Trade Manager (Global Ocean Trade & Carrier Management) in Manchester

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KLN Logistics Group is a global 3PL provider headquartered in Hong Kong with an extensive network across Asia. The company's core competence lies in customized logistics solutions for multinational corporations and international brands. Currently, KLN Logistics Group is represented in 59 countries globally, including four branches in Germany.

We are looking for a Trade Manager (Global Ocean Trade & Carrier Management) (m/f/d) to join us at one of our locations either in Germany, The Netherlands or United Kingdom at the earliest possible date.

Key responsibilities:

We are seeking an experienced and commercially driven Trade Manager – Global Ocean Trade & Carrier Management to manage the performance and development of assigned global ocean trades (Asia – Europe, Intra-EMEA and Trans-Atlantic trades) across KLN’s international network.

This role is responsible for driving volume growth, yield improvement, carrier engagement, pricing support, market intelligence and trade development across assigned trades, while supporting country organizations in achieving their growth and profitability objectives.

The successful candidate will work closely with country teams, commercial stakeholders, strategic customers and ocean carriers to strengthen KLN’s trade performance, improve market competitiveness and deliver sustainable, profitable growth across the assigned trade portfolio.

This is a hands‑on trade management role suited for a commercially minded individual who can combine market knowledge, carrier engagement, pricing discipline and strong execution to support the growth ambitions of KLN’s Global Ocean business.

Trade Development & Business Growth

• Manage the commercial performance of assigned global ocean trades.
• Support the development and execution of trade strategies aligned with the Global Ocean growth agenda.
• Drive sustainable volume growth across assigned trade lanes and customer segments.
• Support countries in developing and executing local trade development plans.
• Identify market opportunities, emerging trade flows and high‑growth customer segments.
• Monitor trade performance and recommend corrective actions where required.
• Support cross‑selling initiatives and network collaboration opportunities.

Carrier Strategy & Procurement Support

• Support the development and execution of carrier procurement strategies across assigned trades.
• Maintain regular engagement with global and regional ocean carriers.
• Support freight negotiations, service discussions, capacity planning and allocation management.
• Help secure competitive freight agreements, service commitments and capacity support.
• Monitor carrier performance and support carrier review discussions.
• Support the implementation of KLN’s Core Carrier Strategy across assigned trades.
• Assist with carrier allocation, cargo steering and trade‑level procurement execution.

Volume Development & Customer Engagement

• Work with country organizations to support volume growth targets.
• Support strategic customer acquisition, retention and growth initiatives.
• Participate in customer meetings, business reviews and strategic sales engagements.
• Support major RFQs, tenders and commercial opportunities.
• Provide trade knowledge, carrier insights and market updates to strengthen customer value propositions.
• Work with commercial teams to convert opportunities into profitable and sustainable growth.
• Identify customer and cargo opportunities that align with KLN’s trade and carrier strategy.

Yield Optimization & Profitability Management

• Support yield enhancement initiatives across assigned trades.
• Monitor trade profitability, GP performance and margin trends.
• Identify opportunities to improve customer mix, cargo mix and revenue quality.
• Support the development and execution of trade‑specific margin improvement initiatives.
• Provide input into pricing governance and commercial decision‑making.
• Review trade performance with countries and recommend actions to improve profitability.
• Promote pricing discipline and profitable growth across the assigned trade portfolio.

Pricing & Commercial Support

• Provide pricing guidance for key opportunities, bids and customer pursuits.
• Support country teams during major RFQs and tenders.
• Ensure pricing competitiveness while protecting profitability objectives.
• Develop market‑based pricing inputs aligned with carrier procurement outcomes.
• Support network pricing governance and performance monitoring.
• Provide timely trade and pricing support to improve responsiveness and win rates.
• Maintain awareness of market rate movements and competitor activity across assigned trades.

Market Intelligence & Trade Insights

• Monitor freight markets, carrier developments, capacity trends and competitive activity.
• Produce regular trade and market intelligence updates.
• Identify market risks, opportunities and emerging trends.
• Translate market insights into actionable trade recommendations.
• Share market intelligence and recommendations across the global network.
• Support internal communication on trade developments, market shifts and carrier actions.
• Provide insights that help countries and commercial teams make informed decisions.

Your profile:

• Solid experience in Ocean Freight, Trade Management, Carrier Management, Pricing, Procurement or Commercial Support.
• Strong understanding of global ocean freight markets, carrier dynamics and trade lane development.
• Proven ability to support business growth, pricing decisions and trade profitability.
  Strong commercial acumen with good analytical and problem‑solving capabilities.
• Experience working with country teams, carriers and commercial stakeholders across multiple markets.
• Good understanding of freight procurement, pricing, allocation and carrier performance management.
• Ability to interpret market trends and translate insights into practical recommendations.
• Strong communication, coordination and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to work independently in a regional or global matrix environment.

What else you should know:

Become part of a team that lives dynamism, collaboration, and diversity. As a signatory of the Charter of Diversity, we are actively committed to an open and appreciative environment!