Ostara - Saint Louis, MO
posted 2 days ago
About the position
The Logistics/Customer Service Manager role is designed to lead and execute outbound logistics, inventory management/movements, and customer service in order to ensure business needs/KPIs are met and service delivery across all areas are safe, controlled and of high quality. The position is responsible for rail car and warehouse management, along with scheduling outbound shipments for both rail and truck. Additionally, the position is responsible for inventory movements from the company's production facility to customer locations, into off-site storage and into warehouses. The Logistics/Customer Service Manager is responsible to ensure a clear and robust customer service process is managed to ensure responsiveness to customer requirements: processing orders in a timely and accurate manner and ensuring accurate and timely invoicing. This is a hands-on position that requires engagement at all levels of the organization and across multiple departments.
Responsibilities
- Responsible for short- and long-term logistics planning and execution to safely and cost-effectively deliver products
- Set and get agreement on the annual logistics budget
- Manage logistics performance to ensure on-time delivery and customer satisfaction
- Ensure all necessary certifications are complied with and maintained
- Ensure compliance with all country, regional, and local laws and regulations for the transport and shipment of products
- Ensure reliable supply chains for rail, truck and warehouses are in place and adhered to at all times
- Ensure the impact of demurrage is minimized and recovery from 3rd parties is achieved wherever possible
- Responsible for ensuring, through designed processes and strong leadership, that deliveries are on time and risks are mitigated
- Ensure, through designed processes and leadership, that all invoicing is accurate, 100% of the time to customers
- Ensure, through individual/team development and leadership, that a customer focused and responsive supply chain and customer service team is in place
- Responsible for the daily working relationship with the sales and operations teams
- Coordinate inventory movements in conjunction with operations team's needs
- Schedule, set agendas, and coordinate key operations/commercial meetings
- Leverage expertise within company to problem solve or identify improvements
- Coordinate with Nutrient Recovery Systems operations for municipal site offtake
- Manage and direct the procurement of logistics services for Ostara
- Ensure competitive bids and manage contracts for truck, rail, rail car leases, and warehouse
- Ensure maximum logistics asset utilization, by ensuring assets are available in the right location and at the right time
- Determine the optimal customer sourcing from production and inventory locations to minimize logistics costs and to meet or exceed on-time delivery performance expectations
- Optimize the distribution network by adding new warehouse locations or closing existing warehouse locations
- Determine optimal rail fleet size and rail car lease expirations to minimize overall rail fleet costs
- Responsible for integrating the logistics activities into Ostara and network with stakeholders
- Benchmark logistics costs and identify opportunities to consolidate spend
- Lead the team and give insights to the business through a deep understanding of the costs and market trends, which ensure accurate costs are in the business margin models
- Collaborate with the IT team and external vendors to ensure smooth technology rollouts and address operational challenges.
Requirements
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills with a proven ability to create and maintain positive working relationships with transportation providers, shippers, and customers
- Exceptional customer service philosophy
- Strong strategic development and leadership skills
- Extensive knowledge of tactics, negotiation, and contracting skills
- Extensive knowledge of logistics and inventory management and related software
- Well organized, detail-oriented, and able to multi-task
- Thorough understanding of company products and logistics
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with ability to establish processes, procedures, and execute the flow of goods for the organization
- Self-confident and self-motivated person able to prioritize and focus on the completion of key targets, and comfortable in a fast paced, growth oriented, results driven organization that can change directions based on company needs
- Advanced PC skills (specifically Excel, Power Point & Word) including knowledge and hands-on experience with ERP/MRP systems
- Ability to travel to US and Canadian offices, manufacturing sites, and customer locations
Nice-to-haves
- Previous experience working in an agricultural manufacturing environment, with fertilizer experience preferred
Benefits
- Equal opportunity employer
