Freight Forwarding Operations Manager

Position

Industry:

Experience:

Engagement:

Location:

Start Date:

Salary:

Key Responsibilities

• Set up and manage

  daily freight forwarding operations

  (import/export – sea, air, and road)
• Handle

  FCL, LCL, air cargo, courier, consolidations

  , and cross-trade shipments
• Prepare, review and manage all

  shipping & customs documentation

  (BL, AWB, invoices, packing lists, DOs, manifests, etc.)
• Coordinate with

  shipping lines, airlines, NVOCCs, transporters, customs brokers, overseas agents, and clients

• Build and implement SOPs, workflows, and basic KPIs

  for enquiries, quotations, bookings, execution, and billing
• Negotiate

  freight rates and local charges

  with carriers and agents to maintain healthy margins
• Train and

  mentor the founder

  on:
• Pricing logic, rate sheets, and margin structures
• Incoterms, free time, demurrage/detention, surcharges
• How frauds, margin skimming or misuse of contracts can happen – and how to prevent them
• Create simple

  dashboards/reports

  for shipment status, profit per job, client performance, and vendor performance
• Coordinate closely with

  accounts

  for billing, collections, and credit control
• Support future

  team building

  (operations, documentation, and possibly sales) as the business grows

Required Expertise

• 5–7 years

  experience in

  freight forwarding / logistics

  with a forwarder, NVOCC, or logistics company
• Strong knowledge of:

• Sea freight

  (FCL / LCL)

• Air freight

• Cross-border road freight (preferred)
• Solid understanding of:

• Incoterms

  , HS codes, basic customs procedures
• Export/import workflows from at least one major region (Middle East / India / Asia / Europe)
• Experience in:
• Independent

  operations handling

  from quotation to delivery

• Rate negotiation

  with carriers and overseas agents
• Handling shipment issues (rollovers, delays, space issues, demurrage, detention, short-shipment, etc.)
• Prior exposure to

  UAE / India trade lanes

  is a plus

Technical & Management Skills

• Comfortable using

  freight / logistics ERP, TMS or shipment tracking systems

• Strong analytical & problem-solving

  mindset for cost, routing, and margin optimization
• Basic understanding of

  credit control and risk

  in freight (credit days, exposure, carrier payment terms)
• Knowledge of

  compliance, documentation accuracy, and regulatory requirements

• Ability to design simple SOPs and controls

  to prevent leakage, kickbacks, or rate manipulation

Ideal Candidate Traits

• Proactive operator with

  strong ownership mentality

• Enjoys teaching and explaining

  – willing to let the founder shadow calls and operations
• Hands-on, detail-oriented, and comfortable in a

  startup, zero-structure environment

• Transparent, ethical, and strict about clean dealings & margin protection

• Able to run operations independently

  while building a foundation for future growth