Head of Logistics

Head of Logistics- Swindon- Permanent role- £100,000- £110,000 plus excellent benefits. Are you ready to take on the challenge of setting up a logistics function from scratch? The Opportunity A rapidly growing aerospace and defence organisation is establishing and scaling manufacturing in the UK. With production ramping up, we are looking for a Head of Logistics to design and build the UK logistics function from the ground up. This is a strategic leadership role with responsibility for creating a scalable, multi-site logistics network covering transport, customs, warehousing, inventory, line feeding and shipping. You will shape the strategy, operating model, systems, partnerships and team required to support full-rate production in a highly regulated, defence-critical environment. Key Responsibilities

• Develop and own the UK logistics strategy and multi-year roadmap.
• Design the logistics operating model across multiple sites, including warehousing, transport and 3PL strategy.
• Build and lead a high-performing logistics leadership team.
• Own end-to-end material flow, from inbound transport and customs through to production and customer delivery.
• Ensure compliance with UK customs, export controls, ITAR and dangerous goods regulations.
• Represent Logistics within the UK operations leadership team and S&OP.
• Partner with Procurement, Manufacturing, Quality, Programmes and Finance on industrialisation and production planning.
• Lead the development of ERP, WMS, TMS, automation, data and analytics capabilities.
• Own logistics budgets, investment cases and strategic supplier/3PL relationships.
• Identify and mitigate operational, regulatory and supply chain risks.
• Drive Lean, continuous improvement and standardisation across the logistics function. About You We are looking for an experienced senior logistics or supply chain leader with:
• Experience in logistics/supply chain, including significant leadership responsibility.
• Experience within aerospace, defence, automotive or another complex, regulated manufacturing environment.
• A track record of building or transforming logistics functions, ideally during a production ramp-up, facility launch or industrialisation programme.
• Experience leading multi-site teams and developing senior talent.
• Strong knowledge of UK customs, international trade, defence export controls and dangerous goods regulations.
• Experience working within AS9100 and/or ISO 9001 environments.
• Strong commercial and financial capability, including P&L ownership, investment cases and supplier negotiations.
• Experience developing or shaping ERP, WMS and TMS systems and using data to improve network performance.
• The ability to operate confidently at both board level and on the shop floor. Why This Role? This is an opportunity to build and lead a critical logistics function from the ground up, shaping the infrastructure, team and operating model that will support a major UK manufacturing scale-up. Please call Victoria at Copello on 07341347640 and email victoria@copello.co.uk for further info.