Assistant Manager, Freight Forwarding (Air & Ocean)

About the Role:

We are looking for a highly organized, hands-on Assistant Manager to lead our cohesive team of 4 operations specialists. This is a junior managerial role designed for an experienced team lead or an operational senior executive who is ready to take full ownership of a team. While you must know the operational execution of freight workflows, a key priority for this role is blending operational efficiency with customer service excellence.

Job Responsibilities:

Team Leadership & Customer Service Drive

• Lead, mentor, and organize the operation team to ensure high performance, accurate system updates, and smooth daily workflows.
• Balance workloads across the team, act as the first point of escalation for complex operational issues and key client concerns, stepping in to solve problems professionally.
• Assist in setting team KPIs and providing constructive feedback to help team members grow.

End-to-End Operations

• Oversee and support the execution of end-to-end Air and Ocean freight shipments (import/export, documentation, customs clearance, and local delivery).
• Maintain strong, day-to-day relationships with carriers, co-loaders, airlines, and overseas agents to secure competitive solutions and resolve service disruptions.
• Ensure absolute compliance with local customs regulations, international trade laws, and internal standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Organization & Quality Control

• Drive accuracy in operational data entry, billing, invoicing, and cost management within the freight management system.
• Review existing operational workflows and implement simple, organized changes to improve team efficiency and customer satisfaction.

What We Are Looking For:

• Experience: Minimum 5–7 years of hands-on experience in freight forwarding operations, with a strong focus on Ocean freight. Familiarity with Air freight is highly preferred, as this role will oversee both areas.
• Team Leadership Experience: Proven experience as a team lead, coordinator, or senior executive with a track record of mentoring or guiding junior staff. You are ready to take full operational ownership of a core team.
• Systems & Operational Knowledge: Proficiency in CargoWise One (CW1) is highly preferred. Deep understanding of managing Ocean freight workflows, documentation, milestones tracking, and ensuring system data integrity.
• Organization Skills: Exceptional time management, highly detail-oriented, and able to keep a team organized under pressure.
• Communication: Strong interpersonal skills to effectively manage both internal team dynamics and external vendor relations.