Branch Manager

Purpose:
Ensure the branch provides world class service to both internal and external clients; that employees are training and skilled to an appropriate level; branch achieves budget with regards to revenue, expenses, and net profit; engender a winning culture that recognises extraordinary efforts.

Requirements:

Knowledge & Experience
• Matric or Senior Certification equivalent
• An appropriate tertiary qualification (Degree or National Diploma). Additional qualifications in the field of supply chain management, freight forwarding, or operations management would be preferable
• 10 years’ experience within the Logistics and Supply Chain Industry – Customs Clearing knowledge preferable
• Experience in Leading managers and multi skilled teams
• Experience in Leading change management initiatives is preferable
• Superior communication skills, both written and verbal
• Computer Literate with good Excel, Outlook, and Word skills

Skills
• Leadership skills with the enthusiasm to develop the team members
• Strong focus on continuous improvement
• Commitment in developing of staff
• Ability to problem solve
• Client centric focus
• The ability to handle conflict resolution
• The ability to work with little supervision, to use initiative (self-starter skills) and sound judgement is essential
• A logical, analytical approach to problem solving and decision making
• High energy levels and the passion to succeed
• Levelheaded, flexible and the ability to adapt to a changing environment/ situations

Attributes
• Managing conflict: Dealing effectively with others to reduce tension or conflict
• Planning & organising: Establishing courses of action to ensure that work is completed efficiently
• Contributing to team success: Actively participating as a member of a team to move the team towards completing a goal
• Customer focus: Develop and sustain productive internal & external customer relationships
• Tenacity: Staying with a position or plan of action until the desired objective is obtained
• Communication: Setting up ongoing procedures to collect and review information needed to manage activities
• Managing work: Effectively managing one’s time and resources to ensure that work is completed efficiently (includes time management)
• Stress tolerance: Maintaining stable performance under pressure or opposition
• Work standards: Assuming responsibility and accountability for successful completing assignments or tasks

Training
• Induction
• Quality Training

Duties And Accountabilities:

Staff Leadership
• Optimize individual employee performance through effective leadership, coaching, development, and training, motivating and supporting staff
• Manage the change process with your business units
• Monitor and optimize utilization and performance of all resources
• Create ideas to streamline processes and ensure increased efficiencies and effectiveness
• Create solutions to resolve staff / resource problems
• Ensure that the team’s Job Descriptions and performance KPI’s are in place and managed
• Create a strong team spirit amongst the team
• Encourage and develop multi skilled staff
• Remunerate staff according to the market norm, job description and their performance
• Performance manage staff when required
• Chair disciplinary processes when required

Operational Management
• Ensure the effective running and co-ordination of the Operational Functions within the Branch.
• Continuously review the operational and process guidelines (ISO 9001:2000)
• Co-ordinate the ISO audits process in your respective Branch
• Ensure operational effectiveness, efficiency, and quality control
• Develop and maintain best practices to timeously inform customers of their cargo status
• Ensure full adherence to the prescribed policies and procedures within the business units
• Identify potential risk areas and implement mitigation strategies
• Make sound commercial business decisions, within given mandates.
• Ensure an effective and efficient Insurance Claims process is in place within the Branch
• Manage asset utilisation within the Branch to industry standards
• Using the business systems, set up reports and tools in which you can see performance, bottle necks and inefficiencies, put action plans in place to resolve these
• Gain a full understanding of the operational system
• Ensure that the Customs entry team are appraised of new Customs initiatives, tariff changes and add value to the client
• Initiate Customs Consultancy opportunities where possible

Financial Management
• Manage the Profit and Loss of the Branch
• Investigate and implement ways in which to reduce costs and increase margins
• Prepare the Branch and Business Units budgets
• Present budgets to management
• Approve expenses as per the limits of authority
• Manage the margins of clients and implement ways in which to optimise the margins within the branch
• Ensure bottom line growth of the Branch year on year, through cost management and revenue recognition
• Minimise the company risk through client exposure and Customs exposure
• Manage the Customs deferment cut off
• Ensure timeous resolution of outstanding debtor queries, foreign debtors’ queries, creditor reconciliation queries and foreign account queries

Customer Satisfaction
• Maximise customer satisfaction through co-operation with allied disciplines (entries, invoicing, etc.) and third parties (Customs, Transporters, etc.)
• Review performance measurements for customers according to the companies SLA’s and together with Clients Service and Operations implement process improvement initiatives
• Manage and optimise the first-time right principle ensuring client satisfaction
• Visit clients and communicate telephonically with clients
• Continuously investigate additional value-added products and process specific for customer needs
• Ensure client communication is effective and efficient
• Manage declining revenue from clients and create solutions in which to regain business where need be
• Continually review client commercial terms ensuring relative return for work performed

New Business Sales
• Manage the sales staff
• Ensure sales staff have targets and the sales process is understood and implemented
• Approve tenders and proposals according to the Tender and proposal process
• Liaise with sales staff regarding new client’s requirements and the client take-on process
• Ensure client calls are made and manage the effectiveness of these calls
• Attend sales calls with sales staff
• Gain new business directly
Third Party Relationships
• Maintain relationships with overseas Agents, SARS Customs, Service Providers (internal and external) and Sub Contractors
• Maintain relationships with other Clearing and Forwarding Agents to ensure efficient hand over of documents, etc. and be appraised of market initiatives
• Negotiate and implement agreements with rates with approved service providers
• Manage service provider performance and allocate volumes according to their performance
Business Management
• Take accountability of your Branch and Business Units Balance Scorecard (KPI’s) and the initiatives resulting from the consolidation of these scorecards

This description is a general statement of required major duties and responsibilities performed on a regular and continuous basis. It does not exclude other duties as assigned.

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