Career Overview: The Logistics career field in DoD contracting offers many exciting jobs and challenging opportunities. The Logistics career field in DoD contracting is similar to the civilian logistics career field with the main differences being the forms and processes required for DoD logistics management and procurement regulations. Likewise, unlike the commercial sector, DoD logistics professionals are required to source material from approved DoD vendors.
The logistics career field requires education and experience in supply chain management, material management, material procurement, warehouse processing, inventory management, requisition processing, kitting, shipping, and receiving. The career field also requires personnel capable of interfacing professionally with management, senior customer management, prospective customers, vendors and warehouse personnel.
Logistics Analysts frequently verify material received to determine irregularities and inspect articles and rejects defective ones; and perform Quality Assurance checks on material being received. Likewise, they compile records with quantity, cost, and type of material received, in stock, or issued; and maintain accurate inventory records. They also coordinate and perform physical warehouse inventories to resolve bar code, location and quantity issues. They also perform inventory management activities, to include demand forecasting and analyzing inventory levels (minimum stock level projections) and inventory positioning (forward supply points).
With advances in automation, Logistics Analysts are often required to have skills in advanced automated Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) logistics systems and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) from vendors like SAP, Siemens and Oracle. Understanding of how to use these systems to manage logistics activities and perform query and reporting capabilities provides a distinct advantage to applicants when competing for positions.
Career Path: Personnel in the DoD Logistics career field have a diverse background. Many people start in a military or civilian logistics career field as supply or logistics specialist and then obtain a DoD contracting logistics analyst position. Others start in the logistics field after college as logistics analysts working on large DoD contracts requiring in depth logistics analysis and support capabilities for major end items or weapon systems like aircraft, spacecraft, satellite systems, military vehicles, naval vessels and missile systems to name a few.
Like most DoD career fields as Logistics professionals move up the career ladder they are usually given more complex assignments with more responsibility. For example, some DoD contractors logistics analyst career paths will have numerical grade levels.
Salaries: Logistics Analyst salaries vary by region, but start around ~$30k for entry level positions and can be in excess of $100k for Logistics Managers.
Professional Organizations: There are several professional organizations for Logistics professionals. Below is a listing of a few of them.
Training & Certifications: For Logistics professionals there are multiple sources for training and certification to include:
APICS Certifications Include:
ISM Certifications include:
Certified Professional in Supply Chain Management (CPSM)
Education: Most entry level Logistics positions require a high school diploma while many mid to senior level positions require bachelors degree and advanced logistics education.
Job Search: To review currently open Logistics jobs that DoD contractors are actively hiring for I recommend going to the career page of several of the DoD contractors profiled on this site and searching for jobs with the following titles “Logistics Analyst” or “Supply Chain Specialist”, or “Inventory Control Specialist” or “Obsolescence Analyst” and review the jobs and job requirements that come up.