Director, Route Optimization - UniFirst

Position Summary (Why this role matters):

At UniFirst, our ability to deliver service excellence depends on smart, efficient, and customer-focused routing. The Director of Route Optimization plays a pivotal role in ensuring our service teams operate with efficiency, consistency, and care while balancing cost management and customer satisfaction.

This leader will set the strategic direction for enterprise routing, design scalable processes, and serve as business owner for UniFirst’s routing platforms (currently RoadNet). They will drive measurable results in operational efficiency and customer experience, build and lead a high-performing team, and collaborate across Operations, Production, Finance, IT, and Supply Chain. With a forward-looking mindset, they will influence routing innovation to support UniFirst’s long-term growth and competitiveness.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead with purpose: Build, coach, and empower a high-performing team of routing professionals to deliver consistent, customer-first solutions.
• Drive strategic performance: Establish the enterprise routing strategy with a 3–5 year horizon; monitor KPIs and drive improvements in route efficiency, cost reduction, and service reliability.
• Champion customer and partner experience: Ensure route design supports exceptional customer satisfaction while enabling our service teams to succeed.
• Optimize operations: Lead enterprise re-route initiatives, integrate routing with operational processes, and implement technologies that scale across UniFirst’s network.
• Collaborate across departments: Partner with Operations, Production, Finance, IT, and Supply Chain to align routing strategies with business and financial priorities.

• Vendor and technology ownership: Act as the business owner of routing platforms; manage vendor relationships, influence system roadmaps, and drive platform innovation.
• Data-driven insights: Leverage analytics to identify trends, risks, and opportunities that drive continuous improvement.
• Manage resources wisely: Oversee budgets, identify cost-saving opportunities, and ensure service quality is never compromised.
• Promote a values-driven culture: Foster a workplace rooted in safety, service, and continuous improvement—where teams feel supported and empowered.

Core Competencies:

• Strategic Thinking: Connects routing strategy to enterprise goals; anticipates challenges and delivers a clear roadmap.
• Operational Excellence: Drives performance through clear KPIs, efficient systems, and scalable processes.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Uses analytics and KPIs to guide strategy, improve efficiency, and ensure customer satisfaction.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Works seamlessly across departments to align goals, share insights, and deliver measurable results.
• Change Leadership: Leads transformation with clarity, trust, and confidence; drives adoption of new processes and tools.
• Technology Fluency: Understands routing platforms, telematics, and logistics tools; partners with IT and vendors to optimize solutions.
• People Development: Builds engaged, high-performing teams through coaching, clarity, and accountability.
• Financial Acumen: Manages budgets with discipline, balancing cost optimization with service quality.
• Culture Champion: Promotes UniFirst’s values of safety, service, pride, and care across all levels of the organization.

Position Summary (Why this role matters):

At UniFirst, our ability to deliver service excellence depends on smart, efficient, and customer-focused routing. The Director of Route Optimization plays a pivotal role in ensuring our service teams operate with efficiency, consistency, and care while balancing cost management and customer satisfaction.

This leader will set the strategic direction for enterprise routing, design scalable processes, and serve as business owner for UniFirst’s routing platforms (currently RoadNet). They will drive measurable results in operational efficiency and customer experience, build and lead a high-performing team, and collaborate across Operations, Production, Finance, IT, and Supply Chain. With a forward-looking mindset, they will influence routing innovation to support UniFirst’s long-term growth and competitiveness.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead with purpose: Build, coach, and empower a high-performing team of routing professionals to deliver consistent, customer-first solutions.
• Drive strategic performance: Establish the enterprise routing strategy with a 3–5 year horizon; monitor KPIs and drive improvements in route efficiency, cost reduction, and service reliability.
• Champion customer and partner experience: Ensure route design supports exceptional customer satisfaction while enabling our service teams to succeed.
• Optimize operations: Lead enterprise re-route initiatives, integrate routing with operational processes, and implement technologies that scale across UniFirst’s network.
• Collaborate across departments: Partner with Operations, Production, Finance, IT, and Supply Chain to align routing strategies with business and financial priorities.

• Vendor and technology ownership: Act as the business owner of routing platforms; manage vendor relationships, influence system roadmaps, and drive platform innovation.
• Data-driven insights: Leverage analytics to identify trends, risks, and opportunities that drive continuous improvement.
• Manage resources wisely: Oversee budgets, identify cost-saving opportunities, and ensure service quality is never compromised.
• Promote a values-driven culture: Foster a workplace rooted in safety, service, and continuous improvement—where teams feel supported and empowered.

Core Competencies:

• Strategic Thinking: Connects routing strategy to enterprise goals; anticipates challenges and delivers a clear roadmap.
• Operational Excellence: Drives performance through clear KPIs, efficient systems, and scalable processes.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Uses analytics and KPIs to guide strategy, improve efficiency, and ensure customer satisfaction.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Works seamlessly across departments to align goals, share insights, and deliver measurable results.
• Change Leadership: Leads transformation with clarity, trust, and confidence; drives adoption of new processes and tools.
• Technology Fluency: Understands routing platforms, telematics, and logistics tools; partners with IT and vendors to optimize solutions.
• People Development: Builds engaged, high-performing teams through coaching, clarity, and accountability.
• Financial Acumen: Manages budgets with discipline, balancing cost optimization with service quality.
• Culture Champion: Promotes UniFirst’s values of safety, service, pride, and care across all levels of the organization.