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What does a customer logistics manager do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read

A customer logistics manager is in charge of overseeing a company's supply chain operations, ensuring customers get to receive their orders promptly and efficiently. Among their responsibilities include managing logistics teams, setting objectives and guidelines, monitoring budgets and schedules, liaising with internal and external parties, and keeping an eye on the progress of operations. They must also respond to issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently. Moreover, as a manager, it is vital to lead and encourage teams to reach goals while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

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Customer logistics manager responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real customer logistics manager resumes:

  • Manage communication between customs brokers and freight forwarders and negotiate freight rates.
  • Lead organization's governmental and regulatory compliance office which result in no violation findings during federal oversight inspections.
  • Create ISO document templates and forms.
  • Comply with laws, regulations and ISO requirements.
  • Expedite materials from global suppliers daily to support JIT production system.
  • SAP (WMS) SME role for many internal and external contacts.
  • Create and report metrics for internal and external customers as well as account KPIs.
  • Set priorities to meet production schedules, goals and key performance indicators (KPIs).
  • Lead organization's governmental and regulatory compliance office which result in no violation findings during federal oversight inspections.
  • Conduct Kaizen event to better organize shipping and receiving areas thus improving efficiency and reducing errors.

Customer logistics manager skills and personality traits

We calculated that 15% of Customer Logistics Managers are proficient in OSHA, Safety Regulations, and Supply Chain. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Leadership skills, and Management skills.

We break down the percentage of Customer Logistics Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • OSHA, 15%

    Conducted routine safety, sanitation and maintenance inspections in accordance with good manufacturing practices and OSHA requirements.

  • Safety Regulations, 12%

    Work with Managers to ensure consistency in administration of all payroll and safety regulations.

  • Supply Chain, 9%

    Identified and implemented strategies to produce organizational value in customer relationship, supply chain management and revenue enhancement.

  • Account Management, 8%

    Field Operations leader accountable for all aspects of Transportation Operations and Account Management for the South Texas Region.

  • Employee Training, 7%

    Coordinate new employee training and development, including employee relations solutions.

  • Shipping Receiving, 7%

    Supervised one shipping receiving employee.

"osha," "safety regulations," and "supply chain" are among the most common skills that customer logistics managers use at work. You can find even more customer logistics manager responsibilities below, including:

Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a customer logistics manager to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "top executives must be able to convey information clearly and persuasively." Customer logistics managers often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "implement and utilize supply chain software system to deliver electronic billing, labeling and communication to end users. "

Leadership skills. Another essential skill to perform customer logistics manager duties is leadership skills. Customer logistics managers responsibilities require that "top executives must be able to shape and direct an organization by coordinating policies, people, and resources." Customer logistics managers also use leadership skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "created low cost supply chain that resulted in operational excellence while demonstrating global leadership. "

Problem-solving skills. customer logistics manager responsibilities often require "problem-solving skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "top executives need to identify and resolve issues within an organization." This resume example shows what customer logistics managers do with problem-solving skills on a typical day: "identified and facilitated resolution of employee issues with hr manager guidance and input. "

Time-management skills. A commonly-found skill in customer logistics manager job descriptions, "time-management skills" is essential to what customer logistics managers do. Customer logistics manager responsibilities rely on this skill because "top executives do many tasks concurrently to ensure that their work gets done and that the organization meets its goals." You can also see how customer logistics manager duties rely on time-management skills in this resume example: "prepare purchase orders and monitor shipments to ensure on time delivery of goods. "

See the full list of customer logistics manager skills

Choose from 10+ customizable customer logistics manager resume templates

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Customer Logistics Manager Resume
Customer Logistics Manager Resume
Customer Logistics Manager Resume
Customer Logistics Manager Resume
Customer Logistics Manager Resume
Customer Logistics Manager Resume
Customer Logistics Manager Resume
Customer Logistics Manager Resume
Customer Logistics Manager Resume
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Customer Logistics Manager Resume
Customer Logistics Manager Resume
Customer Logistics Manager Resume
Customer Logistics Manager Resume
Customer Logistics Manager Resume
Customer Logistics Manager Resume

Compare different customer logistics managers

Customer logistics manager vs. Supply chain coordinator

A supply chain coordinator is an individual who is responsible for managing inventory and supply sources to support a company's manufacturing and anticipated demand. Supply chain coordinators must assist in the purchase of materials and services and follow-up with vendors to ensure that the purchase orders have the correct price, freight charge, and delivery date. They coordinate with the quality assurance (QA) inspectors to ensure the quality of the purchased parts and services. Under the directive orders from the logistics manager, supply chain coordinators must also perform inventory cycle counts.

If we compare the average customer logistics manager annual salary with that of a supply chain coordinator, we find that supply chain coordinators typically earn a $10,557 higher salary than customer logistics managers make annually.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between customer logistics managers and supply chain coordinators are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like supply chain, shipping receiving, and continuous improvement.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, customer logistics manager responsibilities require skills like "osha," "safety regulations," "account management," and "employee training." Meanwhile a typical supply chain coordinator has skills in areas such as "customer service," "logistics," "management system," and "project management." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Supply chain coordinators really shine in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $57,806. Comparatively, customer logistics managers tend to make the most money in the technology industry with an average salary of $54,658.The education levels that supply chain coordinators earn slightly differ from customer logistics managers. In particular, supply chain coordinators are 4.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a customer logistics manager. Additionally, they're 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Customer logistics manager vs. Distribution supervisor

A distribution supervisor is in charge of overseeing all distribution processes in a warehouse or similar setting, ensuring accuracy and smooth workflow. Their responsibilities typically revolve around coordinating deliveries and shipment, managing schedules, delegating tasks, assessing the performance of the workforce, and maintaining records of all transactions. Should there be any issues or concerns, it is essential to resolve them promptly and efficiently. Furthermore, as a supervisor, it is vital to lead and encourage the employees to reach goals and deadlines, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

A career as a distribution supervisor brings a higher average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a customer logistics manager. In fact, distribution supervisors salary is $22,287 higher than the salary of customer logistics managers per year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both customer logistics managers and distribution supervisors have skills such as "osha," "safety regulations," and "shipping receiving. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that customer logistics manager responsibilities requires skills like "supply chain," "account management," "employee training," and "customer logistics." But a distribution supervisor might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "customer service," "logistics," "corrective action," and "safety training."

Distribution supervisors earn a higher average salary than customer logistics managers. But distribution supervisors earn the highest pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $68,278. Additionally, customer logistics managers earn the highest salaries in the technology with average pay of $54,658 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Distribution supervisors tend to reach similar levels of education than customer logistics managers. In fact, they're 1.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Customer logistics manager vs. Manager

Managers are responsible for a specific department, function, or employee group. They oversee their assigned departments and all the employees under the department. Managers are responsible that the department they are handling is functioning well. They set the department goals and the steps they must take to achieve the goals. They are also in charge of assessing the performance of their departments and their employees. Additionally, managers are responsible for interviewing prospective candidates for department vacancies and assessing their fit to the needs of the department. Managers also set the general working environment in the department, and they are expected to ensure that their employees remain motivated.

An average manager eans a higher salary compared to the average salary of customer logistics managers. The difference in salaries amounts to managers earning a $18,480 higher average salary than customer logistics managers.By looking over several customer logistics managers and managers resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "direct reports," "inventory management," and "payroll." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a customer logistics manager is likely to be skilled in "osha," "safety regulations," "supply chain," and "account management," while a typical manager is skilled in "customer service," "food safety," "financial statements," and "management."

Managers earn the highest salary when working in the finance industry, where they receive an average salary of $71,781. Comparatively, customer logistics managers have the highest earning potential in the technology industry, with an average salary of $54,658.When it comes to education, managers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to customer logistics managers. In fact, they're 1.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.7% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Customer logistics manager vs. Distribution center manager

A distribution center manager is an individual who is responsible for managing all the daily activities of a centralized distribution center, warehouse, or another shipping facility. Distribution center managers are required to supervise the loading and unloading of all packages as well as ensure that all goods and products have the proper storage conditions. They must evaluate freight services and manage relationships with the chose vendors. Distribution center managers are also required to monitor the safety of the facility and make sure that workers properly store everything to prevent injuries.

Distribution center managers tend to earn a higher pay than customer logistics managers by an average of $59,288 per year.While both customer logistics managers and distribution center managers complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like osha, safety regulations, and shipping receiving, the two careers vary in some skills.Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A customer logistics manager uses "supply chain," "account management," "employee training," and "customer logistics." Distribution center managers are more likely to have duties that require skills in "logistics," "customer service," "distribution centers," and "safety program. "The automotive industry tends to pay the highest salaries for distribution center managers, with average annual pay of $93,754. Comparatively, the highest customer logistics manager annual salary comes from the technology industry.distribution center managers reach similar levels of education compared to customer logistics managers, in general. The difference is that they're 3.2% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of customer logistics manager

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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