Your career as a logistics technician, or a construction logistics manager means you will be responsible for managing the logistics of the supply chain for a construction project and the constant refining of logistics in order to improve the supply chain. Let’s take a look at what a career as a logistics technician actually involves, and where your career as a logistics technician can take you.
Working as a Logistics Technician
Your career as a logistics technician involves the movement, storage and routing of stock, materials and machinery around a construction site via a warehouse. Just some of your roles as a logistics technician will include:
- Planning a logistics structure for any particular project, working with site management etc in order to deliver a logistics plan with the needs of the project in mind
- Scheduling internal and external logistics through the various phases of the project
- Planning the phasing of machinery on and off site as per the demands of the project and any maintenance requirements
- Managing installation and maintenance of any necessary site offices and accommodation
- Creating a schedule of logistics meetings to ensure all stakeholders are aware of the plan in place
- Understanding procurement procedures and regulatory requirements
- Keeping a highly organised inventory management system
- Recording and tracking performance indicators and benchmark for the logistics plan which you can then continuously refine and improve
Career Path
As a logistics technician you will need to continuously communicate with those either supplying, or expecting delivery of site inventory and troubleshooting any problems on the way. Just some of the other roles you would expect to work alongside regularly would include:
- Purchaser
- Estimator
- Documents controller
- Site clerk
- QA/QC engineer
- Foreperson
- Site manager
- Finishing foreperson
- Mechanical engineer
- Construction plant fitter
- Heavy equipment operator
- Forklift driver
- Health & Safety Officer
- Finance manager
- Project engineer
Professional Qualifications
A qualification in a supply chain related degree would be beneficial as would any further training or certifications from institutes such as the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport. Experience in managing or working at a warehouse or a storage facility would also be very beneficial to your career as a logistics technician.
How your Career can Develop
A successful career as a logistics technician can lead you to having the opportunity to work on larger projects and sites, moving in a logistics management role as your experience improves. A good logistics manager can work across multiple sectors, dealing with increasingly complex and challenging supply chain issues.