Logistics Planner

**The Opportunity**: As a member of the Transportation team, the Logistics Planner will serve as the Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for all commercial relationships with 3rd party freight carriers and shipping lines, managing a category spend of approximately $50M annually. This role oversees overseas shipment planning, carrier selection, performance measurement, and cost-saving initiatives while providing analytical and statistical reporting, including monthly KPIs and variance analysis. The planner will collaborate with shipping lines, rail carriers, port terminals, transportation leaders, the Intl. Sales team, overseas customers, and MLF overseas operations.

**Snapshot of a Day-in-the-Life**:

- Plan and execute export shipments to overseas markets worth of approx. $16M every month.
- Communication with our overseas offices (China / Philippines / Japan & South Korea) for prepayments / Import Permits and all destination logístical issues like DT/DM charges & managing free days both aat origin and at the destination ports.
- Managing buy / sell shipments from outside suppliers like Conestoga / Britco / Hylife / Du Breton / Olymel
- Customer support on import permits (SPS) issuance / managing delivery timelines.
- Inventory management
- liaise with MLF Optimization team clearing aged inventory.
- Manage equipment depots for consistent equipment availability especially at Winnipeg.
- Manage relationships with our core shipping lines especially at remote location like Winnipeg.
- Manage relations with loading facilities like CCSK / CCSM / Versa Winnipeg / Versa Surrey and Versa Lethbridge for shipping MLF products to overseas customers.
- Manage local drayage carriers to meet ERD / Cutoffs and Late Gates
- Closely works with CN Rail / CPKC Rail on securing weekly RVs and ERDs from inland points.
- Coordinate Inbound / Outbound inventory from the plants to storage facilities.
- Liaise with finance for pre-payments / credit limits and pre-approval for EDC limits.
- Facilitating our overseas customers for all Detention / Demurrage free time at the destination ports.
- Securing Letter of Credits before planning the export shipments.
- Negotiate logístical claims especially with loading facilities / local drayage carriers.
- Setting freight accruals for all export shipments.
- SPOC for 3rd party carrier commercial relationships, regular performance assessments and pricing assessments representing a category spend of approximately $50M.
- Support for RFP, lead the development of execution plans with stakeholders and lead RFP processes as required to secure savings.
- Identify opportunities and execute plans to achieve annual savings targets.
- Develop and execute Source Plans for all export shipments from all origins like Montreal / Toronto / Winnipeg / Lethbridge and Vancouver.
- SPOC for one-up issue resolution between 3rd party carriers and ML transportation team.
- Regular meetings with key Transportation personnel to identify variances, opportunities and issues.
- Working with Transportation, Sales and Customer Service, perform analysis to determine the feasibility of business and continuous improvement opportunities
- Collaborate with the Transportation team to develop 3rd party carrier guides.
- Work with carriers and internal functions to identify and implement e-commerce processes for sending SI / VGM etc.
- Other duties as assigned.
- External and internal contacts: Working with the ML Transportation team, Customer Supply Chain, Optimization, Finance, Overseas Offices and relevant industry or professional associations and others.
- Features of work conditions: This role will require travel to operational locations from time to time. The demands of this assignment will require longer hours when working through project phases, any supply chain disruptions, negotiations and through the quarter end / year end processes.
- Meeting delivery deadlines for overseas customers conforming to the local quarantine requirements.
- Execute RFP selected carriers on selected lanes to minimize costs.
- Accurate and timely KPI reporting and carrier scorecards
- Meet Transportation savings objectives
- Maintaining accurate freight rate data base
- Collaborative relationships and processes with all our logistics group, Intl. Sales Team, Overseas offices, loading facilities across Canada and 3rd party service providers
- Develop recommendations for continuous improvement at origin and at the destination ports.
- Monthly Vitals, Carrier Selection for Overseas shipments, period end reports, Transportation Work plans, 360 or Associate feedback,

**What You’ll Bring**:

- Strong knowledge of international trade both on transpacific and transatlantic routes.
- Understanding of major shipping alliances, vessel share arrangements etc.
- Understanding shipping portals, working of port terminals / intermodal rail terminals.
- 5+ years of global logistics experience including warehouse & transportation with a major organization.
- Univ