Position Summary We are a well-established domestic and international freight forwarder providing air, ocean, trucking, rail, warehousing, customs brokerage coordination, and related logistics services. We are seeking an experienced, hands-on Operations Manager to lead our freight-forwarding operations team. The successful candidate will oversee air and ocean import and export operations, ensure regulatory compliance, resolve complex shipment issues, support challenging quotations and new-account implementation, improve workflows, and maintain strong customer service and profitability. This role requires a knowledgeable and ethical leader who demonstrates integrity, honesty, fairness, professionalism, and respect; inspires and develops employees; and leads by example. Key Responsibilities Leadership and Team Management Manage the daily priorities, workload, productivity, service quality, and performance of the operations team. Lead by example and build a professional, respectful, accountable, and customer-focused culture. Train, coach, motivate, and evaluate employees; set clear expectations and provide constructive feedback and development opportunities. Conduct regular team meetings to review workload, customer issues, compliance, billing, profitability, and departmental priorities. Maintain appropriate staffing, cross-training, workload distribution, and backup coverage. Serve as the escalation point for complex operational, customer, carrier, vendor, and employee concerns. Air, Ocean, and Domestic Operations Oversee air and ocean import and export shipments from quotation and booking through delivery, costing, and billing. Provide hands-on technical guidance on bookings, routing, documentation, customs-clearance coordination, warehousing, trucking, rail, delivery, and shipment milestones. Ensure shipment data and documentation are complete, accurate, timely, and properly distributed to customers, carriers, brokers, vendors, overseas offices, and agents. Monitor service performance, shipment accuracy, on-time milestones, customer-specific requirements, and adherence to SOPs. Anticipate problems, identify root causes, evaluate risks and costs, and implement timely and sustainable solutions. Communicate directly and professionally with customers regarding delays, Customs holds, damages, additional costs, or other shipment problems, and follow through until resolution. Quotations, RFQs, Sales Support, and SOPs Review and guide challenging or high-value quotations and RFQs involving complex routings, special handling, multiple providers, regulatory requirements, or financial exposure. Evaluate routing, transit time, Incoterms, carrier and vendor selection, costs, compliance, operational feasibility, credit risk, and expected profitability. Support Sales during customer meetings, operational presentations, and onboarding of new accounts. Develop and implement customer-specific and departmental SOPs that clearly define responsibilities, deadlines, documentation, billing, reporting, and escalation procedures. Ensure new business is properly priced, compliant, operationally feasible, adequately supported, and successfully implemented. Regulatory Compliance and CTPAT Ensure the operations team follows applicable FMC, TSA, CBP, NVOCC, export-control, sanctions, dangerous-goods, and cargo-security requirements. Maintain strong working knowledge of customs brokerage and clearance processes, including documentation, holds, exams, in-bond movements, powers of attorney, and broker coordination. Ensure AMS, ISF, AES, and other required filings or filing instructions are accurate, timely, monitored, and completed by properly authorized personnel or service providers. Work closely with the company's licensed customs broker and compliance personnel; promptly escalate filing errors, potential violations, or security concerns. Coordinate with the company's CTPAT consultant and internal departments to maintain certification, complete the annual security-profile review, support training and risk assessments, maintain required records, implement corrective actions, and prepare for CBP validations or revalidations. Workflow, Financial, and Vendor Management Review and improve workflows, controls, checklists, escalation procedures, and performance measurements to increase accuracy, efficiency, compliance, and service quality. Ensure timely and accurate costing, accruals, billing, revenue recognition, and file profitability.

Monitor demurrage, detention, storage, per diem, claims, and other avoidable costs; investigate losses and implement corrective action. Assist management with departmental budgets, forecasts, P&L review, productivity, and cost controls. Evaluate carrier and vendor rates, service quality, capacity, compliance, and performance, and ensure vendors are properly approved. Required Skills and Qualifications Minimum seven years of progressive, hands-on international freight-forwarding experience, including at least three years in an operations supervisory or management role with an NVOCC, air-freight forwarder, or full-service international freight forwarder. In-depth experience managing air and ocean import and export operations, including documentation, routing, pricing, Incoterms, customs-clearance coordination, warehousing, trucking, and rail. Proven ability to lead, inspire, train, motivate, and hold employees accountable while maintaining integrity, fairness, professionalism, and respect. Strong working knowledge of FMC, TSA, CBP, CTPAT, customs brokerage processes, AMS, ISF, AES, export compliance, dangerous goods, and cargo-security requirements. Demonstrated ability to resolve complex shipment problems, communicate with customers, review RFQs and quotations, implement new accounts, and develop effective SOPs. Strong analytical, organizational, decision-making, communication, conflict-resolution, and customer-service skills. Sound commercial judgment and ability to balance customer needs with compliance, feasibility, cost, credit risk, and profitability. Proficiency in CargoWise is required, together with proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Excel, Word, and relevant carrier and shipping platforms. Excellent written and verbal English communication skills appropriate for U.S. operations, regulatory documentation, employee leadership, and customer communications. Ability to address urgent operational matters outside normal business hours when reasonably necessary and travel as required. Must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Preferred Qualifications Bachelor's degree in logistics, supply-chain management, international business, transportation, or a related field. TSA/IAC security training and dangerous-goods certification for air and/or ocean transportation. Experience supporting CTPAT annual reviews and CBP validations, P&L analysis, budgeting, warehousing, transloading, e-commerce, or specialized cargo. Performance Expectations Success will be measured by operational accuracy and service performance; customer satisfaction and retention; regulatory and filing compliance; effective team leadership and development; timely resolution of operational problems; quality of SOPs and workflow improvements; support for RFQs and new accounts; billing timeliness; file profitability; cost control; and CTPAT readiness. Physical and Work Requirements This role may involve urgent after-hours operational matters, business travel, and periods of sitting, standing, walking, and focused concentration. Reasonable accommodations will be provided in accordance with applicable law.

Job Type:

Full-time Pay:

$65,000.00 - $105,000.00 per year

Benefits:

401(k) Dental insurance Health insurance Life insurance Paid time off Vision insurance

Work Location:

In person