Huntsville boutique supply chain search firm, founded in 2017 by former industry practitioners, recruiting logistics, transportation and operations managers with published fee rates.
Services
Who it serves
Overview
SCOPE Recruiting is a boutique supply chain recruiting and search firm based in Huntsville, Alabama, with a stated nationwide reach. It was founded in 2017 by Melissa Hoegener and Friddy Hoegener. The firm's pitch is that its recruiters come from logistics, procurement and operations leadership rather than from general staffing, and that it focuses on passive candidates who are not answering job ads.
For freight readers, SCOPE is most relevant on the shipper and operations side of the market. Its logistics practice covers transportation managers, fleet operations managers, distribution managers, logistics directors and vice presidents of logistics and transportation. Its pages do not describe a freight brokerage or carrier sales specialty, so it is a better match for companies hiring people to run or buy transportation than for brokerages hiring sales reps.
Compare with other Recruiting providers: Kimmel & Associates, JobsInLogistics.com and Tenstreet, or see all Recruiting.
Services
SCOPE organizes its recruiting into executive, supply chain, operations, logistics, procurement and warehouse practices. On the logistics page, the listed roles include transportation manager, warehouse manager, fleet operations manager, distribution manager, VP of logistics and transportation, logistics manager or director, inventory manager, general manager, logistics analyst, director of fulfillment, inventory analyst and director of operations. Its supply chain list adds supply chain managers and directors, commodity and category managers, buyers, procurement managers, demand and inventory planners and strategic sourcing managers, and its executive practice covers chief supply chain and chief procurement officers.
The firm offers three engagement types: contingency search, exclusive contingency search and retained executive search. It also publishes a learning resource called SCM Dojo and runs a job board for candidates.
Who it is for
SCOPE fits manufacturers, distributors, retailers, 3PLs and companies with private fleets that need logistics, transportation or warehouse leaders, from front-line supervisors up to senior leadership. A shipper hiring a transportation manager who will buy freight from brokers and carriers is squarely in its lane, as is a 3PL hiring a distribution or fulfillment leader.
Because its published roles do not include freight brokers, carrier sales or agent recruiting, a brokerage hiring for its sales floor should ask directly whether SCOPE takes those searches before engaging.
How working with them works
SCOPE describes a five-step process. It starts with a joint intake call with HR and the hiring manager to align on the role. The firm then defines a candidate profile and scorecard and sets a search strategy. Outreach focuses on passive candidates through industry networks, referrals and its own candidate network. Candidates are evaluated against the scorecard on operational knowledge, technical skills, leadership and fit, with screening notes sent to the client. SCOPE then stays involved through interviews, offer negotiation, placement and post-hire support. The firm reports an average time to fill of 4.5 weeks and says it sends candidates in weekly batches.
Unlike most firms in this category, SCOPE publishes its fees, as listed on their website in November 2026: contingency search at 25 percent, exclusive contingency search at 20 percent with a 30-day exclusivity period, and retained executive search at 18 percent, intended for director, VP, C-suite, confidential or highly specialized roles. The site does not state the base the percentage applies to, so confirm whether it is first-year base salary or total compensation.
The guarantee is 90 days for entry to mid-level roles; if the candidate leaves or does not meet expectations in that window, the search restarts at no extra cost. Director and executive searches can carry longer guarantee periods set at the start, and the homepage says retained searches include a six-month replacement guarantee.
Questions to ask before you sign
Does the published percentage apply to first-year base salary, or to base plus bonus or commission? For roles with large variable pay, that difference matters.
If we choose exclusive contingency at the lower rate, what happens after the 30-day exclusivity period if the role is not filled?
For a director-level hire, what guarantee period will you write into the agreement, and is it a free replacement or a refund?
Have you filled roles like ours before, such as transportation manager for a shipper, fleet manager for a private fleet, or distribution leader for a 3PL? Do you take freight brokerage or carrier sales searches?
If the candidate comes from a freight brokerage or a competing shipper, how will you check for non-compete, non-solicit or confidentiality agreements before we interview? Ask the recruiter to raise it early, and have your own counsel review anything the candidate signed.
Will you avoid recruiting our employees once we are a client?
Company background
SCOPE was founded in 2017. Its About page lists Melissa Hoegener as founder and head of operations, describing her as a former global category manager, and Friddy Hoegener as co-founder and head of recruiting. The page also lists several supply chain recruiters and a marketing manager by name, and the homepage mentions team members in the Chicago, Atlanta, California and Northeast areas.
The firm reports more than 550 placements and a 95 percent one-year retention rate on its homepage, both company-reported figures. It describes its founding idea as hiring supply chain experts and teaching them to recruit, so that the people running searches understand the roles they are filling. Total headcount is not published.
Sources
Information compiled from public sources. Last verified November 2026. Confirm details directly with the company.
