Director (m/f/d) Empty Container Flow Execution and Cost Control

Hapag-Lloyd AG; Hamburg; On-site; EUR 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A global shipping leader is seeking a Director for Empty Container Flow Execution and Cost Control in Hamburg. You will manage a team while overseeing the financial controlling of the container fleet. Ideal candidates have a strong educational background in business, experience in logistics, and proficiency in financial analytics tools. This role offers an opportunity to drive operational excellence and innovation in global fleet management.

Qualifications

• Practical experience in logistics and/or shipping.
• Experience in financial controlling.
• Proven success in team leadership and management.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of seven colleagues.
• Oversee global container fleet planning and cost monitoring.
• Ensure monthly invoice verification of container-related receivables.

Skills

Leadership

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Team management

Problem-solving

Education

University degree in business administration or industrial engineering

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

SAP

QlikSense

Alteryx

Job description

Director Empty Container Flow Execution and Cost Control

Join us as Director Empty Container Flow Execution and Cost Control at Hapag-Lloyd AG. Container Steering owns the end-to-end value chain of containers within Hapag-Lloyd, ensuring efficient, sustainable, and innovative global fleet management.

The department acts as the strategic and operational backbone of container management and is structured into five specialized teams covering all core aspects of container operations. As Director Empty Container Flow Execution and Cost Control, you will support us in building the world’s smartest and most cost-efficient container fleet.

• Leadership, management, and support for a team of seven colleagues
• Global container fleet and cost planning (container per diem cost, CPD), including investment planning and preparation of C-level decision documents
• Responsibility for container CPD fleet result control and cost monitoring
• Support for empty repositioning cost (surplus & demand costs, S&D) planning from global perspective with Liner Shipping Controlling and evaluation of regional S&D cost assumptions and targets
• Container financing and reporting: analysis and presentation of financing offers, profitability analyses, and negotiation of financing contracts with leasing companies
• Ensuring monthly invoice verification of container-related receivables and payables, as well as an effective processing procedure by KC in Danzig
• Responsibility for Hapag-Lloyd’s Container Release and Return product with a 250+ global user base, incl. management of key stakeholders (IT, others), transformation & innovation processes and timelines
• Driving re-definition of container flow execution processes and process excellence upon roll-out of new Transport Management System and global responsibility transfer of handling empty shipments from Inland to Equipment teams
• Driving definition, roll-out, and performance management of operational use cases utilizing container tracking and IoT devices within the Container Release and Return scope
• Development, presentation, and driving of key performance indicators (KPIs), derivation of recommendations for action, and implementation and optimization of financial results across CPD and S&D costs for container flow execution processes (container releases and returns, empty shipment handling, IoT cases)
• Support in strategic projects across end-to-end container value chain
• Creation of business plans and support in research and development activities

Qualifications

• University degree (ideally with a focus on business administration or industrial engineering) with practical experience in logistics and/or shipping
• Experience in financial controlling, including result control, cost monitoring and analytics
• Proven success in team leadership and management
• Strong analytical and conceptual thinking; passion for data analysis and linking operational performance to cost development
• Excellent comprehension and structured approach to complex issues
• Comprehensive knowledge of Excel, PowerPoint, SAP, and QlikSense; initial experience with BI tools such as Alteryx
• Problem-solving and goal-oriented work style with high commitment, organizational flexibility, and assertiveness
• Experience in creating management information and presentations, including storylining
• Excellent communication skills at all levels and very good team spirit
• Ability to summarize analysis results concisely and present them convincingly, including conflict management skills
• Excellent English language skills, written and spoken