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Role title

Logistics Manager (Fleet and Port Operations)

Department

Supply Chain and Fulfilment / Fleet, Transport and Export Logistics

Location

Field-based across Complete Farmer operating territories, with frequent travel to farms, aggregation points, fulfilment centres, carrier yards, border posts, ports, airports and other trade-execution locations

Grade

Manager level; final internal grade and band subject to the approved job-grading framework

Reports to

Supply Chain Director

Direct reports

Fleet Officers and Port Operations Officers; may also coordinate drivers, third-party carriers, freight forwarders, customs brokers, shipping lines and temporary trade-execution teams through approved contractual arrangements

Role purpose and strategic context

PRIMARY MANDATE Build and run a safe, controlled and scalable fleet and port operating system that moves every authorized crop, input and finished shipment through the Complete Farmer network in full, on time, intact, traceable, compliant and at the approved cost.

Detailed responsibilitiesS&OP translation and logistics planning

• Translate the approved buyer demand, crop pickup plan, fulfilment schedule, input-distribution plan and export calendar into a rolling transport, fleet, freight and port plan by crop, lot, route, location, mode, vehicle/container type and required handover date.
• Maintain one integrated movement view covering confirmed cargo readiness, quantity, origin, destination, pickup and delivery windows, QA gate, vehicle/carrier, driver, route, load configuration, booking, port or border cut-off, documentation status, cost, risk and contingency.
• Validate logistics feasibility before execution commitments are confirmed, including capacity, route condition, transit time, vehicle suitability, border/port calendar, cold-chain need, documentation lead time, Incoterms, cost and contingency.
• Run fleet and port inputs to the S&OP and trade-execution cadences, clearly distinguishing confirmed, probable, at‑risk and unavailable capacity or milestones.
• Apply planning freezes and change control; quantify the service, cost, safety, documentation and port implications of late changes and escape decisions with evidence.
• Reserve seasonal and peak capacity early enough to protect trade windows without creating unjustified idle assets, minimum-volume exposure or unapproved commitments.

Fleet strategy, asset governance and capacity

• Develop the fleet strategy and the approved mix of owned, leased, dedicated and spot third-party capacity based on crop seasonality, route economics, service risk, payload, temperature control, terrain and expansion plans.
• Specify vehicle, body, container, refrigeration, handling, tracking, security and load‑restraint requirements for each cargo and route with Operations, QA and Safety input.
• Maintain a complete fleet and carrier register covering ownership, assignment, capacity, licences, insurance, inspection, service history, tyres, telematics, fuel controls, permits and expiry dates.
• Set preventive‑maintenance, inspection, cleaning, sanitation, calibration and defect‑management standards; remove unsafe or unsuitable vehicles from service and arrange approved replacement capacity.
• Approve vehicle allocation and carrier selection within delegated authority using service history, cargo suitability, total cost, safety, compliance and contingency rather than price alone.
• Develop replacement, disposal, lease‑renewal and capacity‑expansion recommendations supported by utilization, downtime, lifecycle cost, reliability and risk evidence.

Dispatch, route and delivery execution

• Direct Fleet Officers to convert the movement plan into trip assignments, route plans, loading slots, dispatch documentation, driver briefs, check calls and delivery milestones.
• Confirm that cargo is staged, identified, weighed, packaged, released by QA and supported by approved documents before loading; prohibit movement of quarantined, rejected, untraceable or unauthorized product.
• Enforce pre‑trip checks covering vehicle roadworthiness, cleanliness, cargo compatibility, payload, load distribution, restraints, seals, temperature settings, fuel, permits, driver fitness and emergency equipment.
• Monitor active trips through GPS, telematics, driver communication and milestone evidence; compare actual progress with route and ETA and intervene early when service, cargo, safety or security is at risk.
• Coordinate safe loading, cross‑docking, transfer and unloading handovers and ensure quantity, condition, seal and document discrepancies are recorded at the point of custody change.
• Obtain timely proof of delivery or handover, close each trip against plan and investigate shortages, delays, rejections, route deviations, tampering, damage, temperature excursions and undocumented stops.

Port, export and customs‑clearance coordination

• Lead Port Operations Officers in creating a shipment execution file and backward plan from contractual delivery terms, buyer instructions, carrier booking, terminal cut-offs, inspection requirements and destination documentation.
• Coordinate approved freight forwarders, customs brokers, shipping lines, airlines, terminals, port authorities, inspection bodies and regulatory agencies while maintaining Complete Farmer's documentation and approval controls.
• Ensure commercial invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin, phytosanitary or health documents, quality/inspection certificates, export declarations, bookings, shipping instructions, bills of lading or air waybills, insurance and other destination‑specific documents are accurate, consistent and ready by the internal gate.
• Verify container, reefer, pallet, fumigation, ventilation, seal, labelling, load and documentation requirements before cargo enters the port or terminal process.
• Track inspection, gate-in, customs examination, clearance, stuffing, weighing, terminal receipt, vessel/flight acceptance, loading and document‑issuance milestones until the contractual handover is complete.
• Prevent and recover customs holds, missed cut‑offs, cargo rollover, demurrage, detention, storage, amendment fees and document discrepancies; establish root cause, owner, financial treatment and preventive action.
• Maintain complete shipment files and reconcile provisional documents with final carrier, customs, port and buyer records before operational closure and payment support.

Cross‑border, multimodal and partner coordination

• Plan road, sea, air and approved multimodal movements around border operating hours, axle and payload limits, route restrictions, ferry/terminal schedules, regional documentation and destination‑specific requirements.
• Qualify and manage carriers, freight forwarders, clearing agents, depots, cold‑chain partners, container yards and other providers through due diligence, contracts, SLAs, rate cards, performance scorecards and corrective actions.
• Ensure third parties do not subcontract, change routes, combine incompatible cargo, alter documents or introduce unapproved charges without prior authorization.
• Maintain proportionate backup capacity, alternative routes, alternate brokers/forwarders and escalation contacts for critical crops, corridors and trade windows.
• Lead regular partner reviews covering OTIF, safety, cargo integrity, documentation, claims, cost, capacity, ethics and continuous improvement; suspend or re‑source persistent high‑risk performance.

Cargo integrity, quality and chain of custody

• Define transport handling, vehicle sanitation, cargo compatibility, stacking, ventilation, temperature, humidity, sealing, security and maximum transit‑time controls with QA and the relevant operational owners.
• Maintain documented chain of custody from authorized pickup through every transfer, port or terminal milestone and final handover, including lot/batch, quantity, condition, time, location, custodian and seal status.
• Respect QA's independent authority to approve, hold or reject lots and shipments; never dispatch on verbal assurance, commercial pressure or an incomplete release record.
• Activate containment, safe parking, alternate cold storage, transloading, return, replacement or claims procedures when cargo condition, vehicle performance, temperature, security or route delay threatens specification.
• Investigate transport‑related loss, contamination, deterioration, tampering, seal breach, rejection and claims and ensure corrective action is reflected in carrier, route, vehicle and SOP controls.

Cost, fuel, utilization and financial control

• Build and manage route, trip, fleet, freight and port budgets with Finance, including transparent assumptions for fuel, tolls, labour, maintenance, insurance, rates, handling, clearing, storage and accessorial charges.
• Monitor cost per trip, tonne, tonne‑kilometre, route, crop, vehicle, carrier and shipment and explain material price, volume, utilisation and exception variances.
• Enforce fuel‑card or approved fuel‑issue controls, kilometre and consumption reconciliation, toll/expense evidence, maintenance authorization and invoice matching; investigate anomalies before payment support.
• Improve vehicle fill, backhaul, route consolidation, dispatch sequencing, dwell time and carrier terms while protecting delivery windows, cargo integrity and safety.
• Prevent unauthorized trips, private use, ghost deliveries, duplicate invoices, rate manipulation, fuel diversion, kickbacks, retrospective approvals and undocumented accessorial charges.
• Own operational evidence for cargo, vehicle and third‑party claims and pursue timely recovery of valid losses, service remedies and overcharges.

Systems, control tower, reporting and records

• Own the accuracy and timeliness of vehicle, carrier, driver, route, trip, booking, shipment, cost, milestone, incident and proof‑of‑delivery data in the approved TMS, fleet, ERP and operational systems.
• Publish daily active‑movement and port‑status views, weekly logistics performance reports and monthly fleet/port dashboards showing service, capacity, cost, safety, compliance, exceptions, owners and recovery dates.
• Use GPS, geofencing, telematics, temperature sensors, electronic proof of delivery and approved offline capture to provide visibility where connectivity is limited without weakening audit trails.
• Maintain controlled master data, role‑based access, approval workflows, document versions, transaction cut‑offs and retention schedules and review overrides or manual records for misuse.
• Set critical exception thresholds for breakdown, accident, route deviation, seal breach, temperature excursion, cargo loss, security threat, missed cut‑off, customs hold and delivery rejection and ensure immediate escalation and documented recovery.
• Conduct post‑trade reviews comparing planned and actual transit time, dwell, cost, cargo outcome, service and root causes and convert lessons into updated standards and partner actions.

Safety, security, compliance and continuity

• Ensure owned and contracted operations comply with applicable road‑traffic, driver‑hours, vehicle, insurance, customs, port, export, food‑safety, occupational‑safety, environmental, security and dangerous‑goods requirements where relevant.
• Establish journey‑risk assessment, approved‑route, driver fitness, speed, fatigue, rest, weather, communications, breakdown, accident, theft, hijack and emergency‑response controls proportionate to each corridor.
• Lead immediate incident containment and business recovery; protect people first, preserve cargo and evidence, notify required parties and complete root‑cause and corrective‑action reviews.
• Maintain a logistics risk register covering capacity, vehicle reliability, carrier failure, road/bridge condition, weather, congestion, border closures, port disruption, industrial action, security, systems, documentation and regulatory change.
• Test business‑continuity arrangements, alternate routes, backup carriers, recovery vendors, emergency cold storage and critical contact trees before peak seasons and material trade windows.
• Report suspected theft, diversion, collusion, bribery, document manipulation, customs irregularity, unsafe practice or deliberate misstatement immediately through the approved channel.

Team leadership and scalable multi‑site operations

• Set clear outcome scorecards, work plans, decision boundaries, shift/coverage requirements and reporting cadences for Fleet Officers and Port Operations Officers across all operating locations.
• Build capability through structured onboarding, SOP training, route and port simulations, supervised execution, competency checks, safety refreshers and documented retraining after failure.
• Create adequate coverage and succession for dispatch, fleet control, port documentation and critical trade windows so leave, turnover or expansion does not create uncontrolled execution gaps.
• Conduct field, fleet, partner and port reviews using system data, physical inspection, document evidence, buyer outcomes and audits rather than narrative updates alone.
• Address missed standards promptly through clarification, coaching, process correction, partner remedies and formal performance management in partnership with People.
• Develop standard fleet, dispatch, port and export playbooks, minimum controls and rollout checklists that allow new corridors and locations to scale without reinventing the operating system.
• Model Complete Farmer's leadership standards of Clarity, Ownership and People-First leadership while maintaining firm accountability for safety, integrity, quality and truthful reporting.

Required experience, qualifications and technical capabilitiesRequired experience and non‑negotiables

• A minimum of five years of progressive experience in agricultural supply‑chain operations, export logistics, fleet management, port operations or agricultural value‑chain execution; five to seven years of directly relevant experience is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated hands‑on accountability for fleet or transport execution and port/export operations, not only general warehouse, procurement or administrative logistics experience.
• Proven experience moving agricultural, food, FMC