Strategic Distribution Partnerships Manager

About the role

What's Unique About You Is What Makes Us Better! Diversity is our strength and competitive advantage. Bring your flavor to the Papa John's team today! Job Summary The Manager, Strategic Distribution Partnerships is responsible for leading the operational performance, strategic relationship management, and continuous improvement efforts for outsourced distribution partners supporting Papa Johns' supply chain network. This role serves as the primary point of contact for third-party distribution providers and is accountable for ensuring safe, reliable, and cost-effective service execution across outsourced markets. The position will oversee partner performance against key operational KPIs including OTIF, cost-to-serve, safety, quality, and customer experience metrics while driving issue resolution, service recovery, and continuous improvement initiatives. This role will work cross-functionally across Transportation, Customer Service, Supply Chain Operations, Procurement, and Franchisee-facing teams to support the long-term outsourced distribution strategy and future market transitions. Duties and Responsibilities (other duties as assigned) Distribution Operations Oversight Coordinate daily outbound shipment scheduling and load planning with 3PL partners to ensure on-time order fulfillment across all distribution channels (retail, foodservice, DTC). Monitor inbound and outbound shipment visibility using TMS and carrier portals; proactively identify and resolve delays, exceptions, and disruptions. Ensure proper handling and temperature management throughout the cold chain for refrigerated and frozen product categories. Work cross-functionally with Customer Service, Demand Planning, and Warehouse teams to align distribution capacity with order volume fluctuations. Own outsourced distribution performance scorecards and KPI governance processes including OTIF, safety, quality, claims, temperature compliance, and cost metrics. Support onboarding, transition planning, and operational readiness activities for future outsourced distribution market implementations. 3PL & Carrier Relationship Management Serve as the day-to-day point of contact for all outsourced transportation and distribution partners, including 3PLs, dedicated carriers, and freight brokers. Monitor carrier and 3PL performance against contracted SLAs, KPIs, and service agreements; escalate issues and drive corrective action plans. Conduct regular business reviews with transportation partners to assess performance, identify gaps, and foster continuous improvement. Support contract negotiations, renewals, and onboarding of new carriers or 3PL partners in coordination with Procurement and Legal. Cost Management & Reporting Track, analyze, and report on freight spend, cost-per-case, fuel surcharges, accessorial charges, and carrier invoice accuracy. Identify and implement cost reduction opportunities without compromising service levels or food safety standards. Prepare regular transportation performance dashboards and present findings to Supply Chain leadership. Assist in the annual freight budget development and ongoing variance analysis. Prepare and communicate operational performance updates, risks, and recovery plans to Supply Chain leadership. Process Improvement & Systems Identify and champion process improvements in outsourced distribution workflows, including technology adoption and automation opportunities. Leverage TMS and ERP systems to drive shipment visibility, reporting accuracy, and operational efficiency. Develop and maintain SOPs for outsourced transportation processes, exception handling, and carrier escalation protocols. Partner with Customer Service and Operations teams to proactively manage franchisee service concerns, identify root causes, and drive corrective actions with outsourced providers. Lead structured problem-solving and continuous improvement initiatives with external partners to improve service reliability, operational efficiency, and franchisee experience. Education, Experience & Certifications Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business, or a related field; equivalent experience considered. 5-7 years of experience in transportation, distribution, logistics operations, or 3PL management, preferably within foodservice, retail distribution, or supply chain operations. Strong analytical skills with demonstrated ability to interpret freight data and identify cost or service improvement opportunities. Excellent communication and vendor management skills; ability to hold external partners accountable to performance standards. 10-40% Travel to work in warehouse and cold storage environments during facility visits Preferred Experience managing dedicated or outsourced cold chain distribution networks (refrigerated/frozen). Familiarity with multi-channel food and beverage distribution (grocery retail, foodservice, club, DTC). or program data and translating insights into recommendations preferred. Functio

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