Logistics Recruitment & Executive Search Specialists
Sigma Search delivers logistics recruitment and transport executive search for 3PLs, national distributors and industrial businesses across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and ANZ. There are no junior recruiters or account managers - every search is principal-led by Jon-Paul Hilton, so your critical logistics vacancies get senior attention from day one.
Built for modern, complex distribution environments
With e-commerce growth, last-mile pressure and cold chain precision reshaping the market, finding top logistics talent takes a real understanding of both physical assets and digital infrastructure. The best logistics leaders do more than run a distribution centre (DC). They protect transport margins, negotiate multi-million-dollar 3PL contracts and lead the rollout of warehouse management systems (WMS) and automation.
We find the logistics leaders who really perform when the pressure’s on, through peak, a WMS go-live or a lost contract. Because we specialise in Supply Chain & Logistics, our conversations with candidates carry immediate credibility - we understand DIFOT, cost per pallet, linehaul utilisation and Chain of Responsibility, and we know which leaders have delivered on them. For the latest on logistics hiring activity, see our Sydney Supply Chain Market Report.
We connect businesses with logistics talent across every major distribution hub, including Western Sydney, Melbourne's West and South-East Queensland. We also recruit the leaders who match labour to volume, from Workforce Planning and Rostering Managers to Heads of Labour Planning, and run a dedicated ports recruitment practice for container terminals, stevedores and port operators.
of our placements above $200K are retained engagements, delivered across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
What stood out was JP's honesty. He told us our salary expectations were below market and backed it up with data.
How we map the logistics market
Here’s the thing. Logistics leadership isn’t one market, it’s several. A DC Manager running a 40,000 sqm automated site, a National Transport Manager running linehaul up and down the eastern seaboard and a GM at a 3PL juggling a dozen client contracts need very different skills.
So good logistics recruitment starts with knowing exactly which part of the market you’re fishing in. That’s the kind of executive search Logistics leaders respond to: a conversation with someone who already knows their corner of the industry.
3PL and contract logistics
We track leaders across the major 3PLs and 4PLs, and the in-house operations they compete with.
My first question is always about contracts. How many clients, what service level agreements (SLAs) and what happened at the last renewal? That tells you far more than a job title ever will.
Freight forwarding and international logistics
Forwarding is a relationship and margin business. We look for leaders who can show gross profit per shipment, real customs and compliance depth, and carrier relationships that hold up when capacity tightens.
Linehaul and transport networks
For transport roles, Chain of Responsibility is non-negotiable. Beyond that, we test for fleet utilisation, cost per kilometre and safety records.
Be sure to ask for the numbers, not just the narrative. A leader who can’t tell you their cost per kilometre probably wasn’t managing it.
Cold chain and multichannel fulfilment
Cold chain leaves no room for error, and multichannel fulfilment adds the pressure of next-day delivery.
We look for leaders who have run temperature-controlled networks or scaled eCommerce fulfilment through peak, and can show OTIF holding up while volumes doubled.
The right logistics leader for a 3PL is rarely the right one for an in-house retail DC. Be clear on which you need before the search starts.
Logistics & transport leaders we place
Our executive search networks span asset-heavy transport providers, asset-light retail fulfilment models and port and terminal operators. Salaries quoted are average base plus super from our ANZ Supply Chain Salary Guide 2026.
Director of Logistics
National or ANZ ownership of the distribution network, transport and 3PL partnerships, accountable for cost-to-serve and service levels. Head of Logistics / Distribution averages $210K ($175K-$230K).
General Manager, 3PL
Runs a site or business unit inside a third-party logistics provider. As commercial as it is operational: client retention, contract renewals, margin and SLA performance across multiple retail and FMCG accounts.
Head of Distribution
Leads a multi-site DC network, balancing labour, automation and throughput. Look for a record of reducing cost per pallet while lifting DIFOT. DC Managers average $155K ($130K-$170K).
National Transport Manager
Primary and secondary freight, linehaul and last-mile across a national network, with Chain of Responsibility, fleet utilisation and carrier management at the core. Transport Managers average $140K ($120K-$165K).
Fulfilment & Automation Projects Leads
Lead WMS go-lives, automation installs and new DC commissioning. The best can show throughput at target within weeks of go-live, not months.
Workforce Planning & Rostering Leaders
Heads of and managers who build labour models, rosters and shift patterns that match labour to volume across DCs, transport depots and terminals, within award and enterprise agreement rules.
Ports & Terminal Leaders
GM, operations and C-suite leaders for container terminals, stevedores and port authorities. See our ports recruitment page.
Logistics recruitment across Western Sydney, Melbourne & ANZ
Western Sydney’s industrial precincts
So where is the work? In Sydney, much of it is in the west. Every edition of our Sydney Supply Chain Market Report from February to June named Western Sydney as the highest-volume zone for logistics and warehouse roles. The August report covered DHL Supply Chain’s new 21,000 sqm Erskine Park warehouse and the $1bn Aerotropolis logistics and industrial hub.
What does that mean for you? Competition. Moorebank, Eastern Creek, Erskine Park, Kemps Creek and the Badgerys Creek Aerotropolis are all drawing on the same pool of proven DC and transport leaders. Don’t be afraid to move quickly when the right person appears. Our guide to logistics jobs in Western Sydney looks at each precinct in more detail.
Interstate freight lanes
Beyond Sydney, we run searches in Melbourne and Brisbane and place leaders across New Zealand. With so much freight moving between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, many of our transport searches cross state lines anyway.
Wherever the role sits, it’s principal-led executive recruitment that Logistics leaders take seriously. You deal with me from the first brief to the final shortlist.
Our work goes right to the water’s edge, where landside transport meets the container terminals. For terminal operations, stevedoring and port authority leadership, see our ports recruitment page.
Recent logistics searches
A snapshot of recent retained logistics recruitment mandates in Western Sydney, each led end to end by Jon-Paul.
Business Manager
Head of Supply Chain
See the full detail behind these searches in our Search Showcase, or read why senior hires are best handled through retained search.
ANZ Supply Chain Salary Guide 2026
Logistics Jobs in Western Sydney
Sydney Supply Chain Market Report
Hiring a senior logistics leader?
Have a confidential conversation with Jon-Paul about your role, the logistics talent market in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, and what it will take to secure the right person.