logistician

A logistician is a professional who plans, coordinates, and supervises the movement and storage of goods, information, and resources across the supply chain to meet organizational objectives. They work across procurement, transportation, warehousing, inventory management, distribution, and customer service, ensuring efficient, timely, and cost-effective delivery. The role applies in commercial sectors as well as military, government, and humanitarian operations, where logistics support is critical for operations and readiness.

Education and qualifications: A bachelor's degree in logistics, supply chain management, industrial engineering, or a related field is common. Professional certification from APICS/ASCM, such as CPIM, CSCP, or CLTD, is frequently pursued. Employers value experience with enterprise resource planning systems (ERP), warehouse management systems (WMS), transportation management systems (TMS), data analysis, and problem-solving. Strong mathematical and communication skills are important.

Typical duties include demand forecasting, network design, transportation planning, inventory control, vendor coordination, and performance measurement. They analyze data to optimize routes, reduce costs, mitigate risks, ensure regulatory compliance, and implement process improvements. In many organizations, logisticians work with suppliers, carriers, warehouses, and customers to align supply with demand and respond to disruptions.

Career outlook and variations: Roles range from analyst to supervisor and director. The title logistician emphasizes operational execution and process optimization rather than high-level strategy, though experienced logisticians may move into broader supply chain leadership. The field has grown with e-commerce, globalization, and the need for resilient, sustainable logistics systems.