Dispatch Officer

Job Overview

The Dispatch Officer in the Stores & Production Department is responsible for coordinating dispatch operations from order readiness to confirmed delivery. The role ensures timely and accurate deliveries, efficient fleet utilization, proper dispatch documentation, effective coordination of third-party logistics (3PL) providers, and control of transport costs.

Job Purpose

To ensure customer orders are dispatched and delivered accurately, on time, and at controlled cost by coordinating company vehicles, outsourced transport providers, drivers, loaders, and delivery teams. The role also maintains traceable dispatch records, monitors delivery performance, prepares reports, identifies operational challenges, and recommends improvements.

Key Responsibilities

• Truck and Fleet Management: Allocate company trucks according to delivery schedules, monitor vehicle availability and condition, maintain service and compliance records, track fuel consumption, and report breakdowns or safety concerns.
• Third-Party Logistics Management: Coordinate outsourced deliveries, monitor provider performance, verify transport charges against agreed rates and supporting documents, and escalate repeated service failures.
• Driver and Delivery Team Coordination: Allocate daily assignments, brief drivers and loaders, coordinate loading and offloading, monitor delivery progress, and ensure compliance with safety and dispatch procedures.
• Route Planning: Prepare daily and weekly delivery schedules, optimize routes, consolidate deliveries where practical, communicate delays, and recommend improvements to reduce unnecessary mileage and transport costs.
• Dispatch Documentation: Prepare, verify, process, and file delivery notes, dispatch registers, proof of delivery (POD), vehicle movement records, and other relevant documents.
• Delivery Note Preparation: Ensure delivery notes match approved orders and loaded goods, obtain required approvals before dispatch, and ensure customer acknowledgements are collected and filed.
• Dispatch Process Management: Monitor the dispatch process from order readiness and authorization through loading, departure, delivery, and confirmation. Identify bottlenecks, investigate recurring failures, and implement approved improvements.
• People Management: Coordinate team workloads, communicate daily expectations, monitor performance, support staff orientation, and escalate attendance, conduct, disciplinary, and employee-relations concerns through the appropriate channels.
• Dispatch Reporting: Prepare reports on delivery volumes, on-time performance, pending and failed deliveries, vehicle utilization, 3PL performance, documentation status, transport expenditure, and corrective actions.
• Transport Cost Management: Track fuel usage, mileage, cost per delivery, cost per kilometre, and outsourced transport charges. Verify supporting documents, investigate variances, and recommend cost-saving measures.
• Record Keeping and Compliance: Maintain accurate, complete, and traceable records, correct documentation discrepancies, follow approved procedures, and ensure dispatch transactions are updated promptly in company systems.
• Issue Escalation: Report significant delivery disruptions, vehicle defects, recurring service failures, cost discrepancies, and matters requiring management approval to the Line Manager.

Authority and Accountability

The Dispatch Officer operates within the authority assigned to the role and follows approved company procedures. The Officer may coordinate daily dispatch activities, verify documentation and transport charges, monitor performance, and recommend operational improvements.

Vehicle repairs and purchases, fleet expenditure approvals, transport budgets, payments, 3PL appointments and contracts, formal disciplinary decisions, and company-wide logistics policies remain the responsibility of management and the relevant departments. The Officer must escalate such matters to the Line Manager or appropriate department for approval and action.

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