Distribution Planner

DHL Global Forwarding; Cork; On-site; EUR 50,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

DHL Global Forwarding in Cork is seeking a Distribution Planner to coordinate multimodal shipments, manage documentation, and forecast future demand. You will work closely with planning, customer service and other departments to ensure timely and cost-effective delivery while maintaining strict regulatory compliance.

Ideal candidates bring 3–5 years of logistics experience, strong Excel and BI skills, and knowledge of GDP/GMP where possible.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Logistics, Supply Chain Management, or related field.
• 3–5 years in logistics, distribution planning, or supply chain roles.
• Experience with SAP, BI tools, and MS Office applications is advantageous.
• Strong Excel and data analysis skills.
• Knowledge of GDP, GMP or GxP would be advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and track multimodal shipments to optimize routes and carriers.
• Prepare and manage shipping documents, ensuring regulatory compliance.
• Develop and adjust shipping forecasts based on demand analysis.
• Generate and analyse KPIs for planning and distribution to drive improvements.
• Collaborate with planning, customer service and other departments to align with business goals.
• Serve as the primary contact for customer inquiries related to shipping and distribution.

Skills

Logistics planning

Customer liaison

Analytical thinking

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Logistics / Supply Chain Management

Tools

SAP

Power BI

Excel

Smartsheets

Qlik

Job description

Role title

Distribution Planner

Business unit

DHL Global Forwarding

Location

Carrigtwohill Cork, Ireland

Scope of role

• Supply Chain Management
• Multimodal Freight Forwarding
• Customs
• Trade & Compliance
• Finance (Invoicing, Rates, Letters of Credit)
• Customer Service
• Warehousing

Reporting line

Dublin Airfreight Station Manager and Interim Cork Operations Manager

Dotted reporting line

N/A

Direct reports

N/A

Working days and hours

Monday – Friday, 08:30 – 17:00, or such hours as deemed necessary to fulfil the requirements of the role

Key Accountabilities

• Multimodal Freight Forwarding
  Coordinate and track multimodal shipments, optimizing routes and carriers to ensure timely and cost-effective deliveries.
• Shipping Documentation
  Prepare and manage all shipping documents, ensuring compliance with regulations and resolving documentation issues.
• Forecasting
  Develop and adjust shipping forecasts based on supply-demand analysis to support downstream customer demand.
• Reporting
  Generate and analyse KPIs for planning and distribution, providing actionable insights for improvement.
• Collaboration
  Work closely with planning, customer service, and other departments to ensure alignment with business goals and resolve logistics challenges.
• Customer Liaison
  Serve as the primary contact for customer inquiries related to shipping and distribution, ensuring prompt issue resolution.
• Quality Liaison
  Serve as the primary contact for customer inquiries related to shipping and distribution, ensuring prompt issue resolution.
• Quality & Compliance
  Ensure distribution activities meet industry standards and regulations, coordinating with Quality teams to guarantee proper storage and transport.
• Continuous Improvement
  Drive initiatives to enhance distribution processes, improve customer satisfaction, and maintain a lean management approach.
• Operational Compliance
  Ensure operational compliance to all revenue and international trade legislative requirements, and all requirements under Data Protection Legislation in addition to all DHL Global Forwarding Ireland policies and procedures (H&S, Quality, Environmental, HR, etc), and work in a manner that supports the Company environment programme.
• Good Distribution Practice Implementation
  Participate in the implementation of operational processes and perform work to the standards of Good Distribution practice (GDP) for Life Science business, as required.

Competencies

Relationships with others

Communicates openly and honestly, treats others with respect, values diversity, builds trust, maintains effective relationships, stays calm with difficult individuals, and listens well.

Teamwork

Committed to fulfilling their role, supports team members, shares knowledge freely, contributes to team spirit, collaborates to achieve objectives, maintains quality and quantity of work, and motivates colleagues.

Customer orientation

Bases decisions on customer impact, builds and maintains effective relationships, focuses on customer needs, solves problems quickly, and strives to exceed customer expectations.

Problem solving

Identifies issues and opportunities, uses formal techniques to find root causes, evaluates risks, analyses causes and effects, solves problems quickly, establishes effective processes, and communicates solutions.

Commitment to excel

Achieves targets, takes on additional roles, reviews processes, seeks feedback, adheres to DHL's values, embraces change, is flexible, seeks opportunities, provides advice, and keeps skills updated.

Procedural Skills

Organises workload, selects and follows appropriate procedures, meets deadlines, improves existing procedures, and creates new procedures.

Attention to detail

Works accurately with large amounts of data, applies high attention to detail in written documents, and ensures procedural completion.

Experience And Qualifications

Expected experience

• Minimum of 3-5 years’ experience in logistics, distribution planning, or supply chain management, preferably within the pharmaceutical industry.
• Experience working with logistics and supply chain management systems.
• Experience with the following systems would be advantageous: SAP, ComplianceWire, Veeva Vault, Microsoft Office, Qlik, Microsoft Business Intelligence (Power BI), and Smartsheets.

Expected Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Strong understanding of multimodal freight forwarding and international shipping regulations.
• Strong knowledge of inventory management, demand forecasting, and supply chain planning.
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency in data analysis and reporting tools.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to liaise effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Knowledge of pharmaceutical industry regulations, including GDP, GMP and GxP, would be advantageous.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills are essential.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by people assigned to this role. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties performed. The Company reserves the right to revise or amend duties at any time.

We are committed to equal opportunity and reject any forms of discrimination. The basis for employee selection at DHL Group is qualifications, performance, skills and experience.