Logistician

Welcome to The 2011 Hot Jobs Guide

Why It’s Hot:

As supply and demand chains grow increasingly complex, the demand for the skills of logisticians increases accordingly. At most companies logisticians are an essential part of operations and carry a great deal of influence. This gives them excellent opportunities to achieve senior management positions through their ability to increase the efficiency of the business. Other opportunities include consulting and advisory firms. Once one possesses the skills of a logistician, they rarely have trouble finding employment.

• What You’ll Do:

At the core of their responsibilities, logisticians scrutinize existing aspects of the supply chain while planning and offering directives for new initiatives. The actual movement of goods from manufacturer to buyer is called logistics, and involves several independent departments. This includes direct channels such as facilities, warehousing, production and the sales force, as well as indirect channels and third party distributors who contribute to supplying products to customers. Logisticians also facilitate cooperation between downstream partners included in the delivery of products to the end user, as well as upstream partners that include suppliers and vendors. Coordinating shipments requires organizing delivery routes, properly loading freight and determining the placement of resources that will result in the most efficient delivery of goods. Shipments must be monitored to ensure they reach their destination at the appropriate time.