LOGISTICS COORDINATOR

JOB DESCRIPTION

If you’re a problem solver and enjoy the thrill of juggling many tasks, a career as a Logistics Coordinator might be the right avenue for you!

Logistics Coordinators fall in the realm of Sales and Supply Chain Management, which includes shipping, receiving, transportation, raw material sourcing and management, and inventory tracking. A big part of the job is ensuring that customers are satisfied and receiving all their products as they should be… if they aren’t, that means there’s a greater problem that needs solving to make all the parts of the business seamlessly work together.

Logistics in the food manufacturing industry is huge, this video will give you a better idea of the potential roles and the scope of logistics work across the food industry:

THE WORK ENVIRONMENT

Customer service and communication are extremely important for this role, you’ll be working in an office-like environment responding to emails, processing orders and making lots of phone calls.

Logistics coordinators can work both regular and odd hours depending on the businesses that they’re working work. It’s important for you to be around the office while shipments from your company are being sent and received, and supplies are coming in. But you’ll also need to be available to answer any questions or resolve any issues while your customers are receiving their products. Some businesses work locally, while others ship their products internationally and work in different time zones.

You’ll also get to work on the plant floor checking in on inventory and speaking with the team. During this time you’ll be required to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) appropriate for the areas of the facility you’ll be visiting. You may be exposed to extreme hot or cold environments, or other standard elements of the organization your work with.

FACT: Canada is a world leader in exporting grain and oilseed-based products. “Canada offers access to an abundant supply of different grain and oilseed commodities” (DFAIT, 2009), which has made grain and oilseed milling one of the most significant food processing subsectors.

LOGISTICS COORDINATOR SALARY

Low Range

$37K annually

$19 per hour

Average

$51K+ annually
$26.50 per hour

High Range

$73K+ annually
$37.50 per hour

*Annual salary calculated by 37.5 hr work week, and by a 52 weeks per year

There are many different positions within the area of logistics with lots of opportunities for growth. Sometimes the logistics position is combined with other supply chain management activities or sales activities, this could be local or international depending on the size and scope of the business. For the purpose of this wage calculation, we are focusing on an inbound/ outbound logistics coordinator position.

This tends to be a salaried position receiving standard health and wellness benefits: dental, vision, health, and RRSP contributions. It would also be common for a logistics position to include standard paid vacation and sick days. Again, depending on the organization and the type of business they conduct there’s likely to be some paid travel opportunities and coverage for other expenditures like cell phones, mileage a laptop, etc.

Some cool perks include international travel, bonuses, discounts on company products, flexible working hours and possibly a blended work schedule of at home and in office.

In managerial roles, the annual salary for a logistics manager can be anywhere from $50k – $140k.

LOGISTICS COORDINATOR JOB DUTIES

Here are some of the key responsibilities of the logistics coordinator role:

Providing customer service, including following up with customer inquiries, receiving, processing and managing orders, and ensuring the quality of all products are meeting the customers’ expectations.
Using tracking software to update and maintain customer information, orders, shipments, as well as invoicing and payments.
Coordinating with transportation providers to ensure prompt and proper movement of shipments, also making special shipping arrangements if necessary.
Working closely with internal teams to estimate and order the materials required for production and to coordinate efforts between customer demand and production outputs.
Co-ordinate and monitor logistics of the movement of parts, supplies and materials within the establishment to ensure that supplies, materials and products are shipped and received on schedule
Independently working with all departments of the company to resolve any carrier issues or warehousing issues.
Regularly maintaining contact with transportation companies to ensure timely delivery of orders and shipments via ground, port and/or air
If your organization does business interprovincially or internationally, you’ll need to ensure all required export certification and documentation is issued correctly and maintain all files of export documentation in compliance border regulations.
Ensuring all trade documents including certifications are filed, maintained and/or renewed as necessary
Develop processes that make the supply chain more efficient and organized

BECOMING A LOGISTICS COORDINATOR

Competitiveness & Availability

Being an exceptional communicator is a key attribute of a Logistics Coordinator, you’ll need to be able to talk, write and email with customers, vendors, transportation and your own internal team to make things flow seamlessly. The ability to communicate in multiple languages will give you a competitive edge – this doesn’t necessarily mean English and French, food companies import and export from all over the world, almost any secondary language will assist you in your role. You’ll also need to be relatively tech-savvy to navigate the different software, platforms and communication styles of your various contacts.

The logistics role is a critical role in the food manufacturing industry and thus always in high demand especially as businesses grow and expand. Those who are organized with high attention to detail are likely to be successful as logistics coordinators and should be able to advance in numerous roles.

Advancement Opportunities

There are many different career opportunities in the field of logistics and supply chain management, this is a field that is measured by performance, problem solving and experience with different logistics situations. As you progressively take on new challenges, responsibilities and gain more experience you’ll often have the ability to advance in your role.

Advancement to the supervisory, managerial, director and international positions exist depending on the size and scope of the organization you work for. Additionally, skills from one position or industry can be used to secure higher roles as your career progresses. Fluency in multiple languages is advantageous.

Education

Typically, employers are seeking individuals with a combination of education and experience to fulfill the logistics coordinator role. Education-wise, ideal candidates will have a diploma or degree in business, supply chain management, international business or another associated field of study. Some employers even consider an education in finance and accounting, project management, etc.

As this is a multi-faceted role and there are many areas of experience and skillsets that employers are willing to consider, such as: a background in sales administration, customer service, experience in warehousing, importing and exporting experience, manufacturing experience, shipping and receiving, finance, etc.

Any education in the food manufacturing industry or awareness of regulations is highly attractive to employers. You may want to consider some short courses in food safety and other industry-related topics, such as:

Introduction to Preventive Control Plans (PCP)
Introduction to HACCP
Global and third-party certifications
Distribution and Warehousing
Food Safety & Food Spoilage
Food Safety Auditor training
Quality Control and Quality Assurance in the food manufacturing industry

In the food manufacturing industry, employers may accept individuals for the logistics role without any formal education, allowing you to learn on the job.