Logistics Manager - Sweeteners Plus : Job Details

The Logistics Manager plays a pivotal role in overseeing supply chain management, including manufacturing and logistics, while ensuring customers have an exceptional experience across all interactions with the company. This position is responsible for managing the logistics function to create capacity, maximize productivity, and deliver prompt, courteous, and efficient service to customers. In doing so, the Logistics Manager ensures the safe, effective utilization of drivers and equipment, leading to successful order delivery. Beyond logistics, this role emphasizes customer satisfaction and loyalty by optimizing processes and enhancing communication throughout the customer journey. The Logistics Manager collaborates closely with the Production and Safety Departments while working to identify and resolve customer pain points, improve satisfaction levels, and elevate the overall customer experience. By blending expertise in supply chain management with a commitment to customer-centric strategies, this role contributes to both operational excellence and outstanding customer relationships. Essential Functions Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

• Promote positive company and department culture. Provide professional, courteous interaction with external and internal customers, ensuring a positive customer experience at every touchpoint.
• Lead and develop the dispatch team to ensure our 24/7 Northeastern business model is supported at the highest capacity, with a focus on delivering exceptional customer service.
  • Plans and supervises shipments from order acceptance, production, transit, and delivery, including paperwork flow from start to finish, ensuring customer expectations are met.
  • Schedules drivers and coaches dispatchers to arrange efficient pick-up and delivery schedules to promote improved driver and equipment utilization, enhancing customer satisfaction.
  • Anticipates potential complications along routes and at the drivers' destinations; communicates delays and route changes as necessary. Directs dispatchers to maintain consistent contact with drivers; receive and dispatch response and emergency aid when needed, keeping customers informed.
  • Ensures maximum productivity by successfully routing vehicles and requiring autonomy, initiative, and independent thinking, all while prioritizing customer needs.
  • Engage third-party carriers as applicable to business needs; ensure delivery and customer service expectations are consistently met.

Collaborate often with our parent company, ASR Group, on customer service, reporting needs, fleet operation, expansion, and the distribution of products.

• Maintains and reviews operation records:
  • Manages the gathering and maintaining of documentation for pick-ups (scheduled, missed, extra pick-ups), route completions, and driver locations. Maintain driver accountability for service and paperwork policies and procedures, ensuring accurate and timely information for customers.
  • Monitors daily logs for errors and/or compliance violations. Coaches dispatchers regarding driver hours of service compliance as well as complying with company policies and procedures. (Ensure compliance with federal and state laws and regulations.)
  • Define, develop, and report on metrics to measure business performance for logistics service results, with a focus on customer satisfaction metrics.

• Partner with the Sr. Manager of Fleet and Logistics to support:
  • A growth-focused capital equipment plan.
  • Assists maintenance and facilities in driver and trailer capacity, including tracking equipment PM and maintenance schedules, ensuring minimal disruption to customer service.
  • Oversees equipment availability; assigns drivers, trucks, and extra drivers when needed, ensuring customer delivery schedules are met.
  • Communicates with maintenance shop personnel and occasionally serves as an emergency point of contact for mechanical downtime and other issues, keeping customers informed of any potential delays.
• Assists Sales and Accounting in managing customer contracts and promoting efficient and accurate invoicing, ensuring customer satisfaction with billing processes.
• Works in conjunction with Human Resources to:
  • Maintain driver records and keep personnel in compliance with drug testing, medical certifications, license renewals, etc.
  • Supports driver payroll in review and approval of weekly payroll submission; ensures pay is entered accurately (includes ADP punched time, trip sheets, and time off.)
  • Monitor driver performance issues or concerns and assist in appropriate resolution, ensuring drivers are equipped to provide excellent customer service.

• Create an improvement-minded approach to logistics management:
  • Evaluate new technology and process improvement opportunities, focusing on enhancing the customer experience.
  • Evaluate training needs and implement a training program. Schedules and plans company meetings and training sessions for drivers and driver supervisors, emphasizing customer service excellence.

• Establish and when needed, participate in a rotating on-call schedule providing support after customary business hours, ensuring continuous customer and driver support.

Supervisory responsibilities

• Assists in recruitment and retention activities to include interviewing, hiring, training, and coaching, ensuring new hires are aligned with customer service goals and can effectively manage driver interactions.
• Provides constructive and timely performance evaluations of staff in the department, focusing on customer service and driver management, ensuring staff are equipped to enhance the customer experience.
• Oversees the daily workflow of assigned departments, ensuring smooth operations and customer satisfaction, with a focus on efficient driver management.
• Manage paid time off for the drivers, ensuring adequate coverage to meet customer needs and maintain high service standards.
• In coordination with Human Resources, handles discipline and termination of employees in accordance with company policy, maintaining a focus on equitable leadership, customer service values, and effective driver management.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, and high attention to detail.
• Independent thinker, positive personality, and a take charge attitude.
• Ability to step in, and act as Dispatcher or Customer Experience Delivery Specialist as needed
• Strong leadership skills to ensure drivers' compliance with direction and assignments.
• Accepts accountability for self and assigned drivers regarding compliance with state and federal regulatory requirements and/or company policies and procedures.
• Proficient with or able to quickly learn dispatch and recordkeeping systems.
• Ability to work at a fast pace and under pressure.
• Thorough understanding of the logistics industry.
• Expert Knowledge of Office 365 products
• Strong preference for Business Intelligence platform experience.

Required Education and Experience

• BA in Business, Supply Chain, Logistics, Operations or the work equivalent
• 7-10 years' experience working in logistics or operations
• Customer Service experience preferred

Work Environment and Physical Demands

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer (including keyboarding.)
• Ability to stand, crouch or kneel at times.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

Compensation

• The annual base salary range for this position is $90,000 to $130,000
• Affordable health, vision, and dental insurance plans - Eligible 1st day of month following date of hire.
• $600 wellness reimbursement to be used for your health and mental well-being
• Free health savings account with employer contribution
• Competitive 401(k) match - fully vested from date of hire!
• 3 weeks paid time off & sick days (pro-rated based on start date)
• 9 paid company holidays and 3 paid personal holidays
• Free basic life insurance up to $150,000
• Free employer-paid short-term and long-term disability coverage
• Employee Assistance Programs
• And more!

Travel required

• The home office for this role is indicated at the top of this job description. Travel to other Ingredients Plus locations may be required as business needs arise.

Affirmative Action/EEO statement We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other category protected under federal, state, or local law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need. Other duties Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.