Airfreight Operations Manager – Belgium

Savino Del Bene is currently looking for an energetic and well-rounded Airfreight Operations Manager for our Belgium market.

Objectives of the role:

Reporting directly to the Country Director, the role will be responsible for managing the operational airfreight team to ensure financial performance (P&L) as well as the best possible level of service, rate, and transit time.

In this position, you will be the driving force to build and develop the airfreight division: you will bring strong and extensive team management, leadership skills, and experience within Airfreight shipping and transportation processes, contractual conditions, budgetary policies, and compliance. You have experience handling all processes involved in air export/import shipments from inception to final destination delivery. You have up-to-date knowledge of documentation and customs procedures.

Main duties and responsibilities:

• Manage the operational air freight team to achieve the sales target and ensure the utmost in client satisfaction while maintaining a cost-effective operation approach.
• Being the go-to expert for all things related to airfreight operations.
• Supporting the team in dealing with any issues and problems with partners and carriers.
• Respond to requests for proposals and quotes timely with market-competitive pricing
• Proactively provide pricing alternatives and routing solutions to clients
• Continuous review and improvement of operation quality.
• Develop, implement, and continuously enhance air freight forwarding operational procedures.
• Ensuring all activities follow compliance and all local regulations.
• Oversight across learning development to identify skills and knowledge requirements and to facilitate on-the-job training, workforce planning and rostering staff for workforce management, and continuous improvement for methods and techniques to improve operational efficiency.
• Involvement in sales: build and maintain long-term relations with new and existing clients, airlines, and terminals.
• Attend customer meetings when necessary to support the sales team and drive growth.
• Further develop our air freight product, including trade lane management, procurement strategies, opening new carrier relations, and nurturing performance management.
• Conduct air freight market analysis to explore opportunities and stay up to date with market developments (including customer analysis).
• Identify, formulate, and develop key trade lanes

Requirements:

• Ideally 5+ years of experience within the industry with a focus on air freight
• Languages: Fluency in Flemish, French and English.
• Proven experience managing a small white-collar workforce and demonstrated examples of building positive cultures in teams is critical.
• Strong presentation and communication skills to deal with key stakeholders are essential.
• Knowledge of air freight screening would be beneficial but not essential as full training will be provided.
• Must be able to work on an airfreight shipment from first booking through to final delivery
• Highly focused and accurate with an uncompromising eye for detail
• You are required to have an excellent level of literacy and numeracy
• Accurate communication skills in a fast-paced, teamwork environment
• Computer literacy and ability to adapt to using in-house computer systems
• Flexibility and adaptability to constantly changing conditions

Skills/Abilities

• Entrepreneurial mindset
• Teamwork and collaboration skills
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Excellent organizational skills
• Open to change and curious
• Hands-on approach and can-do attitude
• Good network within airlines and transportation organizations

Additional information

The position is based in Bruxelles (Belgium).

Who we are

Established in Florence, Italy more than 120 years ago, Savino Del Bene is today the leading Italian forwarder and ranks among the top 20 worldwide. With a network of over 310 offices and 5,600 employees on five continents, the group manages international shipping services by air, sea, and land through consolidated relationships with the best carriers. The global turnover reached 4.5 billion Euros in 2022.