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How you create impact

The National Sea Logistics Operational Care Manager is leading the delivery operational excellence throughout their Operational Care Center (OCC) while continuously optimizing production costs. This role involves developing Sea Logistics export and import operations, enhancing operational capabilities, and driving profitability. They manage the OCC, balancing cost efficiency with high-quality processing. The position also focuses on improving Kuehne + Nagel’s import and export services to support the ongoing growth of the national Sea Logistics business. Building and maintaining strong partnerships with key carriers and vendors is essential.

• Lead, coach, and develop Operational Care Center teams, fostering a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
• Drive process optimization initiatives to improve productivity, service quality, and cost efficiency across import and export operations.
• Partner closely with customer-facing and operational stakeholders to identify opportunities for improvement and enhance the overall customer experience.
• Manage operational performance, including productivity, service delivery, quality metrics, and financial results.
• Oversee supplier and carrier relationships, ensuring service excellence, cost competitiveness, and strong operational support.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and service level agreements (SLAs) to drive accountability and continuous improvement.
• Leverage data and performance insights to identify trends, solve operational challenges, and improve business outcomes.
• Lead training, development, and succession planning initiatives to build high-performing operational teams.
• Support business growth through operational scalability, process standardization, and automation initiatives.
• Develop risk mitigation and contingency plans to ensure operational continuity and service reliability.
• Ensure accurate financial management, including cost control, profitability analysis, and timely billing processes.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to implement strategic initiatives that enhance operational performance and customer satisfaction.
• Foster strong partnerships with carriers, vendors, and internal stakeholders to support business objectives and service excellence.

If you require an accommodation for the recruitment /interview process (including alternate formats of materials, or accessible meeting rooms or other accommodation), please let us know and we will work with you to meet your needs.

This job posting relates to an available role and not a future talent pool. 

What we would like you to bring

• 5+ years of Sea Logistics freight forwarding experience, with a strong preference for export operations experience; exposure to both import and export is highly desirable.
• 3+ years of people leadership experience managing large operational teams, with a collaborative leadership style focused on coaching, development, and partnership.
• Demonstrated success driving operational excellence through lean methodologies, process optimization, automation, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong business acumen with experience managing productivity, operational performance, budgets, and P&L drivers while identifying opportunities for efficiency gains.
• Proven ability to leverage data, KPIs, reporting tools, and emerging technologies, including AI-driven solutions, to improve operational performance and business outcomes.
• Highly collaborative leader with a proven ability to partner effectively with cross-functional stakeholders, including commercial, operational, and customer-facing teams, to achieve shared objectives.
• Strong relationship management skills with the ability to build trusted partnerships both internally and externally through a hands-on, consensus-driven approach.
• Strategic thinker with experience leading organizational change, driving operational transformation, and fostering a culture of curiosity, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Collaborative and inspiring leadership style with a passion for developing talent, empowering teams, and creating alignment across the organization.

What's in it for you

At Kuehne+Nagel we strive daily to inspire, empower, and deliver not only to our customers, but also to our colleagues. We offer a dynamic global work environment with opportunities for excellent training programs and career mobility. The target base salary range for this position is between $130,000 and $160,000. Individual pay may vary from the target range and is determined by a number of factors including experience, skills, job location, internal pay equity, and other relevant business considerations. Kuehne+Nagel reviews pay ranges regularly to ensure competitive and fair pay based on industry market data. Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used to support portions of the recruitment process, such as reviewing application materials or assisting with scheduling. These tools analyze information to help inform decision making; however, all hiring decisions are made by human reviewers. #LI-TD1