier addendums, and multi-round bidding events via e-procurement software or native TMS sourcing modules.
- Conduct advanced rate normalization, capacity scenario analysis, and optimization modeling evaluating tradeoffs between best-cost, primary carrier retention, transit times, and service reliability.
- Deliver data-backed executive presentations and consultative guidance to internal account leaders and external 4PL clients to secure bid award approvals.
- Lead multi-round rate negotiations with domestic asset carriers, dedicated fleets, and strategic 3PL partners to optimize base freight rates and accessorial fee schedules.
- Run various award scenarios and present recommendations to customers that drive favorable outcomes and maximizes route guide value.
- Negotiate rate addendums, and Service Level Agreement (SLA) terms in coordination with legal counsel.
- Finalize lane awards, execute award notification letters, and communicate expectations to participating providers.
- Maintain an organized central repository of active carrier rates, accessorial schedules, fuel formulas, and tariff structures including SMC3 CZAF base rate matrices.
- Audit and load awarded carrier rates and tendering logic directly into the 4PL Transportation Management System.
- Partner with the Carrier Operations team to transition awarded providers into live execution.
- Manage and evaluate domestic routing guide sequencing (primary, secondary, backup) and conduct post bid hyper care to ensure automated load tendering and TMS pricing aligns strictly with awarded bid matrices.
- Assist in carrier service packet assembly, rate logic verification, EDI/API setup (204/214 feeds), and visibility platform integration (e.g., MacroPoint, Project44).
- Facilitate carrier kickoff calls to align dispatch teams on client-specific facility rules, appointment scheduling protocols, and SLA expectations.
- Evaluate post-bid carrier performance specifically to analyze and validate actual results against initial expected bid models.
- Build closed-loop financial tracking dashboards, with the support of analytics team, comparing Expected (Modeled) Savings vs. Actual Freight Spend post-implementation.
- Monitor Primary Tender Acceptance rates, Route Guide Depth, and spot market leakage strictly to measure financial and bid adherence against baseline projections.
Qualifications
- BA or BS Degree preferred
- 7+ years' experience in the transportation operations with a proven track record of success
- Familiar with a variety of transportation concepts, practices and procedures
- Possesses strong interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate organization visions and values
- Able to demonstrate a high degree of planning, organizational, analytical, and financial skills
- Carrier engagement and domestic logistics pricing experience
- Proficient computer skills especially with RFP/RFX procurement platforms, Google Suite; Microsoft Suite; business intelligence platforms
- Conceptual, strategic thinker with demonstrated ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions
- Independent, must be able to work with little direction or structure and able to work effectively with all verticals within NFI
- Strong work ethic (e.g. "roll-up-your sleeves" leadership)
- Hands-on, customer/carrier driven focus
We are excited to share that the base salary range for this position is $65,301.60 - $97,952.40. This position is also eligible for an annual discretionary bonus. NFI takes into consideration applicants' qualifications, experience, education, and geographic location when determining a starting rate of pay.
Employees are also eligible for a robust benefit program, which includes Medical, Dental, Vision, Prescription Drug Coverage, 401k Plan, Wellness Program, Life Insurance, Paid Time Off, and Paid Parental Leave, among other benefit plan options.
Profit Center
PC-250
