Department: Logistics & Dispatch
Designation: Head - Supply Chain / Sr. Manager / AGM / DGM
Reporting To: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Location: Phaltan, Satara District, Maharashtra
Position Overview
The Head of Logistics & Dispatch leads all strategic and ground operations across outbound transportation, finished goods (FG) warehousing, depot/hub distribution, and customer fulfillment services. Based at the Phaltan plant and reporting directly to the CEO, this role is responsible for driving daily vehicle route planning, lowering transportation freight costs, modernizing warehouse workflows via WMS and SAP, and maintaining healthy working relationships with 3PL carriers, local transport unions, and statutory bodies.
Key Result Areas & Accountabilities
Daily Route Planning & Freight Cost Optimization: Plan, analyse, and execute optimized daily route plans for short-distance and long-distance transport to keep transit times sharp and freight costs to a minimum.
Transportation & Carrier Management: Oversee cost-effective distribution of finished products, conduct vendor evaluation and performance reviews, and build robust working relationships with 3PL logistics partners, local transport bodies (Vahatuk Sanstha), and relevant government departments.
Finished Goods Warehousing & WMS: Design and standardise Warehouse Management System (WMS) workflows, enforce safe storage and handling procedures for finished inventory, and conduct ongoing training for the warehouse workforce.
Inventory Control & Audit Accuracy: Continuously monitor inventory accuracy between physical floor stocks and ERP system records to prevent variances, shortages, transit damages, or stock expiries.
Inter-Departmental Coordination: Partner closely with the Production Team to streamline finished goods handovers, maintain optimal inventory levels, and coordinate with Sales and Distributor channels to ensure on-time order fulfillment.
ERP & Performance Analytics: Use SAP system tools to supervise stock movements, delivery schedules, and freight expenses, utilizing IT metrics and operational data to assess performance and implement systematic upgrades.
Regulatory Compliance & Global Standards: Ensure end-to-end transport operations comply with state and national motor vehicle laws, ISO standards, and relevant export-import guidelines.
Detailed Roles & Responsibilities
Strategically lead and supervise end-to-end operations across logistics, finished goods warehouses, daily dispatch, and customer service delivery.
Plan vehicle deployment on a daily basis, selecting the right mix of dedicated fleets and market vehicles for both primary and secondary distribution.
Supervise, coach, motivate, and train the warehouse and dispatch staff to build high operational efficiency and safety.
Allocate staffing, handling equipment, and loading dock resources dynamically according to shift requirements and seasonal dispatch spikes.
Monitor key performance indicators including on-time deliveries, vehicle turnaround times, freight cost per kilogram/litre, and loading accuracy.
Promptly address and resolve transit bottlenecks, transporter breakdowns, delivery disputes, or customer complaints related to goods transportation.
Formulate forward-looking supply chain strategies to adapt to new market geographies, cold-chain distribution demands, and changing business constraints.
Required Candidate Profile
Educational Qualifications:
Candidates must hold a full-time Graduate degree along with a Master's degree in Business Management (MBA / MMS / PGDM) specializing in Operations Management, Supply Chain Management, or Logistics.
Work Experience:
A total of 15 to 20 years of professional experience is required, with at least 15 years of relevant hands-on leadership experience in plant logistics, dispatch, or supply chain management within a manufacturing enterprise. Exposure to dairy, FMCG, food processing, beverage, or perishable cold-chain logistics is strongly preferred.
Software & Technical Skills:
Proven operational fluency in standard logistics software and ERP systems, specifically hands-on experience using SAP for stock control, dispatch planning, and transportation accounting. Working familiarity with WMS implementations and import/export documentation is an added advantage.
Behavioral & Leadership Attributes:
Strong leadership skills to guide on-ground labor and executive teams, seasoned negotiation skills for vendor contracts, solid commercial awareness, and sharp analytical ability for route and inventory problem solving. Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the flexibility to drive change management are essential.