Director of Logistics

Please note that we are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position.

Recruiting agencies: Proper Voltage does not accept unsolicited candidate submissions. Please do not contact any employees directly unless you have an existing engagement with the company.

About Proper Voltage

Proper Voltage is unlocking the next generation of battery technology across robotics, data centers, and defense.

We're building intelligent battery systems that make advanced chemistries (sodium-ion, lithium-titanate, lithium-silicon) work in products that were never designed for them. Humanoid robots can upgrade power systems without redesigning their entire platform. Data centers get safer, cheaper backup power. Drones and autonomous vehicles get higher energy density without lengthy integration cycles.

If you want to work on hard engineering problems that matter this is the place.

Job Overview

The Director of Logistics owns Proper Voltage's end-to-end freight and logistics function: inbound material flow, outbound customer delivery, packaging design and validation, and reverse logistics. Our finished product is a large-format battery system, classified as a dangerous good, shipped to commercial and defense customers who expect flawless delivery from day one.

This role reports to the VP of Supply Chain and works closely with the Director of Supply Chain (contract manufacturer and procurement relationships), the Materials Program Manager (who will report to this role), engineering, and our customers' receiving and logistics teams.

This is a build-from-scratch role. Outbound shipping for a large dangerous-goods product has real safety, regulatory, and customer-relationship stakes that a generalist logistics function cannot absorb as a side responsibility. You will set up the carrier relationships, the packaging program, and the customer delivery process before our first commercial shipments, and you will own the freight strategy across both inbound and outbound as we scale.

Scope

• Inbound: you own freight forwarder relationships and inbound freight strategy across our supplier base, including Asia-origin suppliers. When a supplier quotes ex-works or FOB origin, you decide how that material moves from the supplier's dock to our contract manufacturers, and you negotiate the rates and service levels that get it there reliably and cost-effectively.
• Outbound: you own dangerous-goods-compliant shipping to commercial and defense customers. This includes carrier qualification, hazmat documentation and labeling, driver certification requirements, and the customer-facing delivery experience. Our product ships in both individual units (in the low hundreds of pounds) and larger rack configurations (over a thousand pounds), so packaging and handling requirements span a wide range.
• Packaging: our contract manufacturers support packaging execution, and we expect to bring in specialized packaging engineering support as needed. You will own the coordination and final validation (drop testing sign-off, handling instructions, ensuring the packaging solution meets DG and customer requirements) without needing to be the hands-on packaging designer.
• Reverse logistics: you build the process for defective unit returns, including dangerous-goods-compliant return shipping, customer coordination, and field service logistics support.
• This role starts as an individual contributor with the Materials Program Manager reporting to you. The team will grow as volume and complexity increase.

Who this role is for

• You have real experience shipping a regulated, hazardous, or safety-critical product at commercial scale. You know how dangerous goods classification, carrier certification, and hazmat documentation actually work in practice, not just in theory.
• You have built or significantly scaled a logistics function from an early stage. You've negotiated freight forwarder contracts, qualified carriers, and set up a customer delivery process where none existed before.
• You think about total landed cost, not just freight rate. You know when using your own forwarder instead of a supplier's preferred logistics provider saves real money and improves visibility, and you know how to make that case and execute on it.
• You are comfortable owning both inbound and outbound freight as one connected function, and you understand where that overlaps with (and stays distinct from) supplier commercial negotiation.
• You are comfortable in early-stage environments where the playbook is still being written. You will build the carrier relationships, packaging program, and delivery process from the ground up.

This role is not a fit if

• Your logistics experience is limited to standard, non-hazardous freight.
• You need an established freight and carrier network in place before you can be effective. You will build this.
• You are looking for a role focused only on strategy without hands-on operational ownership. This role is deeply hands-on in the near term.
• You would find a startup operating tempo frustrating.

What you'll do

Inbound logistics

• Establish and manage freight forwarder relationships across our supplier base, with particular focus on Asia-origin freight.
• Negotiate freight rates and service levels. Identify opportunities to shift from supplier-managed freight to our own forwarder relationships when it reduces cost or improves visibility.
• Own cargo visibility and tracking for critical inbound shipments, in partnership with the Materials Program Manager.
• Coordinate customs clearance and import compliance with brokers and internal partners.

Outbound logistics

• Qualify and manage dangerous-goods-certified carriers for outbound shipments to commercial and defense customers.
• Own hazmat shipping documentation, labeling, and driver certification requirements. Ensure every outbound shipment is fully compliant.
• Build and own the customer delivery experience, including scheduling, communication, and issue resolution.
• Investigate and resolve quality issues arising in transit (damage, handling, documentation errors).

Packaging

• Partner with our contract manufacturers and, as needed, outside packaging engineering resources on packaging design for individual unit and multi-unit rack shipments. Own final validation: drop testing sign-off and handling instructions.
• Coordinate packaging vendor relationships for custom crating, palletization, and protective packaging as needed. Deep hands-on packaging design experience is a plus, not a requirement; support resources are available.

Reverse logistics

• Build the RMA and defective unit return process, including dangerous-goods-compliant return shipping.
• Coordinate field service and pickup logistics with customers.

Team and cross-functional leadership

• Manage the Materials Program Manager and align inbound freight strategy with material readiness needs.
• Execute freight strategy within terms set by Director of Supply Chain as part of supplier commercial strategy
• Partner with engineering, finance, and customer-facing teams on delivery commitments and cost.

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years in logistics, transportation, or supply chain operations, including direct ownership of dangerous goods or other regulated product shipping.
• Direct experience with hazmat/DG shipping compliance: carrier certification, documentation, labeling, and driver requirements.
• Experience negotiating freight forwarder contracts and managing an international freight network, including Asia-origin lanes.
• Experience building or significantly scaling a logistics function, including customer delivery processes, from an early stage.
• Direct people management experience.
• Ability to operate independently and build process where none exists yet.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience shipping industrial batteries or other energy storage products.
• Experience with packaging design and validation for heavy or large-format products.
• Experience serving defense or government customers with specific delivery and compliance requirements.
• Experience with reverse logistics and field service coordination.
• Early-stage startup experience building logistics functions from zero.
• Familiarity with customs brokerage and cross-border trade compliance.

Compensation & Benefits

• Base salary of $200,000 to $220,000, plus equity.
• Health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Flexible PTO with a generous holiday policy.
• Carlsbad, CA or near our contract manufacturers preferred. Open to fully virtual for the right candidate. Regular travel to our contract manufacturers, vendors, and occasional customer site visits.

Ready to work on power systems that matter? Let's talk.