Transport Planning Manager - Secondary Distribution

Vector Logistics; Durban; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 800,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in supply chain management seeks a Supply Chain Manager to optimize operational efficiency and customer satisfaction through strategic execution and cost-effective transport management. Candidates must possess a postgraduate degree in logistics and extensive experience in supply chain management.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 to 8 years in various areas of the supply chain.
• Experience in multi-drop transport management advantageous.
• Valid Code EB drivers' licence required.

Responsibilities

• Manage the execution of loads to meet customer service requirements.
• Work with cross-functional teams to achieve strategic targets.
• Drive cost reduction through optimal routing and scheduling.

Skills

Financial management

Planning

Negotiation

Relationship building

Problem solving

Analytical thinking

Education

Postgraduate degree in logistics management

Tools

MS Office

SAP

Job description

Permanent

Thekweni

Overview

We are a Supply Chain and Sales & Merchandising partner adding value to your business through a fully integrated, temperature-controlled network in Southern Africa.

But we are also more than that. We are people serving people. While we boast the best in tech and infrastructure, our people are our greatest resource. With our skilled, curious, can-do people at the forefront, our assets become your assets, our service your solutions.

Vector’s vehicle fleet includes a food industry first in ‘multi-temperature’ vehicles enabling the company to service business across frozen, chilled and ambient temperature zones on a single delivery.

Job Purpose

To manage the execution of loads to meet customer service requirements in the most cost-effective manner.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy Execution

• Work closely with cross-functional management teams to ensure the delivery of an integrated supply chain benefit and strategic target achievement.
• Influence and advise on tactics to maximise the delivery of key strategic distribution targets.
  
  

Operational Planning

• Manage the efficient execution of transport on a daily basis – in particular of secondary distribution loads.
• Assist Transport Managers & National Transport Manager to manage the optimal execution of transport plans in secondary fleets.
• Work with the planning teams to ensure that they maintain the lowest distribution cost profile through creating the lowest route to market cost for the outbound supply chain.
• Set, evaluate and deliver distribution cost targets across the outbound supply chain through cross functional meetings and collaboration.
• Identify and deliver operational cost reduction and cost avoidance initiatives. Interface with the primary and secondary transport management regarding routing and scheduling issues.
• Identify key transport cost drivers.
• Work with suppliers and customers planning routes and scheduling delivery times.
• Utilise regular communication channels and team meetings to promote continuous improvement and best practice on a daily basis across the team.
• Build the business case for change arising from identified opportunities in existing business processes resulting from the analysis of routing, inventory, costs and network information.
• Drive agreed change initiatives through collaboration and cross functional teamwork.
  
  

New Business Take-on Planning

• Identify new customer take-on requirements and plan the best fit into the existing network.
• Provide input into customer negotiations to the Managing Exec: ICSC to integrate into SLAs.
• Drive team buy-in to new customer take-on requirements and new business implementation plans.
• Assist the business in determining fleet requirements and least cost routing options to facilitate new business take-on.
• Identify opportunities to take on new business to reduce the overall cost of transport, e.g. through exploiting backhaul opportunities.
  
  

Information and Data Management

• Evaluate all data entered into the system and, where necessary, provide recommendations to upgrade the information data system.
• Work with the Network Planner and Managing Exec to develop a comprehensive route analysis model using maps and other tools; creating several routes and comparing the results.
• Analyse and interpret data into meaningful management information and prepare reports, research, and maps for executive decision-making, particularly in the evaluation of new business opportunities.
• Use distribution data to ensure lowest cost route to market.
• Prepare and present scorecards for all customers, suppliers and Vector on agreed KPIs and against SLAs.
  
  

Technical Expertise

• Provide transport planning and executional expertise in cross functional business meetings with colleagues and external suppliers to enable relevant decision making.
• Participate in external forums to acquire more technical expertise, benchmark and build understanding of government’s transportation network plans and sector trends and movements.
  
  

Financial Management

• Manage costs to ensure lowest cost of distribution and the optimal utilisation of assets Monitor and report on a monthly basis on actual targets versus budget and work with the team to address and areas of non-conformance or concern proactively and timeously.
• Drive Business profitability and meet monthly and annual targets.
• Assist in setting budget and quarterly forecasts.
  
  

Supplier Management

• Manage all service providers on a daily, monthly and annual basis against agreed SLAs including service delivery and cost.
• Assist the Managing Executive and Sourcing Manager in identifying and evaluating new suppliers.
  
  

Customer Management

• Manage day to day customer interaction and satisfaction against Primary Transport SLAs.
• Represent Vector at customer interactions with existing and potential customers.
• Manage improvement projects jointly agreed with customers.
• Identify cost improvement opportunities and mechanisms for the network and each customer and ensure successful communication and implementation of such, if agreed to by the customer.
  
  

Project Work

• Undertake and lead projects that may be assigned by the business from time- to-time.
  
  

Staff and Team Management

• Identify personnel requirements and participate in the selection process.
• Lead and develop staff within the context of the Labour Relations Act, Employment Equity Act, Basic Conditions of Employment Act and the Skills Development Act.
• Monitor staff performance and provide regular performance feedback.
• Manage staff activities, ensuring service levels are met and protocols are adhered to.
• Coach and support staff where necessary to achieve objectives. Manage staff leave and general time management issues in line with organisational deliverables and standards.
• Manage and deliver on career development and succession plans to enable the development of a future generation of leaders and specialists and ensure optimal turnover and retention levels are maintained.
• Champion staff training and development through the utilisation of available training opportunities or contributing to the development of new training solutions in collaboration with national training specialists.
• Conduct regular performance appraisals with subordinates.
• Establish sound staff and labour organising and communication structures and systems.
• Lead the team towards meeting the strategy and targets through regular communication and utilisation of the full organisational talent management tool set.
• Address poor performance in individuals and teams in accordance with company policy and the relevant legislation.
• Conduct regular meetings and ensure that records are kept and shared across the team and that action plans agreed to within team meetings are delivered upon.
  
  

KPI’s

• Distribution costs.
• Routing efficiencies.
• Scheduling efficiencies.
• Service levels.
• Network Operational Costs.
• Return on assets.
• Performance against strategic benchmarks/targets.
• Tender/quotation successes.
• Accuracy of analysis and modelling.
• Team management.
  
  

Key Relationships

Internal

• Customer.
• Operations.
• PMO.
• Finance department.
  
  

External

• Management of external service providers such as specialised software vendors, against SLAs
• Ad hoc interaction with current and potential clients with respect to routing and scheduling.
  
  

Qualifications And Experience

Qualifications, Skills and Experience Required for the Job

• Minimum of a post graduate degree in logistics management or a qualified industrial engineer.
• Valid Code EB drivers' licence.
• A minimum of 5 to 8 years in various areas of the supply chain (planning, transportation and warehousing).
• Experience in multi-drop transport management would be advantageous.
  
  

Skills and Competencies

• Financial management.
• Planning, organisation and coordination.
• Negotiation.
• Relationship building.
• Computer literacy (MS Office, SAP, i2, ADEXA and CAST).
• Verbal and written communication.
• Interpersonal.
• Logical thinking.
• Innovative and creative thinking.
• Problem solving.
• Critical thinking.
• Decision-making.
• Analytical and evaluative thinking.
• Able to synthesize information from disparate sources and deliver comprehensive, balanced and actionable analysis.
• Able to understand and correctly interpret simulation modeling results.
  
  

We look forward to hearing from you!