Freight & Distribution Planner - Southern Africa

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Job

City:
Durban, Kwa Zulu-Natal, South Africa

Department:
Logistics

Function: SCM

Employee Type:
Permanent Full Time

Seniority Level: Entry level

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Description:

Freight & Distribution Planner – Southern Africa

Company: UPL South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Department: Supply Chain
Job Title: Freight & Distribution Planner – Southern Africa
Reporting To: Logistics Specialist – Southern Africa
Skip-Level Manager: Head of Supply Chain Southern Africa
Job Type: Individual Contributor
Location: Southern Africa

Role Purpose

The Freight & Distribution Planner is responsible for managing and coordinating transportation, distribution, and logistics activities across Southern Africa in a safe, compliant, cost-effective, and customer-focused manner. The role ensures efficient end-to-end order fulfilment, inventory movement, inbound and outbound logistics execution, and import/export transportation management.

The incumbent works closely with Customer Service, Manufacturing, Planning, Warehousing, Finance, Transport Service Providers (TSPs), and Logistics Partners to achieve service excellence, cost optimization, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency while ensuring adherence to dangerous goods transportation requirements and statutory regulations.

• Schedule, coordinate, and manage daily road transport activities across Southern Africa.
• Plan and monitor inbound and outbound shipments from production facilities, warehouses, depots, tollers, suppliers, and customers.
• Ensure all transport loads are accurately recorded and reflected on the transportation planning system.
• Provide real-time transport tracking and shipment status updates to internal and external stakeholders.
• Manage transport scheduling to achieve on-time and in-full (OTIF) delivery performance targets.
• Ensure compliance with National Road Traffic Act (NRTA) requirements and Dangerous Goods transportation regulations.
• Continuously identify opportunities to improve transport utilization, efficiency, and service levels

• Monitor and manage freight expenditure to support logistics budget targets.
• Reconcile transport costs against approved rates and service agreements.
• Update and maintain freight-related Purchase Orders (POs) within SAP with a high level of accuracy.
• Process freight transactions through SAP, Ariba, and related business systems.
• Prepare freight reconciliations and monthly cost reports for Finance.
• Verify freight charges against General Ledger (GL) allocations.
• Maintain freight vendor master data and freight configuration structures in SAP.
• Analyze logistics and transportation cost trends and recommend cost-saving initiatives

• Coordinate inbound shipments and transportation from ports to warehouses and facilities.
• Manage import delivery schedules with logistics providers.
• Ensure complete and accurate import documentation and customs compliance.
• Control import file billing and transportation invoicing.
• Track and report shipment status across the inbound supply chain.
• Manage detention and demurrage processes to minimize exposure and cost.
• Maintain accurate import logistics data and reporting systems.

• Coordinate export transportation schedules with warehouses, production teams, and forwarding agents.
• Monitor vessel stack dates and shipping schedules.
• Ensure all export documentation complies with statutory requirements.
• Manage export shipment billing and transportation costing.
• Maintain visibility and reporting of export logistics activities.
• Support cross-border and international affiliate shipments

• Build and maintain effective relationships with customers, transporters, carriers, warehouses, and agents.
• Provide…