Logistics Supervisor Job Description, Duties, and Responsibilities

This post presents detailed information on the logistics supervisor job description, including the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities they commonly perform.

It also highlights the major requirements you may be expected to meet to be hired for the logistics supervisor role by most employers/recruiters.

What Does a Logistics Supervisor Do?

Logistics supervisors are majorly responsible for overseeing the shipment and delivery of goods and warehouse personnel. They mainly work in warehouse settings for retailers and wholesalers.

Their job description involves managing the loading of trucks, setting up delivery routes, and unloading of materials.

They also manage inventory, establish and maintain communication with suppliers, custom brokers, carriers, and others involved in the shipping and delivery of merchandise.

They must attend to many tasks to ensure that goods are shipped and delivered in a timely manner and that the inventory levels are sufficiently maintained.

The logistics supervisor’s role also entails overseeing transportation of goods from one warehouse location to another, ensuring it arrives safely and on time.

They also arrange product pickups and deliveries with transportation companies as well as route drivers accordingly.

They typically conduct cost analysis of several transportation companies in order to select a more cost effective option, and are also able to manage the reception and storage of shipment.

As part of their duties, supervisors of logistics communicate with trucking companies, warehouse supervisors, custom brokers, sales forces, and customers.

They must ensure that all parties work together to guarantee that shipments are packed, sent and delivered in a timely manner.

They study client or customer needs and manage inventory based on these needs. This often includes analyzing product orders to research the need for keeping certain items in stock.

Logistics supervisor work description also involves reordering products as needed to maintain sufficient inventory levels.

To work in this position requires minimum of a bachelor’s degree in fields such as supply chain management, business, and industrial engineering.

The qualities you need for success in the career include organization and customer service skills, ability to meet demands on short deadlines, strong communication skill, and team work ability in order to motivate and manage various individuals to work together and achieve set goals and objectives.

Logistics Supervisor Job Description Example/Template

Logistics supervisors perform various functions that ensure goods are shipped and delivered within schedule.

The tasks, duties, and responsibilities majorly performed by logistics supervisors are shown in the job description example below:

• Manage and coordinate the organization, staffing, and operational activities for district warehouses and stores
• Participate in the development and implementation of goals, objectives, policies, and priorities of the organization
• Direct and review work plan for assigned staff
• Implement appropriate safety guidelines and investigate injuries or unsafe conditions
• Monitor storeroom and warehouse material usage
• Provide assistance in warehouse space utilization by designing facility layouts to achieve maximum storage efficiency
• Develop delivery schedules and drop shipment strategies
• Maintain accurate records and files of inventory usage
• Meet with staff to identify and resolve problems
• Select, train, motivate, and evaluate assigned personnel
• Implement discipline and termination procedures
• Prepare and present staff reports and other correspondence as appropriate and necessary
• Assist with budget preparation and administration
• Coordinate warehousing and storeroom activities with outside agencies and organizations
• Discover new trends and innovations in the fields of warehousing and storage programs.

Requirements – Skills, Abilities, and Knowledge – for Logistics Supervisor Job

If you are applying for the role of logistics supervisor, the following are common requirements you may be asked to meet to be considered for the job in most firms:

• Education and Training: To become a logistics supervisor requires a bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, business, or industrial engineering
• Decision Making: logistics supervisors need good decision making skills to be able to consider the relative cost and benefits of potential actions to decide on the best one
• Communication Skill: They should have excellent communication skill ( both written and verbal) to effectively negotiate with carriers, suppliers, custom brokers, and customers
• System Evaluation: They should be able to identify measures or indicators of system performance that are relative to the goals of the system
• Complex Problem Solving: They should have the ability to identify complex problems and review related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solution.
• Critical Thinking: They need to know how to use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions or approaches to problems.

Conclusion

To hire for the logistics supervisor position, employers need to publish a description of the job for interested individuals to respond to.

If you are recruiting for this role, you can use the sample logistics supervisor job description provided in this post to quickly make one for your company.

With the detailed information of the duties and responsibilities of logistics supervisors contained in this article, you can create a great description for the job that can help you get the best qualified candidates responding to your offer.

This post is also helpful to individuals who are interested in the logistics career. They will learn all they need to know about what the job entails so they can decide if they will be happy doing it.