Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers

Operations & Service Delivery

Level 6639 of 1200 points

Job description

Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers

Job purpose

To plan, direct and coordinate the organisation's transportation, storage and distribution activities and the staff who carry them out, so that goods move and are stored safely and economically within organisational policy and the law governing transport, import and export.

Skills

Knowledge of transport and logistics across air, rail, sea and road, warehousing and inventory practice, warehouse safety and security, customs, tariff and import and export regulation, and the budgeting and management principles needed to run a department. No distribution of qualifications actually held is recorded for this occupation; the occupational classification assumes a four-year degree, several years of related experience and on-the-job training.
Confers with department heads to coordinate warehouse activity with production, sales and purchasing, and integrates logistics with order management, accounting and shipping systems. Negotiates with carriers, warehouse operators and insurers for services and preferential rates, evaluates contractors and business partners, and guides and trains subordinate staff. Contact is by e-mail, telephone, face-to-face discussion and memoranda, and includes customers who are unpleasant or angry.
Resolves problems of transportation, logistics systems, imports and exports, analyses corporate logistics to find the most cost-effective means of moving goods, and assesses the financial effect of proposed changes to routing, shipping mode, product mix or carrier. Decisions are frequent and taken under pressure of time, and error carries consequences for cost, service and compliance.
Plans and implements warehouse safety and security programmes, documents standard and emergency procedures for storing, shipping and salvaging goods. Reviews invoices, work orders, consumption reports and demand forecasts to estimate peak periods and issue work assignments, and sets own priorities within departmental objectives.
Work is carried out seated at a desk and in a vehicle, and in warehouse areas where common protective equipment such as safety shoes, gloves and hearing protection is worn. Inspection of warehouses, fleet and equipment calls for observation rather than manual work.

Responsibilities

Supervises the workers engaged in receiving, storing, testing and shipping goods. Interviews, selects and trains warehouse and supervisory personnel, schedules their work and monitors their compliance with administrative policy, safety rules, union contracts and government regulation. Carries direct responsibility for the health and safety of those workers.
Prepares and manages departmental budgets and analyses expenditure to develop plans and policies for improving profit and service. Negotiates rates with carriers, warehouse operators and insurers, recommends measures such as fee and tariff increases, and recommends or, where authorised, approves capital expenditure on new equipment or property.
Accountable for the physical condition of warehouses, vehicle fleets and handling equipment: inspects them and orders testing, maintenance, repair or replacement, and plans facility modification or expansion. Monitors inventory levels held in warehouses and sets the procedures under which goods are received, handled, stored, shipped and salvaged.
Owns the department's operating information: maintains metrics, reports, process documentation, customer service logs and training and safety records, and examines invoices and shipping manifests for conformity to tariff and customs regulation. Monitors import and export processes for compliance, where the accuracy of the record is what demonstrates it.

Effort required

Decisions are taken frequently through the working day under pressure of time, with exactness expected in documentation, manifests and figures. Some monitoring work repeats, while route, mode and cost evaluation requires sustained attention; outcomes affect colleagues and company results.
Answerable for the safety of warehouse and transport staff and for service to customers, and handles conflict situations and dealings with people who are unpleasant, angry or discourteous — customers, carriers and staff whose compliance with safety rules must be enforced. Requires composure and consistency in applying rules.
Predominantly seated work at a desk and in an enclosed vehicle, with periods in warehouse areas wearing protective equipment. No lifting or exertion is evidenced.

Working conditions

Divided between environmentally controlled offices and warehouse areas that are not, where noise is at times distracting and protective equipment is worn, together with time in an enclosed vehicle. No exposure to weather, contaminants or hazardous conditions is recorded. Contact with external customers and the public is frequent, and conflict situations arise.
Time pressure is a standing feature, the consequence of error is material, and competition is felt. Working hours and schedule patterns are not recorded for this occupation, so no shift, seasonal or on-call working is evidenced. Operates with considerable freedom to make decisions, determines own tasks and goals, and answers for outcomes achieved by other workers within organisational policy and legal requirement.

Skills

40% · 231 points▾

KnowledgeLevel 4 of 8
72 of 144 points
Factual and theoretical knowledge in broad contexts within a field of work. The job requires a range of thinking and practical knowledge to find solutions to specific problems in the job or study area.
Interpersonal and communication skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Effective communication and interpersonal relationships. The job holder is required to adapt communication to different audiences and foster trust, cooperation and positive working relationships.
Problem-solving skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Variable problems. The job involves dealing with different kinds of problems that require careful thinking, research into different options or adjusting existing ways of doing things. Guidance and resources may be limited.
Planning and organisational skillsLevel 3 of 5
43 of 72 points
Moderate organisational skills required. The job requires the organising and prioritising of multiple tasks, with some level of adjustment to plans on the basis of changing circumstances or deadlines.
Physical skillsLevel 0 of 5
0 of 72 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any particular physical skills (although there is likely to be some physical activity).

Responsibility

35% · 288 points▾

PeopleLevel 3 of 5
86 of 144 points
Moderate responsibility for people. The job includes overseeing or coordinating the work and well-being of others. This may involve supervising, providing regular support, managing conflicts, responding to an individual's needs and ensuring the personal and professional development of individuals.
Goods and equipmentLevel 4 of 5
67 of 84 points
Considerable responsibility for goods or equipment. The job involves overseeing valuable resources, making sure they are secure, maintained and functioning to meet goals. This includes protecting important physical or natural assets and deciding on the ordering of various equipment and supplies.
InformationLevel 4 of 5
77 of 96 points
Considerable responsibility for information. The job manages large amounts of valuable or sensitive information, deciding what is needed and how it is used and ensuring it is protected.
Financial resourcesLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Moderate responsibility for financial resources. The job requires handling significant financial resources, including managing budgets, overseeing expenditures, being accountable for spending and participating in financial decision-making.

Effort

15% · 79 points▾

Mental effortLevel 3 of 5
36 of 60 points
High level of mental effort. The job involves frequent concentration on complex tasks that require considerable mental effort, such as interpreting complex data.
Psychosocial and emotional effortLevel 3 of 5
43 of 72 points
Moderate psychosocial and emotional effort. The job requires the regular management of emotional responses, such as dealing with sensitive or challenging individuals or situations.
Physical effortLevel 0 of 5
0 of 48 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any physical effort.

Working Conditions

10% · 41 points▾

Environment (physical, psychological or emotional)Level 2 of 5
34 of 84 points
Occasional exposure to hazards or stress. The job involves occasional exposure to mild physical risks (e.g. working with light machinery, occasional noise) or psychosocial risks (e.g. occasional interpersonal conflict or minor repetitive tasks). Exposure occurs two to three times a year.
Organisational environmentLevel 1 of 5
7 of 36 points
Minimal organisational demands. The job requires standard working hours with no night shifts or irregular schedules. There is little or no need for travel or digital connectivity beyond typical working hours.