Career profile for Logistics Operations Manager

What does a Logistics Operations Manager do?

Logistics Operations Managers plan, direct, or coordinate transportation, storage, or distribution activities in accordance with organizational policies and applicable government laws or regulations.

In addition, Logistics Operations Managers includes logistics managers.

What kind of tasks does a Logistics Operations Manager perform regularly?

Logistics Operations Managers are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following tasks:

Supervise the activities of workers engaged in receiving, storing, testing, and shipping products or materials.
Plan, develop, or implement warehouse safety and security programs and activities.
Inspect physical conditions of warehouses, vehicle fleets, or equipment and order testing, maintenance, repairs, or replacements.
Plan, organize, or manage the work of subordinate staff to ensure that the work is accomplished in a manner consistent with organizational requirements.
Collaborate with other departments to integrate logistics with business systems or processes, such as customer sales, order management, accounting, or shipping.
Analyze all aspects of corporate logistics to determine the most cost-effective or efficient means of transporting products or supplies.
Resolve problems concerning transportation, logistics systems, imports or exports, or customer issues.
Develop and document standard and emergency operating procedures for receiving, handling, storing, shipping, or salvaging products or materials.
Monitor operations to ensure that staff members comply with administrative policies and procedures, safety rules, union contracts, environmental policies, or government regulations.
Analyze the financial impact of proposed logistics changes, such as routing, shipping modes, product volumes or mixes, or carriers.
Monitor inventory levels of products or materials in warehouses.
Establish or monitor specific supply chain-based performance measurement systems.
Prepare and manage departmental budgets.
Prepare management recommendations, such as proposed fee and tariff increases or schedule changes.
Monitor product import or export processes to ensure compliance with regulatory or legal requirements.
Analyze expenditures and other financial information to develop plans, policies, or budgets for increasing profits or improving services.
Advise sales and billing departments of transportation charges for customers' accounts.
Interview, select, and train warehouse and supervisory personnel.
Implement specific customer requirements, such as internal reporting or customized transportation metrics.
Maintain metrics, reports, process documentation, customer service logs, or training or safety records.
Confer with department heads to coordinate warehouse activities, such as production, sales, records control, or purchasing.
Examine invoices and shipping manifests for conformity to tariff and customs regulations.
Plan or implement energy saving changes to transportation services, such as reducing routes, optimizing capacities, employing alternate modes of transportation, or minimizing idling.
Evaluate contractors or business partners for operational efficiency or safety or environmental performance records.
Negotiate with carriers, warehouse operators, or insurance company representatives for services and preferential rates.
Develop or implement plans for facility modification or expansion, such as equipment purchase or changes in space allocation or structural design.

The above responsibilities are specific to Logistics Operations Managers. More generally, Logistics Operations Managers are involved in several broader types of activities:

Activities	Importance	Details
Making Decisions and Solving Problems		Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates		Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Getting Information		Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work		Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Working with Computers		Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems

Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates

Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Getting Information

Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work

Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

Working with Computers

Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

What is a Logistics Operations Manager salary?

The median salary for a Logistics Operations Manager is $96,390, and the average salary is $105,100. Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the Logistics Operations Manager salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.

Many Logistics Operations Managers earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors. About 10% of Logistics Operations Managers earn less than $56,970 per year, 25% earn less than $73,700, 75% earn less than $126,560, and 90% earn less than $164,140.

Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of Logistics Operations Managers is expected to change by 8.3%, and there should be roughly 11,800 open positions for Logistics Operations Managers every year.

Median annual salary: $96,390
Typical salary range: $56,970 - $164,140
Projected growth (2020 - 2030): 8.3%

What personality traits are common among Logistics Operations Managers?

Interests

Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.

Compared to most occupations, those who work as a Logistics Operations Manager are usually higher in their Enterprising and Conventional interests.

Logistics Operations Managers typically have very strong Enterprising interests. Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Also, Logistics Operations Managers typically have strong Conventional interests. Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Values

People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Compared to most people, those working as a Logistics Operations Manager tend to value Relationships, Working Conditions, and Independence.

Most importantly, Logistics Operations Managers strongly value Relationships. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.

Second, Logistics Operations Managers strongly value Working Conditions. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions.

Lastly, Logistics Operations Managers strongly value Independence. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

Psychological Demands

Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.

In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as Logistics Operations Managers must consistently demonstrate qualities such as dependability, integrity, and leadership.

Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Logistics Operations Managers, ranked by importance:

Demands	Importance	Details
Dependability		Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Integrity		Job requires being honest and ethical.
Leadership		Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Stress Tolerance		Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
Attention to Detail		Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Dependability

Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Integrity

Job requires being honest and ethical.

Leadership

Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.

Stress Tolerance

Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.

Attention to Detail

Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

What education and training do Logistics Operations Managers need?

Many Logistics Operations Managers will have a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Logistics Operations Managers usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Educational degrees among Logistics Operations Managers

5.9% did not complete high school or secondary school
29.4% completed high school or secondary school
25.6% completed some college coursework
9.9% earned a Associate's degree
22.1% earned a Bachelor's degree
6.5% earned a Master's degree
0.6% earned a doctorate or professional degree

Knowledge and expertise required by Logistics Operations Managers

Logistics Operations Managers may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as transportation, administration and management, or customer and personal service knowledge.

The list below shows several areas in which most Logistics Operations Managers might want to build proficiency, ranked by importance.

Knowledge areas	Importance	Details
Transportation		Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Administration and Management		Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Customer and Personal Service		Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Mathematics		Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Personnel and Human Resources		Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

Transportation

Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

Administration and Management

Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Customer and Personal Service

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Mathematics

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Personnel and Human Resources

Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

Important Abilities needed by Logistics Operations Managers

Logistics Operations Managers must develop a particular set of abilities to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.

For example, Logistics Operations Managers need abilities such as oral comprehension, written comprehension, and oral expression in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Logistics Operations Managers, ranked by their relative importance.

Abilities	Importance	Details
Oral Comprehension		The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Written Comprehension		The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Oral Expression		The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity		The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Written Expression		The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Oral Comprehension

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Written Comprehension

The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Oral Expression

The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Problem Sensitivity

The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.

Written Expression

The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Critical Skills needed by Logistics Operations Managers

Skills are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.

Logistics Operations Managers frequently use skills like speaking, critical thinking, and reading comprehension to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Logistics Operations Managers, ranked by their relative importance.

Skills	Importance	Details
Speaking		Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking		Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension		Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Monitoring		Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Active Listening		Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Monitoring

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

What is the source of this information?

The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this information, please send a message.

Career profile Logistics Operations Manager

Logistics Operations Manager

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