| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Logistics and Warehousing |
| Level | Senior management |
| Reports to | Vice President Logistics |
| Direct reports | General Manager Logistics, Transport Manager, Freight Manager, Logistics Analyst |
| Experience | 15+ years in logistics with several years leading a multi-region function |
Head of Logistics job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Head of Logistics
Department: Logistics and Warehousing
Reports to: Vice President Logistics
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Head of Logistics owns the logistics function across the whole company. They set the network strategy, choose transport and 3PL partners, standardise ways of working across sites, and hold total logistics cost and service levels. Unlike a regional General Manager, the Head works across all regions: designing lanes, approving technology such as transport and warehouse systems, and setting the cost and SLA standards that regional teams run to. A good one turns logistics from a cost centre into a reliable service.
Key responsibilities
- Set the national logistics strategy for transport, warehousing and distribution, and align it with sales and supply plans.
- Design the network of warehouses, hubs and lanes to balance service level against total delivered cost.
- Build the carrier and 3PL strategy, run tenders, and govern partner rates, service and claims across regions.
- Set common standard operating procedures, service levels and cost benchmarks that every site runs to.
- Approve logistics technology such as transport and warehouse management systems, and lead the rollout across sites.
- Review regional performance monthly on cost per unit, on-time delivery and inventory health, and close gaps.
- Plan network capacity for new launches, seasonal peaks and new geographies with the sales team.
- Govern safety, insurance and statutory compliance for transport and storage across the whole network.
- Own the logistics cost line in the annual plan and report movements to the leadership team each quarter.
- Build the leadership bench, hire regional heads, and set development plans for managers across the function.
Requirements
- Graduate in engineering, commerce or a related field
- MBA in operations or supply chain, or equivalent experience
- Certification in supply chain, such as CSCP, is an advantage
- 15+ years in logistics with several years leading a multi-region function
KRAs and KPIs for a Head of Logistics
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Total logistics cost | Company logistics cost per unit reduced against the prior year baseline |
| Service level | Network on-time delivery above 96 percent measured across all regions |
| Partner governance | Contracted carriers and 3PLs meeting rate and SLA terms above 95 percent |
| Standardisation | All sites operating to the common SOP and audited at least twice a year |
| Technology adoption | Transport and warehouse systems live and used at every planned site by target date |
| Capability | Every region led by a confirmed manager with a documented development plan |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Transport management systems, Warehouse management systems, SAP ERP, Advanced Excel, Network design tools.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Vice President Logistics, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Chief Operating Officer
Interview questions for a Head of Logistics
- How do you decide the right number and location of warehouses for a national network?
- What does your carrier tender process look like from scope to award?
- How do you standardise operations across sites that each think they are different?
- Which logistics metrics belong on a leadership dashboard, and how often should they be reviewed?
- Describe a network or mode change you led and the cost and service impact it delivered.
- How do you build a case for a transport or warehouse management system to the board?
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What does a Head of Logistics do?
A Head of Logistics owns the logistics function for a whole company. They design the warehouse and transport network, set carrier and 3PL strategy, standardise operations across sites, approve logistics technology, and hold total cost and service levels. They lead regional heads and report the logistics cost line to the leadership team.
What is the difference between a Head of Logistics and a General Manager Logistics?
A General Manager Logistics runs operations and the profit and loss for one region. A Head of Logistics works across all regions, setting the network design, partner strategy, standards and technology that the regions follow. The Head decides the model for the whole company; the General Manager delivers it in a region.
What skills make a good Head of Logistics?
Network design, carrier and 3PL strategy, cost modelling and the ability to standardise operations across many sites. Add strong data skills to read cost and service trends, experience rolling out transport and warehouse systems, and the leadership to build a bench of regional heads. Calm decision making during peaks matters too.