What does logistics hiring look like right now?

Demand for green skills is running ahead of supply, and logistics feels it as sharply as any part of the economy. The latest data shows that 76% of engineering employers struggle to recruit for key roles, with technical and specialist sustainability skills topping the list the Institution of Engineering and Technology's 2025 skills research. For a sector built on fleets, warehouses and complex supply chains, that gap matters.

So the first job is not writing a job advert. It's deciding what you actually need this person to change. A sustainability role that tries to cover everything, from carbon reporting to packaging to supplier audits, usually delivers little. A role scoped to one or two outcomes tends to move faster and prove its worth sooner.

What does a first sustainability role in logistics actually do?

In logistics, most first hires cluster around a handful of measurable areas: fleet emissions and the shift to electric or alternative fuels, warehouse energy use, packaging and waste, and carbon reporting for customers and regulators. The pull towards technical, specialist skills reflects a wider pattern, where sustainability expertise sits alongside engineering as one of the hardest gaps to fill the IET's 2025 findings.

That shapes the kind of person you look for. Some roles lean analytical: someone who can measure emissions, build a baseline and report against it. Others lean operational: someone who can work with depot managers and drivers to change how the fleet runs day to day. Naming which one you need, before you advertise, saves weeks of mismatched applications.

How do you hire well for a sustainability role in logistics?

Start with outcomes, not a title. Write down the one or two things this person must improve in their first year, then work backwards to the skills and experience that make those outcomes realistic. Because technical and specialist sustainability skills are among the hardest to source according to the IET's 2025 research, be honest about which skills are essential and which you can develop on the job.

• Anchor the role to measurable outcomes, such as a fleet emissions baseline or a warehouse energy reduction target.
• Separate the analytical from the operational, and hire for the one that matches your first-year goals.
• Write a brief that states the outcomes, the data the person will own and who they'll work with across depots and suppliers.
• Be realistic about scarce skills, and plan to train where the market is thin.
• Give the role real authority, so recommendations reach the people who run the fleet and the sites.

A tight brief also widens your pool. When you're specific about outcomes rather than a long wish list of credentials, you open the door to strong people from adjacent sectors, such as manufacturing or energy, who bring transferable sustainability skills.

How can we help you fill the role?

Once you know the outcomes and the skills, the next task is reaching the right people quickly. Our recruitment agent manages recruitment end to end for 8% on a successful hire, with no monthly fee and no upfront cost, through Reed.ai. Tell us the outcomes you need, and we'll get started today.

Sources

• Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)