- Location
- Johannesburg Gauteng South Africa
- Employment
- Full-Time
- Seniority
- Manager
- Department
- Supply Chain, Logistics & Inventory
- Posted
- Oct 23, 2026
About Estée Lauder Companies
The Estée Lauder Companies is a global leader in prestige beauty, founded in 1946 by Estée and Joseph Lauder and built on an enduring belief in creativity, high-touch service, and entrepreneurial spirit. As an employer, the Group offers talent the scale of an international house with the energy of distinctive brands across skincare, makeup, fragrance, and hair care. Its culture values innovation, inclusion, learning, and responsible growth, inviting professionals to shape consumer experiences from laboratory to counter, digital platform to boardroom. Employees join a purpose-led organization where heritage, artistry, and scientific excellence meet to define the future of luxury beauty.
The Logistics Operations Manager leads distribution and 3PL performance, inventory controls, reverse logistics, budgets, compliance, team development and continuous improvement for Estée Lauder Companies. The role is full-time and requires work at DSV at least three days per week and at the ELC Head Office two days per week, with regular warehouse-floor engagement.
Role & Responsibilities
- Oversee DSV distribution and fulfilment, ensuring service-level agreements, key performance indicators and customer requirements are met.
- Manage capacity, seasonal planning, on-time-in-full performance, backlogs and last-mile carrier performance.
- Lead operational reviews, issue resolution and service improvement.
- Ensure inventory accuracy, authorised stock movements and compliance with ELC controls.
- Oversee cycle counts, reconciliations, adjustments and discrepancy investigations.
- Partner with Security and Facilities on loss prevention, audits and investigations.
- Govern returns and non-saleable stock, ensuring timely reconciliation and compliant disposal or destruction with required approvals and documentation.
- Manage logistics budgets, expenditure, forecasts and variances.
- Monitor B2B and B2C Cost to Serve and drive cost savings without compromising service or controls.
- Ensure compliance with ELC policies, contractual obligations, product quality and EHS standards.
- Resolve audit findings, risks and control failures through documented corrective actions.
- Lead and develop the Operations team, including the Senior Supply Chain Analyst, driving performance, capability and collaboration.
- Lead logistics optimisation and transformation initiatives, ensuring measurable, sustainable improvements aligned with local and regional strategies.
- Contribute to the Affiliate Supply Chain Leadership Team and collaborate across Planning, Customer Service, Inbound Logistics, Security, Finance and Brands.
- Report on financial performance, KPIs, inventory, risks and improvement initiatives.
- Work at DSV at least three days weekly and at the ELC Head Office two days weekly, with regular warehouse-floor engagement.
Qualifications
- Relevant degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Business or a related field.
- 10+ years’ distribution and supply chain leadership experience, including 3PL management.
- 3+ years’ financial accountability.
- Strong inventory control, budgeting, analytical, leadership and negotiation skills.
- End-to-end supply chain and Cost to Serve knowledge.
- Advanced Excel and SAP/ERP and WMS knowledge.
- Excellent communication, integrity and resilience.
Skills
Experience
10+ years’ distribution and supply chain leadership experience, including 3PL management; 3+ years’ financial accountability.
Education
Relevant degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Business or a related field.
Workplace
The role is situated in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.
Explore jobs in South Africa.
Culture
The Estée Lauder Companies fosters a collaborative, inclusive workplace where creativity, entrepreneurial thinking, and a passion for prestige beauty are deeply valued. As a global house of distinctive brands, it offers employees an environment that encourages innovation, professional growth, and a shared commitment to excellence and consumer inspiration.
About Cerulean
Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.
Frequently Asked Questions
The luxury industry is characterised by a diverse and nuanced nomenclature. Esteemed houses frequently employ proprietary terminology, and even within a single organisation like Estée Lauder Companies, titles may vary across global markets to reflect local conventions. To ensure absolute clarity, Cerulean assigns a standardised, industry-coherent canonical title to every listing. However, it is worth noting that this role is functionally synonymous with «Logistics Manager», «Distribution Operations Manager», «Supply Chain Operations Manager», «Logistics and Distribution Manager», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.