Director, Physical Operations – Transportation

The Director, Physical Operations – Transportation at Virgin Music Group (VMG) is a senior operational leader responsible for managing and optimizing VMG’s global transportation and customs operations across sea, air, and road freight. This role oversees inbound, outbound, and inter-facility movements, ensuring execution aligns with release timelines and service commitments. Key responsibilities include carrier strategy, rate negotiations, customs compliance, cost control, and issue resolution, all while collaborating cross-functionally to support time-sensitive music product releases globally.

Must Have

• Manage day-to-day global transportation operations across sea, air, and road freight
• Oversee inbound, outbound, and inter-facility movements supporting manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution
• Ensure transportation execution aligns with release timelines, service commitments, and business priorities
• Prepare, analyze, and lead rate negotiations, tenders, and carrier selection processes
• Establish and manage service-level agreements (SLAs) and key performance indicators (KPIs)
• Monitor carrier performance, address service gaps, and drive continuous improvement
• Manage customs clearance processes and broker relationships across the US, UK, and EU
• Ensure compliance (import/export regulations), documentation requirements, and trade policies
• Serve as the primary escalation point for customs-related delays, audits, or exceptions
• Control and optimize transportation costs, duties, and taxes across regions and modes
• Partner closely with Finance to ensure accurate cost forecasting, accruals, and variance analysis
• Identify cost-saving opportunities without compromising service or reliability
• A hands-on approach to resolving shipment delays, disruptions, and customs issues as they arise
• Proactively manage exceptions, prioritizing high-impact or time-sensitive releases
• Communicate risks, delays, and resolutions clearly to internal stakeholders
• Act as the primary transportation and customs subject matter expert (SME) for the wider business
• Collaborate closely with Production, Warehousing & Inventory Management, Finance, Sales, and Physical Operations teams
• Ensure transportation strategies and execution remain aligned across functions and regions

Good to Have

• A hands-on logistics leader who thrives in fast-moving, high-stakes environments
• Brings operational rigor, commercial acumen, and a calm, solutions-oriented approach to problem-solving
• Comfortable being in the details when needed, while also thinking strategically about how transportation supports scale and growth

Perks & Benefits

• Be part of an entrepreneurial, global organization that values authenticity, drive, creativity, relationships, and a competitive spirit
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and FSA options
• 100% coverage for out-patient mental health services
• Wellbeing reimbursements for fitness classes, spa treatments, meal services, travel, and so much more (up to $720/year)
• A lifetime fertility support allowance of $30,000 to plan participants
• Student Loan Repayment Assistance and Tuition Reimbursement
• 100% immediately vested 401(k) match on the first 5% of your contribution on eligible compensation
• Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) for exempt employees
• 3-weeks PTO for non-exempt employees
• 2-weeks paid Winter Break
• 10 Company Holidays (including Juneteenth and Wellbeing Day)
• Summer Fridays (between Memorial Day and Labor Day)
• Generous paid parental leave for every type of parent

We are UMG, the Universal Music Group. We are the world’s leading music company. In everything we do, we are committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship. We own and operate a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising, and audiovisual content in more than 60 countries. We identify and develop recording artists and songwriters, and we produce, distribute and promote the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music to delight and entertain fans around the world.

Virgin Music Group (VMG) is the world’s leading partner to independent labels and artists, delivering a modern, global services platform across distribution, marketing, analytics, and physical commerce. With teams in 30+ countries, VMG supports artists and entrepreneurs with flexible, data-driven solutions that scale globally.

Our Global Physical Procurement, Supply Chain & Logistics team manages the end-to-end lifecycle of physical music products — from forecasting and manufacturing through global distribution — ensuring products reach fans on time, at the right cost, and at the highest quality.

The Director, Physical Operations – Transportation is a senior operational leader responsible for managing and optimizing VMG’s global transportation and customs operations across sea, air, and road freight.

This role serves as the central authority for transportation execution, carrier strategy, and customs compliance, ensuring finished goods and materials move efficiently through a complex international logistics network. You will balance speed, cost, service levels, and risk while supporting time-sensitive release schedules and evolving business demands.

How We LEAD

• We plan ahead and execute with urgency
• We operate as one team across functions and regions
• We address challenges early and decisively
• We stay artist-first while building scalable systems

How You’ll CREATE

Global Transportation Management

• Manage day-to-day global transportation operations across sea, air, and road freight
• Oversee inbound, outbound, and inter-facility movements supporting manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution
• Ensure transportation execution aligns with release timelines, service commitments, and business priorities

Carrier Strategy, Rates & Performance

• Prepare, analyze, and lead rate negotiations, tenders, and carrier selection processes
• Establish and manage service-level agreements (SLAs) and key performance indicators (KPIs)
• Monitor carrier performance, address service gaps, and drive continuous improvement

Customs & Trade Compliance

• Manage customs clearance processes and broker relationships across the US, UK, and EU
• Ensure compliance (import/export regulations), documentation requirements, and trade policies
• Serve as the primary escalation point for customs-related delays, audits, or exceptions

Cost Control & Financial Oversight

• Control and optimize transportation costs, duties, and taxes across regions and modes
• Partner closely with Finance to ensure accurate cost forecasting, accruals, and variance analysis
• Identify cost-saving opportunities without compromising service or reliability

Issue Resolution & Escalation Management

• A hands-on approach to resolving shipment delays, disruptions, and customs issues as they arise
• Proactively manage exceptions, prioritizing high-impact or time-sensitive releases
• Communicate risks, delays, and resolutions clearly to internal stakeholders

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Act as the primary transportation and customs subject matter expert (SME) for the wider business
• Collaborate closely with Production, Warehousing & Inventory Management, Finance, Sales, and Physical Operations teams
• Ensure transportation strategies and execution remain aligned across functions and regions

Bring Your Vibe

At VMG, physical products are a critical part of the artist and fan experience. This role plays a key part in ensuring our releases move reliably through the global supply chain — turning creativity into physical products that arrive on time, worldwide.

You are a hands-on logistics leader who thrives in fast-moving, high-stakes environments. You bring operational rigor, commercial acumen, and a calm, solutions-oriented approach to problem-solving. You’re comfortable being in the details when needed, while also thinking strategically about how transportation supports scale and growth.

• Proven experience leading global transportation and logistics operations
• Strong hands-on knowledge of ocean, air, and road freight
• Deep understanding of customs clearance processes & broker management in the US, UK, and EU
• Experience negotiating rates, managing SLAs, and controlling transportation-related costs
• Ability to manage complexity, prioritize effectively, and resolve issues under tight deadlines
• Excellent cross-functional communication and stakeholder management skills

Perks Playlist:

• Be part of an entrepreneurial, global organization that values authenticity, drive, creativity, relationships, and a competitive spirit
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and FSA options, as well as:
• 100% coverage for out-patient mental health services
• Wellbeing reimbursements for fitness classes, spa treatments, meal services, travel, and so much more (up to $720/year)
• A lifetime fertility support allowance of $30,000 to plan participants
• Student Loan Repayment Assistance and Tuition Reimbursement
• 100% immediately vested 401(k) match on the first 5% of your contribution on eligible compensation
• Variety of ways to prioritize much-needed time away from work including:
• Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) for exempt employees
• 3-weeks PTO for non-exempt employees
• 2-weeks paid Winter Break
• 10 Company Holidays (including Juneteenth and Wellbeing Day)
• Summer Fridays (between Memorial Day and Labor Day)
• Generous paid parental leave for every type of parent

Check out our full overview of benefits on the Perks Playlist page of the career site.

Disclaimer: This job description only provides an overview of job responsibilities that are subject to change.

Universal Music Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer

We are an E-Verify employer in Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah.

For more information, please click on the following links.

E-Verify Participation Poster: English / Spanish

E-Verify Right to Work Poster: English | Spanish

Job Category:

eCommerce