Logistics Director Responsibilities

A logistics director spearheads and oversees a company's logistics operations. They are primarily responsible for setting goals and guidelines, managing the budgets and timelines, researching new opportunities, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of operations, and implementing solutions against problem areas. They must also maintain positive relationships with key clients and external parties, such as distributors and suppliers. Furthermore, as a director, it is essential to lead employees while implementing the company's policies and regulations, recommending new ones as needed.

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Types of Logistics Director

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Logistics directors play a pivotal role in managing and optimizing supply chain operations. They are responsible for establishing operational processes and procedures, often leading to improved efficiency and compliance. For instance, one Director "established all operational processes and procedures for FDA compliance and reduced error rate by 100% through manufacturing requirements best practices." They also collaborate internationally with peers to optimize systems and align global key performance indicators, as demonstrated by another Director who "collaborated internationally with peer leaders on optimization of ERP system, standardization of processes and alignment of global key performance indicators." Furthermore, they develop strategies for consolidating remote distribution centers, as one Director did by "developing strategies for consolidating remote distribution centers in Florida, Illinois and California into centralized Missouri facility."

In addition, logistics directors are often tasked with managing compliance offices, ensuring no violation findings during federal oversight inspections. As Daniel Stanton , CEO of Mr. Supply Chain, states, "Every business and government organization has a supply chain, and that means there are job opportunities for supply chain professionals virtually everywhere." This sentiment is echoed by Adrian Tan , Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator at Pennsylvania State University - New Kensington, who emphasizes the importance of spreadsheet skills and the ability to interact effectively with various audiences. Thus, logistics directors must possess a diverse set of skills to effectively manage and optimize supply chain operations.

Here are examples of responsibilities from real logistics director resumes:

• Lead the design and implantation of new MRP system improvements.
• Lead internal logistics team to gain ISO certification plus implement ISO specs for all 3rd party logistics providers.
• Lead project for developing standardize FDA approve method (GCP standard) for labeling, packaging and storing medication.
• Manage all relationships with freight payment, TMS software, outside storage, carriers, and all third party logistics providers.
• Select and lead implementation of ERP business systems and engineering document control system.
• Lead organization's governmental and regulatory compliance office which result in no violation findings during federal oversight inspections.
• Modernize the operation by the selection and implementation of information technology, Manhattan WMS, TMS, and YMS.
• Train personnel to use WMS software and warehouse allocation systems.
• Implement the BAAN WMS system and create the infrastructure for RFID.
• Set, measure, and monitor KPIs to assess success of transportation and distribution services.
• Set up metrics for each operation to assure efficiency and consistent quality standards (ISO).
• Negotiate contracts for multiple support programs including outside storage, labor, LTL, FTL and dedicate hauling.
• Obtain and compare quotes from various freight forwarders to provide the most cost effective way to import and export shipments.
• Develop and implement strategies to restructure LTL carrier relationships and pricing.
• Formulate and implant KPIs improving productivity and accuracy resulting in elimination of night shift and its staff.

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Logistics director skills and personality traits We calculated that 16% of Logistics Directors are proficient in Supply Chain, Continuous Improvement, and Logistics Operations. They're also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Leadership skills, and Management skills.

We break down the percentage of Logistics Directors that have these skills listed on their resume here:

• Supply Chain, 16% Led/directed logistics/supply chain/facility operations/21-person-staff/1.6K Medical equipment/ inventory and acquisition management/$81M
Provide overall leadership in the areas of operational performance, budget management, customer relations, continuous improvement and staff development.
• Logistics Operations, 4% Direct inbound or outbound logistics operations to include transportation, warehouse activities, safety performance, or logistics quality management.
• Customer Service, 4% Coordinated service requests and directed service repair function to support customer service metrics for efficient performance and customer advocacy.
• Project Management, 4% Developed project management/job logistics process that enabled supervisor to manage work of 15 subcontractors to meet deadlines and stay within budget.
• Oversight, 4% Led organization's governmental and regulatory compliance office which resulted in no violation findings during federal oversight inspections.
"supply chain," "continuous improvement," and "logistics operations" are among the most common skills that logistics directors use at work. You can find even more logistics director responsibilities below, including:

Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a logistics director to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "top executives must be able to convey information clearly and persuasively." Logistics directors often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "selected to lead process improvement, coordination and the integration of communications, engineering and transportation supply chains. "

Leadership skills. Another essential skill to perform logistics director duties is leadership skills. Logistics directors responsibilities require that "top executives must be able to shape and direct an organization by coordinating policies, people, and resources." Logistics directors also use leadership skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "directed division's customer logistics program, strategy, development, negotiation, and leadership of collaborative supply chain engagements. "

Problem-solving skills. logistics director responsibilities often require "problem-solving skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "top executives need to identify and resolve issues within an organization." This resume example shows what logistics directors do with problem-solving skills on a typical day: "developed and maintained a full complement of third-party logistics applications and solutions for existing and new customers. "

Time-management skills. A commonly-found skill in logistics director job descriptions, "time-management skills" is essential to what logistics directors do. Logistics director responsibilities rely on this skill because "top executives do many tasks concurrently to ensure that their work gets done and that the organization meets its goals." You can also see how logistics director duties rely on time-management skills in this resume example: "achieved major cost reductions based on knowledge of forwarding industry while maintaining delivery deadlines and improving service at all logistic levels. "

Choose from 10+ customizable logistics director resume templates Build a professional logistics director resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can Logistics director vs. Supply chain manager A supply chain manager is an individual who takes responsibility for managing hardware, equipment, and any other logistical details of an organization. Supply chain managers work alongside the external partners for parts and raw material procurement. They make sure that global companies coordinate with their sources of goods. These professionals also assess their suppliers and negotiate corporate contracts with vendors. The skills they needed include technical understanding, project management, cost accounting skills, and business ethics.

If we compare the average logistics director annual salary with that of a supply chain manager, we find that supply chain managers typically earn a $8,414 lower salary than logistics directors make annually.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both logistics director and supply chain manager positions are skilled in supply chain, continuous improvement, and customer service. While similarities exist, there are also some differences between logistics directors and supply chain manager. For instance, logistics director responsibilities require skills such as "logistics operations," "oversight," "logistics support," and "tms." Whereas a supply chain manager is skilled in "logistics," "strong project management," "digital transformation," and "lean six sigma . click apply for full job details