Team Lead Global Logistics (all genders)

tonies is the world’s leading interactive audio platform for children, with over 12 million Tonieboxes and 173 million Tonies sold globally. Our intuitive, screen-free system empowers children to learn and play independently in a safe and engaging way.

With a presence in over 100 countries and a diverse portfolio of ~1,500 Tonies across multiple languages, we continue to redefine how children experience storytelling and learning. Since our IPO in 2021, our global team of 630+ colleagues is united by a shared mission: shaping the future of play, learning, and imagination.

Team Lead Global Logistics (all genders)

Your Role & Impact

We are looking for a hands-on Team Lead Global Logistics to take ownership of global logistics at tonies. This is a team lead role in a lean, fast-growing setup, not a Head of or Director position.

You will own our global transportation network and two central postponement/customization hubs, ensuring efficient, reliable, and cost-effective product flows from our manufacturing partners to markets worldwide.

You will lead a small team of two direct reports (transport coordination and supply chain compliance & sustainability). Your time will be split between improving how we move product around the world and rolling up your sleeves in day-to-day operations, including stepping in on transport coordination when needed.

Good to Know

This role is a great fit if you have around 5 to 8 years of experience and want to take the next step into team leadership and broader ownership. If you have spent 10+ years in senior logistics leadership and are used to large teams, big budgets and layers of process, this role will most likely feel too hands-on and too small in scope. We would rather be upfront about that.

What you'll do

Global Transportation Management

• Own and optimize global transportation flows from manufacturing partners to central postponement hubs and regional distribution centers.

• Lead global freight procurement, including RFQs/RFPs, freight forwarder selection, contract negotiations, and relationship management.

• Drive freight cost reduction, transit-time optimization, and improved service reliability.

• Oversee transport execution, shipment visibility, exception management, and forwarder performance, and get hands-on with day-to-day coordination when the team needs you.

• Develop effective transport strategies, routing, and mode selection in collaboration with Global Supply Planning and regional teams.

• Oversee global customs clearance processes and customs broker performance, ensuring efficient import/export operations and adherence to trade compliance requirements in collaboration with relevant functional experts.

Postponement Hub & 3PL Management

• Manage 3PL relationships, contracts, service levels, performance reviews, and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Ensure operational efficiency, inventory accuracy, quality, and scalability of hub operations.

Logistics Strategy & Continuous Improvement

• Develop and implement global logistics standards, processes, and improvement initiatives.

• Establish logistics KPIs (e.g. on-time in-full, freight costs) and performance reporting, driving transparency of transportation and hub costs.

• Identify opportunities to optimize logistics costs, lead times, and network efficiency.

• Drive improvements in logistics systems, shipment visibility, and process automation.

• Collaborate with regional Supply Chain teams while ensuring clear ownership of local warehousing and distribution operations.

Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Lead and develop two direct reports, ensuring clear responsibilities, effective execution, and continuous improvement.

• Oversee supply chain compliance and sustainability activities, including EPR, dangerous goods requirements, and environmental reporting, in collaboration with relevant functional experts.

• Work closely with Global Supply Planning, Procurement, Finance, and local Supply Chain teams to ensure efficient end-to-end supply flows.

What You Bring

• Degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Administration or a related field, or a vocational qualification in freight forwarding/logistics with relevant experience.

• Around 5 to 8 years of hands-on experience in international logistics or transportation management, e.g. at a freight forwarder or in-house at a consumer goods, electronics or e-commerce company or scale-up.

• Hands-on experience with international freight, especially ocean freight: you have run freight tenders, selected and managed forwarders, and negotiated rates yourself.

• Experience managing 3PL providers, ideally including warehouse operations and value-added services.

• Proven ability to drive logistics cost savings, process improvements, and operational performance.

• Solid understanding of Incoterms, international transportation, and customs requirements.

• First experience leading a small team or cross-functional projects, and the motivation to grow as a team lead.

• Strong analytical and commercial skills, and the ability to explain complex logistics topics in simple terms to people outside of logistics.

• Fluent English; German is a plus.

How You Work

• Hands-on first: Happy to dive into the operational details yourself, while spotting and driving improvements along the way.

• Commercially minded: Focused on cost efficiency, service quality, and measurable results.

• Structured and analytical: Data-driven, organized, and solution-oriented.

• Collaborative leader: Able to lead a small, multidisciplinary team and work effectively across functions.

• Self-starter: You don't need a long onboarding. You look at how things run, come up with your own ideas (like questioning whether a different port or route would serve us better), align on them and make them happen.

Why Join Us?

• Global teamwork: We work together across departmental and national borders on our vision of bringing the Toniebox to every child's room in the world.

• Come as you are: This applies not only to the dress code, but to everything else as well. Because you can only give your best when you feel truly comfortable.

• Mobility: Choose the offer that best suits you – a Germany ticket for unlimited mobility, a monthly payment of fifty euros for an office parking space, a leased bicycle or a remote work allowance.

• Protection: Benefit from subsidies for employee savings plans, company pension schemes and disability insurance.

• Relaxation & Time Out: Enjoy 30 days of paid annual leave plus three additional days off, such as Carnival Monday, Christmas Eve, and New Year's Eve. After one year of employment, you can also take up to 10 "toniecation days" (unpaid leave).

• Continuous professional development: Benefit from our internal and external training opportunities as well as an individual learning budget to continuously expand your knowledge.

• Language learning and relaxation made easy: Improve your communication skills with the Babbel language learning app and find relaxation through our access to the Calm meditation app.

• Discounts: Benefit from attractive discounts on our entire tonies range.

As part of our principles, we are committed to supporting inclusion and diversity at tonies. We actively celebrate our colleagues’ different abilities, ethnicities, faith and gender. Everyone is welcome and supported in their development at all stages in their journey with us.

We look forward to hearing from you!