Deputy Head of Transport

Job Introduction

Adexen has been mandated by a leading international industrial group operating across Nigeria to recruit an experienced Deputy Head of Transport for its operations.

Responsibilities

The position will be responsible for supporting the strategic leadership and operational management of the Group’s transport and logistics activities across an assigned region, Northern or Southern Nigeria.

This is a senior leadership role within a large-scale and complex logistics environment, requiring strong expertise in fleet management, transport operations, cost optimization, operational excellence and people management.

Reporting to the Head of Transport, the Deputy Head of Transport will oversee regional transport operations and ensure the safe, reliable and cost-effective movement of raw materials and finished products across plants, depots, terminals and customer locations.

The responsibilities will include:

• Support the Head of Transport in implementing the Group’s transport and logistics strategy, policies, standards and operating procedures across the assigned region.
• Lead and coordinate regional inbound and outbound transport operations, ensuring high levels of safety, reliability and operational performance.
• Oversee the management and optimization of a large transport fleet operating across multiple locations.
• Drive fleet productivity through effective route planning, vehicle allocation, turnaround-time improvement and standardized operating methods.
• Monitor transport KPIs and implement corrective actions to improve fleet utilization, vehicle availability, delivery performance and overall cost efficiency.
• Ensure the effective utilization, maintenance and availability of transport assets across the region.
• Develop initiatives to reduce logistics cost per tonne while maintaining high service levels and operational reliability.
• Ensure full compliance with transport regulations, HSE standards, internal policies and service-level requirements.
• Manage relationships with transport contractors, third-party logistics providers, regulatory authorities and other key external stakeholders.
• Support fleet modernization initiatives, including the procurement and deployment of new transport equipment.
• Drive the adoption of telematics, fleet management systems and other digital logistics solutions to improve visibility and operational control.
• Work closely with Production, Sales & Marketing, Procurement, Engineering and Supply Chain teams to ensure seamless logistics execution.
• Develop regional transport risk mitigation and business continuity plans.
• Lead, coach and develop regional transport management teams, building a strong leadership pipeline and succession capability.
• Prepare regular operational and performance reports for senior management.

Desired Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Transport Management or another relevant discipline.
• A postgraduate qualification in a relevant field would be an advantage.
• Professional certification in Transport, Logistics or Supply Chain Management, such as CILT, APICS/ASCM, would be desirable.
• Minimum 15 years of professional experience in transport, logistics or supply chain management.
• At least 5 years of experience managing large-scale regional transport operations within the manufacturing, cement, mining or another heavy industrial environment.
• Proven experience managing large vehicle fleets, outsourced logistics providers and complex multi-site transport operations.
• Strong expertise in fleet optimization, transport planning, vehicle utilization and logistics cost management.
• Solid understanding of transport HSE standards, regulatory compliance and operational risk management.
• Experience with transport technologies, telematics and digital fleet management solutions.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, with the ability to manage operations through clearly defined KPIs.
• Excellent leadership and people management skills, with demonstrated experience developing large operational teams.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication capabilities.
• Commercially minded, with a strong focus on operational efficiency, productivity and cost optimization.
• High level of integrity, resilience and ability to operate effectively within a demanding, fast-paced and multi-site environment.

Key Performance Areas

Success in the position will notably be measured through:

• Logistics cost per tonne transported
• Fleet utilization and vehicle availability
• On-Time-In-Full (OTIF) delivery performance
• Vehicle turnaround time and fleet downtime
• Fuel efficiency
• Transport safety performance
• Customer service levels
• Fleet modernization and procurement efficiencies
• Adoption of digital transport management systems
• Development and succession readiness of regional transport leadership teams

We thank all applicants however only those selected will be contacted.