Head of Logistics: Job description, Salary, Program, and Prospects
A Head of Logistics is a senior operations leader responsible for planning, coordinating, and optimizing the movement, storage, and distribution of goods across an organization’s supply chain. This role oversees transportation, warehousing, inventory management, and fulfillment strategies to ensure products are delivered efficiently, cost-effectively, and on time.
Typically reporting to executive leadership, the Director of Logistics sets logistics strategy, manages vendor and carrier relationships, and implements systems that improve visibility, speed, and reliability. They analyze performance metrics, control logistics budgets, mitigate supply chain risks, and ensure compliance with regulatory and safety standards. In many organizations, the role also leads cross-functional collaboration with procurement, manufacturing, sales, and customer service.
The position requires strong leadership, data-driven decision-making, and deep knowledge of supply chain operations, technology, and global trade. A Director of Logistics plays a critical role in scaling operations, improving customer satisfaction, and maintaining a competitive advantage in industries such as manufacturing, retail, e-commerce, healthcare, and transportation.
The director of logistics position is therefore an essential function in the current economic context. But what are the requirements for this role? What are their missions and what can be expected in terms of career advancement?
What Is a Head of Logistics and what does he do ?
The director of logistics is a senior executive responsible for managing all logistics operations of an organization. Thus, they define the logistics strategy while ensuring its implementation through a dedicated team. They generally work under the authority of the general manager or industrial director, depending on the company's sector and size.
It should be noted that, although the terms are often used interchangeably, the director of logistics is not a supply chain director, and differences exist between the two positions. Thus, the director of logistics focuses specifically on transportation, warehousing, and inventory management, while the supply chain director adopts a more global vision including procurement, production, and distribution.
What Is the Role of a Head of Logistics?
At the Head of logistics department Director of Logistics is responsible for overseeing logistics operations and ensuring efficient, cost-effective movement of goods across the supply chain. This senior role plays a critical part in logistics management, operational performance, and customer satisfaction.
Key Responsibilities of a Director of Logistics:
- Planning and coordinating logistics flows: Organize and optimize the movement of goods from suppliers to end customers
- Inventory supervision: Maintain optimal stock levels to prevent shortages, overstocks, and unnecessary carrying costs
- Cost management: Control and reduce logistics expenses while maintaining high service quality
- Delivery time optimization: Ensure on-time delivery and meet customer service commitments
- Supplier and carrier management: Negotiate contracts, evaluate performance, and manage relationships with logistics partners
- KPI monitoring: Track and analyze key performance indicators to measure efficiency and identify improvement areas
- Project and change management: Lead digital transformation, automation, and continuous improvement initiatives
- Data analysis and optimization: Exploit logistics data to improve forecasting, performance, and decision-making
The Director of Logistics is responsible for overseeing end-to-end logistics operations, aligning strategy, performance metrics, and execution to drive efficiency, reliability, and scalability across the supply chain.
Strategic Challenges and Responsibilities
Beyond simple execution, the director of logistics assumes important responsibilities. Indeed, they must anticipate future needs, adapt the supply chain to technological and regulatory changes, and also optimize routes, reduce energy consumption, and implement sustainable solutions to reduce environmental impacts of the production chain.
Key Indicators to Track
- Customer service rate (%)
- Total logistics cost (% of revenue)
- Inventory turnover (days)
- Warehouse productivity (units/day)
- Delivery compliance rate (%)
- CO2 emissions reduction (%)
What Skills and Qualities to Become a Director of Logistics?
A Director of Logistics must combine advanced technical expertise, strategic leadership, and strong analytical and communication skills to manage complex supply chains efficiently.
Logistics management requires a combination of strategic, operational, and analytical skills. Logistics managers must master the management of supply chains, including procurement, transportation, warehousing, and inventory control, to ensure goods move efficiently from suppliers to customers. Strong planning and coordination skills are essential to organize logistics support operations and maintain service quality under time and cost constraints. Data analysis and performance tracking help optimize processes and reduce risks. In addition, communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills enable logistics managers to work across teams and respond quickly to disruptions. By applying effective strategies, logistics professionals improve efficiency, control costs, enhance customer satisfaction, and ensure reliable, resilient logistics operations across the entire supply chain.
Core Technical Skills for a Director of Logistics
From a technical standpoint, success in this role requires mastery of enterprise and supply chain software, including:
- ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics, Infor, and IFS
- Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) like Manhattan Associates, Blue Yonder, Körber, and Generix
- Transportation Management Systems (TMS) including JDA, Transporeon, Nomads, and Generix
- Business Intelligence and data analytics tools (Tableau, Power BI, QlikView) to track KPIs and performance
- Planning and forecasting software (SAP APO, Blue Yonder, Demand Solutions)
- Simulation and optimization tools (CPLEX, FICO Xpress) for route and cost optimization
- Traceability and compliance solutions (Descartes, TraceLink, Coda)
In addition, a Director of Logistics must have a strong understanding of inventory management, international supply chain standards (ISO), customs regulations, and regulatory compliance.
Managerial and Strategic Skills
On the managerial side, a Director of Logistics must demonstrate:
- Leadership and team management capabilities
- Strategic planning and decision-making under time and cost constraints
- Project management expertise using tools like Monday.com, Asana, or MS Project
- Cross-functional communication skills to align operations, finance, procurement, and sales
- Negotiation skills to manage relationships with suppliers, carriers, and logistics partners
- Proficiency with collaborative tools such as Microsoft Teams, Slack, and SharePoint
Key Personal Qualities and Soft Skills
Beyond technical and managerial skills, personal qualities are critical for long-term success:
- Strong analytical skills and critical thinking to optimize processes
- Anticipation and problem-solving abilities to manage risks and disruptions
- High level of organization and rigor to oversee multiple projects and KPIs
- Reactivity and adaptability in fast-changing logistics environments
- Empathy and people management skills to motivate teams
- Intellectual curiosity to stay updated on logistics, AI, and supply chain innovation
Essential Skills Summary
- Communication skills
- Analytical skills
- Leadership
- Strategic planning
This combination of technical mastery, leadership, and strategic vision is what defines a high-performing Director of Logistics in today’s data-driven and global supply chain environment.
How to Become a Director of Logistics?
To become a Director of Logistics, a Bac+5 level qualification is strongly recommended. Most professionals hold a Master’s degree in logistics, supply chain management, or operations, or graduate from a business school such as emlyon business school. Specialized programs like the MSc in Supply Chain & Operations Management provide advanced expertise in logistics strategy, digital transformation, and operational leadership.
Brochure of the MSc in Supply Chain & Operations Management
However, academic qualifications alone are not sufficient. Access to the Director of Logistics role typically requires 5 to 10 years of progressive professional experience in logistics and operations management.
Typical Career Path to Head of Logistics
- Logistics Manager or Operations Manager (Bac+2 or Bac+3)
- Project Manager or Team Manager (Bac+3 to Bac+5)
- Director of Logistics (after 5–10 years of experience)
Professional Development and Experience
To strengthen career prospects, candidates must gain professional experience in supply chain optimization, transportation management, warehouse operations, and performance management. Developing sector-specific expertise (industry, distribution, or manufacturing) is a key differentiator.
Continuing Education and Certifications
Ongoing professional development is essential in the logistics sector. Directors of Logistics are expected to:
- Earn supply chain management certifications
- Complete digital logistics and transformation training
- Stay updated on logistics technologies, tools, and data analytics
- Apply best practices in sustainability and process optimization
By combining advanced education, continuous learning, and hands-on leadership experience, professionals can successfully apply for and access the Director of Logistics position.
What is the average salary of a Head of Logistics ?
The salary varies significantly by region, years of experience, company size, industry sector, and geographic location. Globally, compensation levels are highest in North America, followed by Europe, with Asia showing wider disparities depending on the country and market maturity.
On average, a Logistics Manager with 5 years of experience earns between €45,000 and €55,000 gross per year. With 10 years of experience, salaries typically rise to €55,000–€75,000 gross annually. A senior Logistics Director with more than 15 years of experience can expect €75,000 to €120,000 gross per year, particularly in large multinational companies.
Across regions, the average logistics director salary generally falls between €65,000 and €75,000 pay annually, excluding performance bonuses, profit sharing, and benefits in kind, which can significantly increase total compensation depending on company results and location.
Career Opportunities and Advancement Prospects
The logistics sector offers interesting advancement opportunities, perfect for professionals seeking increased responsibilities. Thus, as a director of logistics, it's possible, with experience, to evolve toward the following positions:
- Supply Chain Director: Broaden vision to the entire supply chain
- Industrial Director: Supervise production and logistics
- Logistics Site Director: Manage a major distribution center
- General Manager: Access to general function after multi-domain experience
- Optimization Consultant: Expertise for multiple companies and recruitment firms
What Are the Advantages of Being a Head of Logistics?
Being a director of logistics offers numerous strategic, human, and economic advantages. This high-value-added position plays a key role in the company's overall performance.
Advantages of Being a Head of Logistics
- Competitive advantage: The director of logistics optimizes flows, reduces costs, and improves deadlines, which strengthens the company's competitiveness in its market.
- Direct impact on value: Their decisions influence customer satisfaction, profitability, and operations continuity.
- Strategic responsibilities: As logistics manager, they drive the supply chain, anticipate risks, and support growth.
- Cross-functional vision: They collaborate with purchasing, production, sales, and general management, providing a global company view.
- Evolution and recognition: This position offers high advancement prospects and strong recognition linked to its measurable impact.
In summary, being a director of logistics means sustainably creating value for the company.
Where to Work as a Head of Logistics?
Almost all sectors need directors of logistics, but some recruit more. This is notably the case for the following fields:
- Transportation and logistics
- E-commerce and online sales
- Retail
- Manufacturing industry
- Pharmaceutical sector
- International trade
Additionally, in France, certain cities and geographic areas tend to offer more employment opportunities. This is notably the case for Paris, of course, but also regions such as Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Hauts-de-France, PACA, and Grand Est.
Job Offers and Recruitment
To find a position as director of logistics, it's necessary to implement a proactive application strategy. Main channels include specialized recruitment firms, which can help you find positions best suited to your ambitions, but also job boards such as LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor, or professional networks such as ASLOP (Supply Chain and Logistics Association). Additionally, spontaneous applications to companies are highly recommended.
To optimize your chances during applications, we recommend preparing concrete examples of optimization and improvement, showing your knowledge of the sector and its current challenges, and also discussing the strategic role of logistics in project management, and mentioning your commitment to ecological transition.
The Profession and Ecological Transition
Facing sustainability challenges, the director of logistics role is evolving rapidly. Thus, this professional becomes a true actor in corporate social responsibility, having to implement concrete actions to achieve the company's ecological transition, particularly by optimizing routes to reduce carbon footprint, pooling transportation with other companies, reducing packaging, promoting circular economy, and much more.
Additionally, green and CSR supply chain involves supplier certification according to environmental criteria, implementing KPIs, transparent carbon reporting to clients, and partnerships with responsible logistics providers. This constant evolution creates new expectations for future directors: being able to combine economic performance and positive environmental impact.
Key points on the Head of Logistics Profession
A Head of Logistics is a senior operations leader responsible for planning, coordinating, and optimizing transportation, warehousing, inventory, and distribution across the supply chain. Reporting to executive leadership, this role ensures cost efficiency, on-time delivery, regulatory compliance, and high customer satisfaction.
Key responsibilities include:
- Defining and executing logistics strategy
- Managing logistics flows, inventory, and delivery performance
- Controlling costs and monitoring KPIs
- Leading digital transformation and sustainability initiatives
- Managing teams, suppliers, and logistics partners
Essential skills:
- Logistics and supply chain management expertise
- Data analysis and performance optimization
- Leadership, strategic planning, and cross-functional collaboration
Salary & prospects:
- Average salary: €65,000–€75,000 per year
- Career paths include Supply Chain Director, Industrial Director, or General Manager
The role is critical in driving operational performance, scalability, and competitive advantage in logistics-intensive industries.