Have you ever wondered what a person actually does at work when they say they work in logistics? It’s a broad area and the duties of people who work in logistics are varied.
If you are looking for the type of part time job where no two days are the same and where things move fast, then part time jobs in logistics could be perfect for you.
Depending on the type of work you are looking to do, you could be working office hours. For most roles, however, if you are looking for a role where hours can be varied – days, nights, evenings, night shifts, weekends and holidays – then logistics is an area worth your exploration.
Because it is such a broad area, there is no one job description for people who work in logistics but there are some broad definitions that can give you an idea of the environment you might be working in.
As you might have worked out from the name ‘logistics,’ these types of roles are those that suit organised people who can perform well under pressure.
Whatever sector you work in logistics, you will fit into a team of people who are part of a supply chain.
Within that chain, you will be making sure products get from their place of production to their final destination on time. Very often, this final destination can be a single customer who is waiting for the delivery of a product to their home.
This could be via warehouses and other storage depots and distribution centres and is not necessarily an A to B journey. There could be stop offs at various depots before products reach their final destination.
In the case of the single customer, the final link in the supply chain could be a delivery driver working for a large company or it might be a freelance delivery driver in their own vehicle.
People who work in logistics need to make sure these products reach their final destination on time, safely and undamaged.
Part time logistics jobs can involve the storage and distribution of goods from foodstuffs to clothes to electrical goods and everything in between.
With foodstuffs for example, these will need to be stored and transported in certain conditions – refrigerated, frozen, packed correctly.
In a previous article, we looked at different types of entry level part time storage and warehousing jobs you could do. These, of course, are all part of supply chain roles and so you would be working in logistics with these roles.
In this article, we’ll look at other roles you could be doing in the field of logistics. From managerial roles to coordinator positions.
If you have previous experience in logistics and are looking to get back into this area to further build your career, there could be part time roles, temporary positions and job shares available.
However senior your position might be, you might be assisting or solely in charge of a team of people as well as being in charge of the operations and how a warehouse or distribution centre works.
The aim is to have the centre working as efficiently and safely as possible whilst keeping costs to a minimum.
Part Time Logistics Jobs
Let’s take a look at some of the duties involved in most logistics roles.
Manage warehouses and distribution centres – because there is a supply chain involved, when you work in logistics, depending on the seniority of your position, you will be responsible for making sure warehouses or distribution centres run efficiently and smoothly.
This means monitoring the storage capacity of the warehouse or centre and making sure the movement of products keeps flowing.
Whether as an assistant or a more senior role, you will need to be able to use the relevant company software to keep records up to date of what is stored, what has left the centre and what is due to arrive.
Manage operations – Again, you could be doing part time jobs as an operations assistant or working in a managerial position. Which goods are going to be transported and what type of transport will be needed to move those goods safely?
You will need to make sure the vehicles are available as well as the drivers or operators to make sure the goods move to their next destination.
Likewise, there will need to be staff available to deal with arrivals of products and make sure they are stored in appropriate places in a safe way.
All of this needs to be done on schedule with accurate records kept.
Working in logistics also means you need to keep track of routes that are being used by your company to transport goods. Are they being transported in the most efficient way. Road closures and road works, for example, need to be taken into account.
Who Works In Logistics?
Logistics is a field where the right people can make a successful and varied career. Training and study can lead to a degree or masters for those who want to work in management roles.
So, what are employers looking for when they are recruiting for part time roles in logistics?
Whether it is entry level roles or leadership positions, logistics team members need to have:
- Excellent time management skills. Logistics is all about the movement and storage of goods in a timely way.
- The ability to work well under pressure. Time management skills and working well under pressure combine to make sure tight deadlines are met.
- Excellent teamwork skills. You need to be able to work well as part of a team both in your own department and with those in other departments.
- Excellent organisation skills. This should go without saying when it comes to logistics jobs. If you are disorganised it can lead to the late arrival of products and also working in unsafe conditions if goods are stored incorrectly and your team isn’t working efficiently.
- IT Skills. Wherever you are working, your company will be using digital technology to keep track of goods arriving, leaving and being stored in the warehouse or distribution centre. You will need to be able to work with this technology as part of your role.
- A good level of fitness. Depending on the logistics jobs you are doing, you will be on your feet for much of the time and might be required to lift or move heavy objects. Over a shift, you might cover a number of miles on foot around the warehouse or the loading areas outside.
- Be willing to work in different environments. Lıgistics jobs cna see you working both indoors and outdoors in various conditions. Depending on your role, you might need to work in refrigerated areas or other places with controlled temperatures. Some roles might see you working with companies that are involved in the storage and transportation of hazardous substances, for example.
- Be willing to work flexible hours. For lots of logistics roles, office hours are not the order of the day. Transport and storage of products happens 24 hours a day and warehouse and distribution centres are often in continuous operation. There could also be times when delays occur or there is a particularly busy period where you might need to work extra hours on a given shift.
Where Do Logistics Staff Work?
If you are doing part time logistics jobs, you could be working in various environments.
In lots of cases, you might need your own transport to get to your place of work due to the location of workplaces.
As mentioned in this article, logistics teams work in warehouses and distribution centres. If you are working for a large company, these could be large, out of town warehouses and distribution centres. In other cases, you could be working in smaller, more local centres.
Logistics staff also work in other areas. For example, you could be working in airport logistics, specialising in air freight or in catering operations and logistics. Obviously, airports are departure and arrival points for passengers and their baggage but some also store and transport cargo and mail.
Rail freight and shipping are also areas where logistics staff are needed. Working in shipping would likely see you working in shipping ports and docks.
Apply For Part Time Logistics Jobs
There are lots of different types of part time jobs out there that are in the field of logistics so there could be a role to suit you. If you are looking for entry level roles, consider warehouse roles such as picking, packing, driving or fork lift truck operation. Driving jobs might be skilled long goods vehicle positions or you could be a freelance courier or delivery driver, taking goods directly to people’s homes.
Entry level roles can be used as a stepping stone to build a career in logistics where you move into more senior positions. University degrees and Apprenticeships are optşions for those of you looking to build a career in this field.
If you already have experience in this field and you are looking to get back on track with a leadership role or managerial career, part time roles could be available in these areas, too. Team leader, Coordinator roles and managerial positions could all be available.
Take a look at current part time vacancies that are currently available with UK Part Time Jobs.
