Global Freight Procurement & RFQ Lead

Azenta UK, Ltd.; Wotton; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Azenta UK, Ltd. is seeking a Global Freight Procurement & RFQ Lead for a 6-month contract based in the UK.

The role will diagnose global freight spend, challenge current arrangements and drive a robust RFQ/RFP process across regions and modes. You will partner with Operations, Procurement, Finance, Sales and Customer Service to deliver a global freight strategy, cost savings and service improvements, with clear milestones and measurable outcomes.

Qualifications

• Extensive freight procurement experience across global spend and carrier base.
• Proven RFQ/RFP process execution from data prep to supplier assessment.
• Strong analytical skills to benchmark pricing, surcharges and terms.
• Experience with Power BI, ERP/TMS data or freight audit tools.
• Excellent stakeholder management across Operations, Finance, Sales and regional teams.

Responsibilities

• Map current global freight activity, carriers, lanes, volumes and requirements.
• Analyze freight spend to identify savings and inefficiencies.
• Evaluate provider performance on cost, delivery reliability and service.
• Develop RFQ/RFP strategy, data pack, scoring criteria and timeline.
• Lead supplier Q&A, bid clarification and final evaluation.
• Build a business case showing cost savings and benefits.
• Define KPIs, governance and reporting cadence.
• Provide progress updates to Senior Director.

Skills

Freight procurement

Logistics sourcing

Transportation management

Carrier management

RFQ/RFP processes

Stakeholder management

Project management

Tools

Excel

Power BI

ERP/TMS data

Freight audit tools

Job description

Azenta UK, Ltd. At Azenta, new ideas, new technologies and new ways of thinking are driving our future. Our customer focused culture encourages employees to embrace innovation and challenge the status quo with novel thinking and collaborative work relationships. All we accomplish is grounded in our core values of Customer Focus, Achievement, Accountability, Teamwork, Employee Value and Integrity

Job Title

Global Freight Procurement & RFQ Lead

Duration

6 months

Location

Based in Wotton, Surrey

Job Description

The Global Freight Procurement & RFQ Lead will be responsible for completing a full diagnostic review of Azenta’s global freight spend, carrier base, freight forwarding arrangements, courier/parcel activity, commercial terms and service performance. This role is expected to challenge current freight purchasing and transportation arrangements, identify cost and service improvement opportunities, and take the business out to market through a robust RFQ/RFP process. Working closely with Operations, Procurement, Finance, Sales, Customer Service and regional stakeholders, the role will evaluate existing and potential freight providers across relevant transport modes and geographies. The output will be a clear recommendation pack for leadership, outlining provider options, commercial benefits, service-level improvements, implementation considerations, and the recommended global freight strategy.

Scope clarification

This contract is focused on freight spend and transportation provider sourcing only. It does not include a review of current contracted 3PL warehousing, fulfilment or site operating arrangements, which will be managed as a separate review due to existing contractual commitments.

Key Contract Deliverables

• Complete global freight spend baseline, including cost drivers, lanes, shipment volumes, modes, service levels, surcharges and contractual terms.
• Identify quick-win freight cost reduction and service improvement opportunities across current transportation arrangements.
• Build and run a structured RFQ/RFP process covering relevant freight forwarders, parcel/courier providers, carriers and specialist transport providers.
• Create an objective supplier evaluation model covering cost, service, coverage, compliance, technology, risk and implementation capability.
• Present recommended freight provider options and a global transportation solution that supports cost reduction, better service levels and future business growth.

What You'll Be Doing

• Map current global freight activity, carriers, freight forwarders, parcel/courier providers, lanes, volumes, shipment profiles, modes, Incoterms dependencies and operating requirements.
• Analyse freight spend across regions, business units and providers to identify savings opportunities, avoidable costs, rate leakage and process inefficiencies.
• Evaluate current freight provider performance against cost, delivery reliability, responsiveness, quality, claims, customer impact, geographic coverage and scalability.
• Benchmark current pricing, rate cards, accessorial charges, fuel mechanisms, surcharges and freight terms against the external market.
• Develop the RFQ/RFP strategy, supplier longlist, data pack, bid requirements, scoring criteria and timeline.
• Engage the market to identify freight providers capable of delivering a stronger global transportation solution across priority lanes and regions.
• Lead supplier Q&A, bid clarification, commercial comparison, operational assessment and final evaluation.
• Build a clear business case showing cost savings, service improvements, risks, assumptions, implementation complexity and expected benefits.
• Recommend preferred freight provider options and a transition roadmap, including contract, implementation, governance and performance management considerations.
• Partner with Procurement, Operations, Finance, Sales, Customer Service, Compliance and regional teams to align recommendations with business needs.
• Define ongoing freight supplier KPIs, reporting cadence and governance process to ensure savings and service improvements are sustained.
• Provide regular progress updates, risks, issues and decision points to the Senior Director, Global C&I Operations.

What You'll Bring

• Strong experience in freight procurement, logistics sourcing, transportation management, carrier management or supply chain cost reduction projects.
• Proven track record of running freight RFQ/RFP processes from data preparation through supplier evaluation, negotiation support and recommendation.
• Strong commercial and analytical capability, with the ability to interpret freight spend, rate structures, surcharges, service data and operational requirements.
• Good understanding of international freight, carrier networks, freight forwarders, parcel/courier providers, customs touchpoints and global transport operating models.
• Ability to benchmark pricing and service levels, identify cost reduction opportunities and translate analysis into a practical business case.
• Experience developing supplier scorecards, KPI frameworks, evaluation matrices and executive-level recommendation packs.
• Confident stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work across Operations, Procurement, Finance, Sales and regional teams.
• Strong project management capability, comfortable managing a fast-paced six-month review with clear milestones and deliverables.
• High proficiency in Excel and data analysis; experience with Power BI, ERP/TMS data or freight audit tools would be advantageous.
• Clear communication and presentation skills, with the ability to explain complex freight options in a simple, evidence-based way for senior decision makers.

Preferred Experience

• Experience in a global, multi-site manufacturing, life sciences, healthcare, technology or regulated operating environment.
• Direct experience sourcing parcel, courier, air, ocean, road, express and/or specialist freight services.
• Experience negotiating with freight forwarders, carriers, parcel providers and specialist transport organizations.
• Knowledge of international trade, customs requirements, temperature-controlled or high-value shipments would be beneficial.

Accessibility Statement

If any applicant is unable to complete an application or respond to a job opening because of a disability, please email at [e-mail] for assistance.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Azenta is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This company considers candidates regardless of race, color, age, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.

Company Overview

Azenta is a market leader in automated bio sample management solutions and multiomics services across areas such as drug development, clinical and advanced cell therapies for the industry's top pharmaceutical, biotech, academic and healthcare institutions globally. We provide unparalleled capabilities with our lab analysis, sample management and storage services, informatics software, and consumables, with the largest installed base managing over 1 billion samples globally. As a global leader in R&D multiomics services, Azenta Life Sciences, leads the way in providing superior data quality with unparalleled technical support to enable researchers around the world to advance their scientific discoveries faster than ever before.