R2R103943 - 132071 - Logistic Lead

Your New Organisation

Southend on Sea City Council is a Unitary local authority, providing vital services to meet the needs of the local community. We employ around 1,800 staff who are working alongside our partners and local communities to deliver the city vision and make lives better for the people of Southend.

Working for Southend on Sea City Council offers a challenging and rewarding career in local government within a collaborative and innovate environment, with the benefit of flexible working practices to support a positive work life balance. As a Unitary Authority we are responsible for all local government functions ranging from social services, transport, public health and parks through to planning, trading standards, community safety and education, so we offer a wide range of career opportunities. The diversity of our economy and communities and investment in a number of exciting regeneration projects makes our Council a great place to work, learn and make a difference.

Your new role

Southend-on-Sea City Council is looking for an experienced and proactive Logistics Lead to join our Equipment Service team on a full-time, permanent basis. This is a key operational leadership role responsible for overseeing the day-to-day logistics function, ensuring the timely, safe and customer-focused delivery, collection and exchange of essential equipment across the city.

Working closely with the Equipment Service Team Manager and other service leads, you will play a central role in coordinating operations, managing operational challenges and driving continuous improvement to ensure residents receive a high-quality and responsive service. You will provide day-to-day leadership and supervision to both the Logistics Team and the Administration Team, managing rotas, leave and cover arrangements, conducting 1:1 meetings and performance reviews, and supporting staff development while addressing any conduct or capability matters appropriately. You will also ensure compliance with all relevant health and safety requirements and promote safe working practices across the service.

You will lead and coordinate all logistics functions, supervising a dedicated team of drivers, technicians and logistics staff whilst ensuring effective communication and collaboration with administrative and customer-facing colleagues. In this role, you will take ownership of the daily logistics operation, including overseeing deliveries, collections, exchanges and urgent same-day requests. You will lead on route planning and optimisation, ensuring workloads are efficiently scheduled to meet service standards and response times.

You will also play a key role in service improvement, using performance data and operational insight to identify trends, improve efficiency and implement effective solutions. Alongside this, you will lead on the investigation and resolution of logistics-related complaints and service issues, ensuring a customer-focused approach and a consistently high standard of service delivery.

This role offers an excellent opportunity to take ownership of the day-to-day logistics function while working as part of a supportive management team. You will work closely with the Equipment Service Team Manager and fellow service leads to continuously improve service delivery, manage operational challenges and ensure residents receive a high-quality and responsive service.

NB: This role is office-based.

What you'll need to succeed

To be successful in this role, you will bring proven experience within a logistics, transport or operational environment, including leading and supervising multidisciplinary teams. You will have experience managing staff across logistics, delivery, technical, warehouse and administrative functions, with a strong understanding of end-to-end operational processes from delivery and collection through to cleaning, recycling and customer support activities.

You will be confident in coordinating logistics or transport services, with hands-on experience of route planning, scheduling resources, managing workloads and prioritising urgent requests. You will have strong people management skills, with experience of motivating teams, managing performance, conducting supervision and supporting staff development.

Your ability to use performance information to monitor service delivery, identify trends and drive continuous improvement will be key to your success. You will also demonstrate strong problem-solving skills, using a logical, pragmatic and evidence-based approach to resolve operational challenges and improve service outcomes.

A sound understanding of relevant UK legislation and best practice relating to logistics, equipment handling and health and safety is essential, including the Health and Safety at Work Act, Manual Handling Regulations and LOLER requirements where applicable. Strong communication, organisational and stakeholder management skills are equally important, as the role requires close working with managers, operational teams, administration staff and external partners to ensure an efficient and responsive service.

Your application will not be considered if you do not hold GCSEs in English and Maths (Level 4 or above), and ideally a relevant business, supply chain, or logistics qualification to support your professional expertise.

What you'll get in return

When joining the council, you can enjoy a range of benefits including: 25 days annual leave, flexible working and excellent training and development opportunities. They are committed to ensuring that you are supported in this varied and challenging role with the appropriate level of training. A full list of benefits provided by Southend Council can be viewed on the "Why Work For Us?" tab.

What you need to do now

If you are interested in this role, please click 'apply online' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV.

If you would like a copy the Job Description, please click here

Please note: Applications for this vacancy may close prior to the date advertised above so you are advised to apply as soon as you are able to.

All applicants for this role will require an enhanced DBS check.

The Council is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications, regardless of race, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, age or religion or belief.