Head of Freight Forwarding Commercial Operations in Liverpool

Our client is a 75-year-old logistics company with a global presence and offices in the EU, a £60m turnover and approximately 100 heads in the business. The Head of Freight Forwarding will provide strategic and operational leadership across the company's UK multimodal freight division, ensuring alignment between service delivery, cost efficiency, and commercial growth. This is a pivotal position, responsible for driving profitability and customer satisfaction through effective team leadership, process improvement, and supplier partnerships. The successful candidate will play a key role in shaping the division's future, working closely with the Business Development Manager to expand market share, strengthen client relationships, and enhance the company's airfreight offering.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Leadership
  • Provide overall leadership and direction to the freight forwarding division, setting clear objectives for operational performance and commercial growth.
  • Develop and deliver a strategic plan that strengthens the company's position across air, sea, and road freight services.
  • Partner with senior management to identify new market opportunities and shape long-term business strategy.
  • Lead change initiatives, including the implementation of a new freight management system to enhance automation, visibility, and process efficiency.
  • Encourage cross-departmental collaboration to support joined-up service delivery across the wider business.
  • Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement within the division.
• Commercial Growth & Partnerships
  • Recruit a new team underneath you.
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with key customers, ensuring service excellence and long-term partnership development.
  • Work closely with the sales teams to identify and secure new business opportunities across existing and emerging markets.
  • Negotiate competitive contracts and service agreements with carriers, shipping lines, and airlines.
  • Develop and manage supplier relationships to optimise service quality, cost, and reliability.
  • Analyse commercial performance, pricing structures, and market trends to maximise revenue and profitability.
• Operational Excellence
  • Oversee the end-to-end management of multimodal freight operations, ensuring high standards of service, compliance, and efficiency across Air, Sea, and Road.
  • Monitor and review carrier performance, ensuring KPIs for cost, productivity, and quality are achieved.
  • Implement consistent processes and reporting frameworks across all transport modes.
  • Ensure customer feedback and satisfaction levels are regularly measured and used to drive improvement.
  • Promote best practice in health and safety, quality, and environmental compliance across all freight activities.
• Financial Management
  • Lead the budgeting, forecasting, and performance management processes for the freight forwarding division.
  • Monitor financial performance against agreed targets, ensuring revenue growth and cost control.
  • Prepare regular management reports on operational and commercial performance.
  • Identify and implement opportunities for efficiency improvement and cost reduction without compromising service quality.

Essential Criteria:

• Significant senior management experience within freight forwarding or multimodal logistics operations, ideally across air, sea, and road freight.
• Proven track record of leading operational teams and delivering performance improvements in service quality, efficiency, and profitability.
• Strong commercial acumen with experience of developing new business opportunities and managing key customer relationships.
• Demonstrable experience of contract negotiation and supplier management with carriers, shipping lines, and airlines.
• Skilled in budgeting, forecasting, and P&L management.
• Strong understanding of international trade regulations, customs procedures, and freight compliance requirements.

Competencies:

• Strategic Thinking: Able to develop and communicate a clear vision for the freight forwarding division, linking strategy to measurable outcomes.
• Commercial Awareness: Understands market dynamics, customer needs, and competitor activity to make informed commercial decisions.
• Leadership: Leads by example, creating a positive, high-performing culture focused on results, continuous improvement, accountability, and collaboration.
• Decision-Making: Uses data and insight to make sound operational and commercial decisions, even under pressure.
• Collaboration: Works effectively across teams and functions to deliver joined-up customer solutions.
• Communication & Influence: Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Innovation: Proactively seeks opportunities to improve systems, processes, and service delivery.
• Customer Focus: Demonstrates a strong commitment to service excellence and long-term relationship building.