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- Organise the movement of goods and materials from place to place
- You'll need planning/organisational skills & the ability to motivate/lead a team
- You could progress to senior planning jobs and consultancy work
Supply chains are made up of different operations, from forecasting trends and buying, through to transport and distribution.
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Working with procurement managers and buyers to select products that are in demand and will sell
- Negotiating and managing contracts with suppliers
- Planning the best way to get goods from suppliers to distribution centres and retailers
- Tracking shipments and stock levels using computer software
- Working with retailers to make sure they receive their goods on time and in the right condition
- Looking at ways to improve supply chain networks
- Monitoring overall performance to make sure targets are met
- Preparing forecasts and inventories
- Recruiting, training and managing a team of supply chain staff
- You might also be involved in brand and marketing planning
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
You may work evenings and weekends on a rota basis, or be available on-call to deal with emergencies. Some companies run 24-hour operations involving shift work. You'll usually be office-based but would travel to meet clients. This could include travel overseas.
You'll need
This role would be ideal for someone with planning and organisational skills, the ability to motivate and lead a team, spoken and written communication skills, problem-solving and maths skills and good geographical knowledge.
There are no set requirements, but it's common to do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in logistics, supply chain management, transport management or business management.
If your employer operates overseas it may be useful to speak a foreign language.
You may be able to start on a supply chain advanced or higher apprenticeship, which could lead onto a supply chain leadership degree apprenticeship.
You could also start in a junior role like transport clerk and work your way up through training and promotion.
You can do work-based training courses through The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport.
CAREER PROSPECTS
With experience, you could progress to senior planning jobs and consultancy work.