Assistant Transport Manager

Position: Assistant Transport Manager
Location: Kiambu County
Reports To: Deputy Head- Warehouse & Outbound Logistics
Job Summary
The Deputy Lead - Transport is responsible for end-to-end transport execution, fleet coordination, and transporter financial management, ensuring outbound deliveries support OTIF targets, cost control, and compliance requirements. The role owns daily fleet planning, transporter performance management, and full AIR and A/P execution for transporters, including invoice validation, reconciliation, and coordination with Finance. Aziz ensures that all transporter invoices are accurate, fully supported, and compliant before submission for functional approval in VIM. While the role has no invoice approval authority, it is fully accountable for the correctness, completeness, and timeliness of all transport-related financial and operational data.
Key Responsibilities
1. Fleet Planning & Daily Transport Coordination
•    Plan and coordinate daily fleet deployment in alignment with dispatch plans issued by the Lead Dispatch & Fulfilment.
•    Ensure vehicle availability matches delivery schedules, routes, and load requirements.
•    Coordinate with transporter supervisors and owners to resolve vehicle shortages, breakdowns, or late arrivals.
•    Escalate risks that may impact OTIF, including vehicle unavailability, route constraints, or manpower gaps.
2. Transport Execution & Resource Optimisation
•    Maximise utilisation of transport assets through effective routing, sequencing, and load consolidation.
•    Identify and eliminate bottlenecks such as loading delays, poor slot adherence, or idle vehicle time.
•    Monitor turnaround times and implement corrective actions to reduce dwell time and cost leakages.
3. Transporter Financial Management — AIR & A/P
•    Own end-to-end A/P execution for transporters, including:
o    Invoice collection
o    Rate verification
o    POD and trip sheet validation
•    Manage AIR follow-ups where applicable (claims, recoveries, penalties).
•    Ensure transporter invoices are:
o    Accurate
o    Contractually compliant
o    Fully supported by documentation
•    Resolve discrepancies within defined TATs before submission for approval.
•    Coordinate closely with Finance and Audit teams to ensure clean reconciliations and on-time payments.
4. VIM Invoice Submission & Control Discipline
•    Submit verified transporter invoices into Finance for booking and functional approval.
•    Ensure no incomplete, unsupported, or incorrect invoice enters the VIM workflow.
•    Track invoice status through approval and payment cycles and follow up on rejections or queries.
•    Maintain a complete audit trait of all transporters financial transactions.
5. Transport Partner Relationship Management
•    Maintain professional, execution-focused relationships with transport partners.
•    Monitor transporter attendance, reliability, and service discipline.
•    Address operational issues promptly while escalating chronic or contractual breaches through governance channels.
6. Performance Monitoring & Reporting
•    Maintain dashboards covering:
o    Vehicle availability
o    Route adherence
o    Delivery delays
o    Transporter service performance
o    Cost and utilisation metrics
•    Submit structured daily, weekly, and monthly performance reports.
•    Highlight risks, recurring failures, and improvement opportunities.
7. Compliance, Risk & Escalation
•    Ensure transport operations comply with safety, legal, and company standards.
•    Identify transport-related risks (delays, damages, documentation gaps) and escalate proactively.
•    Support audits by providing accurate transport and financial records.
8. Continuous Improvement & Project Support
•    Implement Lean and Kaizen initiatives to improve transport efficiency and cost control.
•    Participate in transport-related improvement projects and cross-functional initiatives.
•    Execute ad hoc transport tasks assigned by leadership, without compromising core controls.
 
AUTHORITY & BOUNDARIES
Authority
•    Transport execution planning and coordination
•    Transporter financial execution (AIR & A/P)
No Authority
•    VIM invoice approval
•    Final payment approval
•    Commercial rate negotiation (unless delegated)
•    Policy or SOP ownership
Key Requirements – Deputy Lead - Transport
•    Bachelor’s degree in Transport & Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or a related field.
•    Minimum 5 years of experience in transport operations, fleet management, logistics, or distribution, preferably in a fast-paced environment.
•    Proven experience in fleet planning, route optimisation, transporter management, and outbound delivery execution.
•    Strong knowledge of transporter invoice management, A/P processes, POD validation, reconciliation, and VIM workflows.
•    Demonstrated ability to monitor transport KPIs, manage service providers, drive cost optimisation, ensure compliance, and support OTIF delivery targets.