Head, Logistics & Road Safety Operations

Head, Logistics & Road Safety Operations

The Head of Logistics is a senior leadership role responsible for the end-to-end management of all logistics operations supporting the petroleum refinery. This encompasses the management of fan slips and waybills for refined product lifting by off-takers, port clearance and customs coordination for inbound cargo, transportation of spares and materials from port to refinery, intra-refinery material flow management, dedicated truck park and truck call system operations, and the enforcement of road safety standards across all logistics activities. The role ensures that the refinery's supply chain is efficient, compliant, cost-effective, and safe.

Key Roles & Responsibilities:

Refined Product Lifting — Fan Slip & Waybill Management

• Oversee the end-to-end process for refined product lifting, ensuring all authorized off-takers and customers are properly scheduled and processed.
• Manage the issuance, verification, and control of fan slips (loading authorizations) for all products lifted from the refinery, ensuring alignment with approved product allocations and sales orders.
• Generate, review, and file waybills for every product lifting transaction, capturing accurate details of product type, volume, destination, transporter, and driver.
• Ensure a robust reconciliation process between fan slips issued, waybills generated, and actual volumes lifted, flagging and resolving any discrepancies promptly.
• Coordinate with the Commercial, Sales, and Finance teams to ensure lifting schedules aligned with customer nominations, payment confirmations, and product availability.
• Maintain a secure, auditable documentation system for all lifting records in compliance with NUPRC regulations and internal controls.
• Manage truck queuing, bay allocation, and loading operations to ensure orderly, safe, and efficient product lifting at the loading gantry/terminal.

Port Logistics & Customs Clearance

• Lead all port operations activities including pre-arrival coordination, cargo discharge supervision, and port handling logistics.
• Manage relationships with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and other relevant port agencies to facilitate seamless cargo clearance
• Coordinate the activities of clearing agents and customs brokers to ensure timely and compliant clearance of all refinery consignments.
• Monitor demurrage timelines and take proactive steps to avoid or minimise port charges.
• Ensure full compliance with import regulations, SON standards, NUPRC requirements, and applicable trade laws.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of changes in port procedures, tariff schedules, and customs regulations.

Port-to-Refinery Delivery Management

• Plan, coordinate, and oversee the transportation of all spares, equipment, chemicals, and materials from the port to the refinery site.
• Manage a fleet of owned or contracted trucks and heavy haulage vehicles, ensuring availability, roadworthiness, and scheduling efficiency.
• Develop and implement optimal delivery routes, schedules, and contingency transport plans.
• Ensure all cargo is handled, loaded, and transported safely in accordance with applicable regulations and company standards.
• Track and report on delivery performance metrics including on-time delivery rates, costs, and incidents.

Intra-Refinery Material Flow Management

• Oversee the internal logistics and material flow within the refinery, including the movement of raw materials, chemicals, finished products, and operational spares.
• Coordinate with Warehouse, Procurement, and Operations teams to ensure materials are available at the right location and time.
• Implement inventory movement controls and material traceability systems within the refinery boundary.
• Manage internal transport resources (forklifts, cranes, internal vehicles) and ensure their maintenance and safe operation.
• Identify and resolve bottlenecks in internal material flow that could impact refinery production targets.

Truck Park Management & Truck Call System

• Oversee the day-to-day operations of the dedicated truck park, ensure it is well-organized, adequately maintained, and managed in accordance with the refinery's HSSE and security standards.
• Manage truck park capacity, zoning, and orderly allocation of parking bays to inbound and outbound vehicles, preventing congestion and ensuring smooth vehicle circulation within the park.
• Design, implement, and continuously improve the truck call system, establishing a structured and transparent process for calling trucks from the park to the loading gantry in a controlled, fair, and efficient sequence.
• Coordinate truck call scheduling with product availability, loading bay readiness, and lifting nominations to ensure trucks are called only when loading conditions are confirmed, eliminating unnecessary waiting and gantry congestion.
• Enforce pre-departure vehicle inspection and driver verification protocols at the truck park, ensuring only roadworthy, compliant, and authorized trucks are called to load.
• Maintain accurate records of all trucks in the park including registration details, transporter identity, assigned customer/product allocation, and dwell time, and provide regular reports on truck throughput and park utilization.
• Liaise with Security, HSSE, and the Commercial team to manage access control at the truck park, prevent unauthorized entry, and address conduct or safety violations by drivers and transporters.
• Explore and drive the adoption of digital tools or automation (e.g., truck management software, RFID, queue management systems) to enhance truck park efficiency, traceability, and turnaround time.

Road Safety Operations

• Develop, implement, and enforce the refinery's road safety management plan covering all logistics-related road operations.
• Ensure all drivers and transport operators comply with company road safety policies, traffic regulations, and HSSE standards.
• Conduct and oversee regular road safety inductions, and toolbox talks.
• Investigate all work-place road incidents and near-misses, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions.

Strategic, Budgetary & Stakeholder Management

• Develop and manage the annual logistics budget, tracking expenditure and driving cost optimization initiatives.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with government agencies, port authorities, shipping lines, off-takers, and logistics service providers.
• Lead, mentor, and develop the logistics team, setting clear KPIs and conducting regular performance reviews.
• Provide timely reports and analytics on logistics performance to senior management.
• Support procurement and project teams with logistics planning for capital projects and turnaround activities.

Qualifications & Experience

▪Bachelor’s degree Required in fields such as Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Finance, or Engineering.

▪7–10+ years of progressive experience in procurement, sourcing, or supply chain management.

▪Master's Degree/MBA – added advantage.

▪Professional certification (CIPS, CPSM, CPSD, CSCP, etc.) is an advantage

▪Category Expertise: Deep "inside out" knowledge of specific categories (e.g., IT, Raw Materials, or Marketing services) is often required depending on the industry.

▪Leadership Track Record: Proven experience managing and developing a team of category managers, analysts, or buyers.

▪Strategic Sourcing: A history of leading complex, high-value negotiations and managing large-scale global or regional deals.

▪Systems Proficiency: Hands-on experience with ERP/MRP systems like SAP (Ariba), Oracle, Coupa, or NetSuite is typically mandatory.

Functional Competencies

▪ERP/WMS systems proficiency (SAP, Oracle, or equivalent) for logistics and inventory management

▪Fleet management systems and vehicle tracking platforms

▪Demurrage management and freight cost optimisation

▪Logistics data analysis, reporting, and performance management

▪Contract management for haulage and freight service providers

▪Fan slip and waybill management for refined product lifting

▪Petroleum product loading gantry and terminal operations

▪Truck Park management and truck call system design

▪Port operations, cargo handling, and vessel coordination

▪Port-to-refinery transportation and route management

▪Intra-site material flow and inventory movement control

▪Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) procedures and tariff knowledge

▪Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) operational regulations

▪NUPRC/DPR downstream petroleum compliance

▪SON, PPPRA, and trade regulatory frameworks

▪FRSC road safety and journey management compliance

▪HSSE standards in logistics and petroleum handling environments

Behavioural Competencies

▪Inspires, coaches, and develops a high-performing logistics team ▪Leads by example with