DHL—Branch Operations Head - LDC (Ludhiana)

Job description

Description: Job Title Branch Operations Manager Function Operations Reports To Branch Manager Location LDC Travel Required 25% ​☐​ 50% ​þ​ 75% ​☐​ About DHL Blue Dart Express India: At Blue Dart, we go beyond delivering shipments—we deliver trust, precision, and excellence. As India’s most reliable express logistics provider, we empower commerce by reaching over 56,000+ locations across India and connecting to 220+ countries through our global DHL network. Backed by the strength of DHL Group, we bring together international standards with deep local expertise. Our dedicated Boeing freighter fleet, 12,000+ vehicles, and best-in-class service ensure time-definite delivery that businesses and customers count on every day. We are proud to be consistently ranked among India’s Top 100 Great Places to Work® and recognized as part of the DHL Group’s Top Employer certification across multiple regions. Being an Employer of Choice is not just a goal—it’s a fundamental part of who we are. We are committed to creating a workplace where people feel valued, empowered, and proud to belong. If you're looking to join a purpose-led, people-first organization that shapes India’s supply chain with integrity and care—Blue Dart is where you belong. Position Overview: The Branch Operations Manager is accountable for end-to-end operational performance of an assigned Branch geography comprising multiple cities / districts and, where applicable, locations across adjoining states. The role owns operational performance across a diverse network of Service Centres, Pickup & Delivery Units (PUDs), RSPs / BDOs, warehouses, hub interfaces and customer walk-in counters, ensuring seamless pickup, processing, network connectivity and last-mile delivery across products and customer segments. The role is accountable for service quality, volume handling, manpower productivity, operating cost, customer experience, infrastructure readiness, partner performance, compliance and overall operational capability across the Branch. Leads Branch Operations teams and works closely with regional functional managers across PUD, Air, Surface, CPU, PDA, RSP / BDO and other Operations functions to ensure consistent execution and strong integration with the wider regional network. Job Purpose: To lead and manage end-to-end Branch Operations across a geographically dispersed network by ensuring reliable service delivery, strong customer experience, optimum workforce and infrastructure utilization, cost efficiency, operational compliance and continuous improvement across all Branch locations and operating models. Key Roles & Responsibilities: Branch Operations Leadership - Own end-to-end operational performance across the assigned Branch geography. - Translate regional operational priorities into Branch-level execution plans. - Ensure consistent operating standards across all cities, Service Centres, PUDs, RSPs / BDOs, counters and other operating locations. - Establish structured daily, weekly and monthly performance-governance reviews. - Identify underperforming locations and drive time-bound corrective actions. - Ensure operational readiness for daily volumes, seasonal peaks, customer launches and business-growth requirements. - Act as the senior Operations leader for the Branch geography. Service Centre & Last Mile Operations - Ensure consistent pickup and delivery performance across all Service Centres and PUD locations. - Monitor First Attempt Delivery, NDR, ageing, pickup adherence and operational exceptions. - Drive improvements in route productivity, manpower utilization and service quality. - Ensure adequate capacity and workforce availability across locations. - Review operating performance of Service Centres and intervene where service or productivity falls below target. - Ensure customer commitments and operational cut-offs are met consistently. - Drive standardisation of First and Last Mile operating practices across Branch locations. RSP / BDO & Remote Location Governance - Ensure reliable operations across RSP, BDO and partner-supported locations within the Branch. - Monitor outsourced / franchise partner service, manpower and productivity. - Ensure partner locations comply with Blue Dart operational, customer-service and safety standards. - Review adequacy of manpower and operational capability in lower-volume / remote markets. - Drive corrective actions for underperforming partner locations. - Escalate structural vendor or operating-model concerns to the Regional RSP / BDO Manager. - Ensure continuity of service across remote and difficult-to-operate geographies. Hub, Warehouse & Network Coordination - Ensure seamless Branch connectivity with Air Hubs, Surface Hubs, CPUs and downstream network locations. - Monitor inbound and outbound shipment flow and adherence to connection cut-offs. - Coordinate with Hub / CPU / Network teams to resolve recurring connectivity issues. - Ensure warehouses and transit facilities under the Branch maintain adequate processing and storage capability. - Monitor shipment accumulation, backlog and network exceptions. - Support contingency planning during capacity constraints, network disruptions or peak periods. - Ensure timely movement of shipments between Branch locations and upstream / downstream network nodes. Multi-product Operations Management - Ensure consistent operational performance across Express, eCommerce and other products handled within the Branch. - Monitor product-specific service requirements, volume patterns and operational cut-offs. - Ensure teams understand different handling and customer commitments across products. - Align capacity and resources to product mix and volume requirements. - Address operational gaps impacting key product or customer segments. - Support rollout of new products, customer solutions and operating models within the Branch. Customer Experience & Service Quality - Drive achievement of service-quality targets across the Branch. - Review customer complaints, service failures and recurring operational defects. - Partner with Customer Service and Commercial teams on major customer issues. - Ensure timely corrective action for high-impact service failures. - Monitor service trends by location, product and customer segment. - Drive high standards at customer walk-in counters and other customer-facing operational locations. People & Workforce Leadership - Lead Branch Operations managers, Service Centre leaders and supporting teams. - Ensure appropriate manpower planning across FTE, outsourced and partner-supported operations. - Build capability and leadership bench strength across Branch Operations. - Conduct regular performance reviews and field interactions. - Drive productivity, engagement and accountability across locations. - Ensure succession and development plans for critical operational roles. - Maintain adequate workforce readiness for peak and business-continuity requirements. Cost & Productivity Management - Own Branch Operations cost performance and productivity improvement. - Monitor cost per shipment, manpower productivity and facility utilization. - Drive cost optimization through improved workforce deployment, route design, infrastructure utilisation and operating models. - Identify structurally high cost-to-serve locations and initiate corrective actions. - Balance cost improvements with customer and service commitments. - Support annual and periodic Branch operating-cost planning. - Track productivity and cost-improvement initiatives through measurable outcomes. Infrastructure & Capacity Planning - Ensure infrastructure across Branch locations is adequate for current and projected volumes. - Monitor capacity of Service Centres, warehouses, PUDs and other operating facilities. - Provide inputs for expansion, relocation, consolidation or redesign of locations. - Coordinate with Engineering / Facilities teams on infrastructure and equipment requirements. - Ensure facilities remain operationally ready and safety compliant. - Plan proactively for peak and festive capacity requirements. Compliance, Safety & Governance - Ensure adherence to Blue Dart SOPs, safety, security and statutory requirements across Branch locations. - Maintain readiness for internal and external audits. - Monitor closure of audit observations and recurring compliance gaps. - Ensure appropriate controls over shipment handling, cash, documentation, assets and outsourced operations. - Drive a strong culture of safety and operational discipline. - Escalate material compliance or security risks to regional leadership promptly. Continuous Improvement & Digital Enablement - Drive structured improvement programs across service, productivity, cost and process quality. - Identify recurring operational bottlenecks and lead root-cause resolution. - Promote standardisation and replication of successful operating practices. - Drive adoption of digital tools, dashboards and operational systems. - Improve use of data in Branch operating reviews and decision-making. - Track measurable benefits from Branch-level continuous-improvement initiatives. Stakeholder & Governance - Work closely with the Regional Operations Head and regional functional managers across PUD, Air, Surface, CPU, PDA and RSP / BDO. - Partner with HR on manpower, capability and employee issues. - Coordinate with Finance on Branch cost and budget performance. - Work with Commercial / Customer Service teams on customer-impacting issues. - Partner with Security, Engineering, IT and Procurement as required. - Represent Branch Operations in regional reviews and cross-functional forums. - Provide accurate visibility of service, cost, capacity and operating risks to regional leadership. Qualifications & Experience: - Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Logistics, Business Administration or related discipline; MBA / PG desirable. - Experience: 8–12 years of relevant experience in express logistics, courier, eCommerce logistics, 3PL, distribution or multi-location Operations. - Strong experience managing geographically dispersed operations across multiple Service Centres / cities. - Demonstrated exposure to First Mile and Last Mile operations, hub / network connectivity and service management. - Experience managing both direct and outsourced / partner-supported workforce models. - Strong understanding of service quality, operational cut-offs, shipment flow, manpower productivity and cost management. - Experience handling multiple products / customer segments within a networked logistics environment. - Exposure to RSP / franchise / third-party operating models desirable. - Demonstrated experience in cost control, productivity improvement and operating-budget management. - Experience managing medium-to-large teams across multiple locations. - Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making capability. - Preferred Industries: Express Logistics, Courier, eCommerce Logistics, 3PL, Distribution, Transportation and Supply Chain Operations. Skills & Capabilities: Technical Competencies: - Multi-location Branch Operations Management - First & Last Mile Operations - Service Centre & PUD Management - RSP / BDO / Partner Operations - Hub, Warehouse & Network Connectivity - Shipment Flow & Cut-off Management - Workforce & Capacity Planning - Outsourced Workforce Management - Service Quality & Customer Experience - Cost & Productivity Management - Branch Budgeting & Cost Control - Infrastructure & Facility Planning - Operational Analytics & MIS - Safety, Security & Process Compliance - Root Cause Analysis & Continuous Improvement - Data-led Operational Governance Behavioural Competencies: - Operational Leadership - Multi-location Team Management - Customer Orientation - Data-driven Decision Making - Cost & Commercial Awareness - Stakeholder Management - Problem Solving - Execution Discipline - Change Management - People Development Key Performance Indicators: Sr. No. Key Result Areas Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) 1 Service Performance Pickup & delivery SLA / service-quality achievement 2 First & Last Mile Quality FAD, NDR, ageing and pickup adherence performance 3 Network Connectivity Cut-off adherence, on-time connection / dispatch performance 4 Branch Productivity Shipment / manpower productivity across Branch locations 5 Cost Efficiency Cost per shipment, Branch operating cost vs. budget 6 Location Performance % Service Centres / PUDs / RSP-BDOs meeting defined performance targets 7 Customer Experience Complaint reduction, closure TAT and repeat-failure reduction 8 Capacity & Peak Readiness Manpower / infrastructure readiness and backlog control 9 Compliance & Safety Audit, SOP, EHS and security compliance performance 10 People & Continuous Improvement Team capability, productivity improvement and measurable CI benefits Why join DHL Blue Dart? When you join us, you’re not just taking a job—you’re becoming part of a purpose-led movement that’s reshaping the future of logistics across India and the world. At Blue Dart, we don’t just deliver parcels—we deliver excellence, innovation, and opportunity every day. Here’s what makes us stand out: - Great Place to Work® Certified—a testament to our people-first culture, inclusive environment, and commitment to your growth and well-being. - Competitive pay and performance-linked rewards that truly recognize your impact. - Structured learning, global exposure, and on-the-job coaching to help you grow faster than ever. - Best-in-class benefits—from comprehensive medical cover (including optional parental care) to financial wellness and generous time off. - A culture that celebrates diversity, innovation, and bold thinking—where your voice is heard and your contributions matter. - Global career paths across the DHL Group, opening doors to opportunities in 220+ countries and territories. - The pride of working with India’s most awarded logistics brand, trusted by millions and driven by purpose. This is your chance to do meaningful work, build a career without borders, and thrive in a company that’s not just a logistics leader—but a Great Place to Work. Come grow with us. Disclaimer: At Blue Dart Express Limited, all recruitment is conducted through a fair, transparent, and merit-based process aligned with our commitments to Human Rights and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB). Blue Dart does not request or accept any fees, deposits, or payments from candidates at any stage of the recruitment or onboarding process. Any such request is fraudulent and unauthorized. Blue Dart shall not be responsible for any loss arising from such fraudulent activity. For verification, candidates may write to bdjobs@bluedart.com. Skills: branch operations management, first and last mile operations, service center management, pickup and delivery management, hub and network connectivity, warehouse management, cost control, productivity improvement, operational analytics, mis, root cause analysis, continuous improvement, compliance management, safety compliance, team leadership, stakeholder management, change management, data-driven decision making, budget management, capacity planning, outsourced workforce management, customer experience management, process compliance, operational governance, performance management, succession planning