Customer Care & Logistics Head

JOB DESCRIPTION

Customer Care & Logistics Head – Export / Supply Chain

Company- Nitika Pharmaceutical Specialties Pvt. Ltd.

Department-Customer Care / Supply Chain / International Business

Location-Nagpur, Maharashtra

Reporting To -VP – Sales & Marketing / Business Head

Experience-10–15 Years

Industry Preference-Pharmaceutical / API / Excipients / Chemicals / Manufacturing

About the Role

Nitika Pharmaceutical Specialties Pvt. Ltd. is looking for an experienced and result-oriented Customer Care & Logistics Head to manage end-to-end logistics and customer order execution.

The role will be responsible for shipment planning and execution, freight negotiation, logistics partner management, team handling, customer coordination, internal cross-functional coordination and logistics cost optimization.

The ideal candidate should have strong knowledge of export logistics, supply chain operations, freight management and pharmaceutical manufacturing requirements, along with the ability to drive timely execution and continuously improve logistics processes and costs.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. End-to-End Shipment Management

• Manage end-to-end shipment execution from order readiness to final customer delivery.
• Plan and coordinate domestic and international shipments through Sea, Air and Road transport as applicable.
• Coordinate shipment schedules based on production readiness, customer commitments and delivery timelines.
• Monitor shipment status from dispatch until final delivery.
• Ensure On-Time Dispatch (OTD) and On-Time Delivery (OTD).
• Proactively identify shipment delays and take corrective action.
• Coordinate with freight forwarders, shipping lines, transporters, CHA and logistics partners.

2. Freight Negotiation & Cost Optimization

• Negotiate freight rates with:
• Freight Forwarders
• Shipping Lines
• Airlines
• Transporters
• CHA / Customs Service Providers
• Obtain and compare freight quotations and select commercially viable options.
• Develop long-term freight contracts/rate agreements wherever appropriate.
• Identify opportunities for freight cost reduction and logistics cost optimization.
• Monitor freight trends and market rates.
• Analyze shipment-wise logistics costs and identify cost leakages.
• Optimize container utilization, shipment consolidation and transportation modes.
• Control demurrage, detention, storage and other avoidable logistics costs.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to reduce overall logistics cost without compromising service levels.

3. Customer Care & Order Execution

• Act as the key coordination point for customers regarding order execution and shipment status.
• Ensure customers receive timely updates regarding:
• Order status
• Dispatch date
• Shipment details
• Expected delivery
• Delays
• Documentation
• Handle customer queries, complaints and shipment-related escalations.
• Ensure timely resolution of customer issues.
• Maintain strong customer relationships through proactive communication.
• Coordinate with Sales and Business Development teams to ensure customer commitments are met.

4. Internal Cross-Functional Coordination

Coordinate closely with:

• Sales & Marketing
• Customer Care
• Production
• PPIC
• QA
• QC
• Warehouse
• Dispatch
• Purchase
• Finance & Accounts
• Export Documentation
• Regulatory / Compliance
• Engineering and other concerned departments

Key responsibilities:

• Coordinate production readiness and dispatch planning.
• Ensure material availability as per customer commitment.
• Coordinate QA/QC release before dispatch.
• Ensure documentation readiness.
• Resolve interdepartmental bottlenecks affecting shipments.
• Escalate critical delays to management.
• Ensure clear ownership and timelines for every critical dependency.

5. Logistics Team Management

• Lead and manage the logistics/customer care team.
• Allocate responsibilities and monitor daily workload.
• Set team KPIs and performance targets.
• Conduct regular review meetings.
• Monitor individual and team performance.
• Train team members on logistics processes, documentation and customer handling.
• Develop SOPs and standardized logistics processes.
• Build accountability for shipment execution and customer commitments.
• Ensure adequate backup and continuity for critical logistics activities.

6. Export Logistics & Documentation

• Ensure proper coordination for export shipments and documentation.
• Coordinate with the Export Documentation team for timely preparation of required documents.
• Ensure shipment documentation is accurate and available before dispatch.
• Coordinate with CHA, freight forwarders, shipping lines and customers for documentation requirements.
• Monitor documentation-related discrepancies and ensure timely resolution.
• Ensure compliance with applicable company procedures and export requirements.

7. Logistics Planning & Shipment Scheduling

• Prepare daily/weekly shipment plans.
• Prioritize shipments based on:
• Customer commitment
• Order urgency
• Production readiness
• Destination
• Freight availability
• Commercial impact
• Monitor pending and upcoming shipments.
• Develop contingency plans for shipment delays and logistics disruptions.
• Ensure adequate capacity planning with logistics partners.

8. Supply Chain Coordination

• Coordinate with Supply Chain, PPIC, Production, Warehouse and Dispatch for smooth order execution.
• Align logistics planning with production and customer delivery schedules.
• Identify supply chain bottlenecks affecting customer commitments.
• Support inventory and dispatch planning from a logistics perspective.
• Improve overall order-to-delivery cycle time.
• Drive better coordination between commercial, operational and logistics teams.

9. Cost & Performance Analysis

• Prepare and review logistics MIS.
• Monitor:
• Freight Cost
• Shipment Cost
• Cost per Shipment
• Cost per Kg / MT
• Freight Variance
• Demurrage / Detention
• On-Time Dispatch
• On-Time Delivery
• Customer Complaints
• Shipment Delays
• Compare actual logistics cost against budget/previous period.
• Identify major cost deviations and corrective actions.
• Present logistics performance and cost-saving initiatives to management.

10. Process Improvement

• Identify inefficiencies in current logistics and customer-care processes.
• Develop and implement process improvements.
• Create and update SOPs, checklists and workflow processes.
• Introduce better tracking and reporting mechanisms.
• Improve shipment visibility and customer communication.
• Reduce manual errors and process delays.
• Drive automation/digitalization of logistics tracking wherever possible.
• Continuously improve service level, turnaround time and logistics cost.

KEY KPIs

The candidate will be responsible for driving:

• On-Time Dispatch (OTD)
• On-Time Delivery (OTD)
• Freight Cost Reduction
• Logistics Cost per Kg / MT
• Freight Savings
• Demurrage & Detention Control
• Shipment Delay Reduction
• Customer Complaint Resolution TAT
• Order-to-Delivery Cycle Time
• Shipment Accuracy
• Documentation Accuracy
• Customer Satisfaction
• Logistics Vendor Performance
• Team Productivity
• Process Improvement / Cost-Saving Initiatives