Top 6 Logistics and Supply Chain Management Careers

Working in logistics often means spending your days immersed in supply chain management. Some positions are more analytical, involving a deep-dive into an organization's supply chain to discover ways to make it more efficient, faster, or more cost-effective. Other positions require the coordination of the supply chain, ensuring that each link in the chain is in its proper place.

All logistics and supply chain management careers have one common goal: get products, materials, or parts from one location to another in the best way possible. If this sounds like a business career that you'd like to pursue, here are a few of the top supply chain management careers to consider.

1. Forecasting / Industry Analyst

Some organizations hire industry analysts to look at the logistics and supply chain management field as a whole in an attempt to identify both current and upcoming trends and processes. This helps them take advantage of the latest logistical innovations and stay more competitive in their field. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that jobs in market research analysis are expected to grow at a "much faster than average" rate of 18% over the next several years and have a median pay of $63,790 per year.

2. Operations Manager

Because a company's operations require having access to the right materials at the right time, operations managers are key players in logistics and supply chain management. Changes in the way a business operates from day to day also change when certain supplies are needed. The BLS shares that operations managers earn a mean wage of $123,030 annually. Work within the banking industry and you can make considerably more, or closer to $218,550 per year.

3. Warehousing Manager

Materials and supplies are generally stored at some point in the supply chain process. As a warehousing manager, you would oversee this storage. This often involves using some type of computer-based system to keep track of when materials arrive, where they are located within the facility, and when they leave. Put simply, in this position, you would be responsible for ensuring that items come into and flow out of the warehouse in a timely and efficient manner.

4. Global Logistics Manager

Some supply chain management careers involve moving parts and pieces internationally, and a global logistics manager is one. In this role, you will likely be tasked with creating policies and procedures for getting items from one country to another. Keeping up with international shipping and distribution regulations and trends is a must in this position. This is a unique role for someone interested in working with people from all over the world.

5. Transportation Director

If an organization moves their own materials from point A to point B, they often employ a transportation director to manage this process. Depending on how the materials are moved, this could involve working with trucking companies, railroads, airlines, and/or water shipping companies. Individuals in transportation management earn a mean annual wage of $103,320, according to the BLS, with the highest level of employment in the warehousing and storage industry.

6. Supply Chain Consultant

You can also take your MBA in logistics and supply chain management and start your own business as a consultant. Take this route and organizations can hire you to do a thorough review of their supply chain, hopefully exposing ways to increase its efficiency. One major benefit of serving as an independent supply chain consultant is that you have access to a number of different industries. This can keep your work from getting tedious because you're constantly exposed to new supply chains.

Start Your Logistics and Supply Chain Management Career Today

If you are interested in a career within the logistics and supply chain management field, you can gain the knowledge needed to work in one of these top positions with Saint Leo University's Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree with a concentration in supply chain global integration management. This is offered as a traditional program, enabling you to earn your MBA degree in two years, or as an accelerated program, which means that graduation is one short year away.

Saint Leo's MBA with a concentration in supply chain global integration management provides students hands-on learning opportunities and includes courses such as Strategic Supply Chain Integration, Integrated Global Systems & Sustainability Initiatives, and Building Competitive Advantages through Strategic Relationships & Reverse Logistics.

Contact our admissions office today to learn more! Our caring and compassionate staff is here to help you choose the right career path for you, whether in logistics and supply chain management or any other field.