Network Optimization Manager

As a Network Optimization Manager, you’ll get to close a specific gap: 48forty holds the data on core supply, pricing, and freight in separate places, and no single owner brings the three together into one view of the network. You will build that view, and you will turn it into decisions the business acts on. This is a hands-on analytical role. You will build the model, run the analysis, and defend the recommendation. You will work directly with Supply Chain, Pricing, Linehaul Transportation, and plant leadership across all three brands. This is a new role to our organization and will be pivotal to our success!

Network Strategy & Optimization

• Build, own and maintain network optimization model that integrates used pallet supply, pricing, and freight into one regional operating view across all operating locations in the United States and Canada.
• Partner with Plant Operations, Supply Chain and Commercial leadership to develop mid- and long-term supply chain strategies by evaluating growth opportunities, demand scenarios, capacity requirements, asset utilization, sourcing alternatives, and network investment decisions.
• Identify, prioritize, and lead network optimization initiatives that improve cost, service, resiliency, asset productivity, and capital efficiency.

Modeling & Advanced Analytics

• Operate and maintain an account scoring model that scores accounts on strategic value and repricing power and sets a maximum purchase price for used pallets, including accounts that both supply used pallets and buy finished pallets.
• Develop and maintain network models to evaluate strategic alternatives and quantify trade-offs across cost, service, utilization, risk, and capital requirements.
• Perform scenario, sensitivity, and capacity analyses to support network design, investment decisions, and long-range planning.
• Validate model assumptions, inputs, and outputs to ensure analytical rigor and credibility.

Project Leadership & Business Partnership

• Lead multiple network optimization initiatives, managing project plans, milestones, stakeholder engagement, and deliverables.
• Partner with Plant Operations, Supply Chain, Logistics, Finance, and Commercial teams to develop integrated network and capacity plans.
• Partner with finance on business cases and financial analyses to support capital investments, asset strategies, and network transformation initiatives.
• Translate complex analyses into clear, actionable recommendations and executive-level presentations.

Capability Development

• Serve as a functional expert for network optimization methodologies, tools, and industry best practices.

• Establish modeling standards, governance processes, and knowledge-sharing practices.

• Continuously enhance organizational network optimization capabilities through technology advancement, process improvement, and best-practice adoption.

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain, industrial engineering, operations research, economics, statistics, mathematics, or related quantitative discipline. Master's degree preferred.

• 4+ more years of experience in supply chain network design, operations research, pricing analytics, logistics analytics, or management consulting with a quantitative focus.

• Demonstrated ownership of an analytical model that changed a business decision, with a measurable result.

• Proficiency with network design tools such as Supply Chain Guru (Llamasoft/Coupa), Optilogic, Lyric, AIMMS, Logiflow, or similar platforms preferred

• Experience in pallets, packaging, industrial distribution, recycling, or another commodity-driven industry is preferred, not required.

• Must be able to travel up to 25% of the time, domestically