Head of Commercial - Freight Forwarding

A1 PERSONNEL EMPLOYMENT LIMITED; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A1 PERSONNEL EMPLOYMENT LIMITED is seeking a Head of Commercial for a UK freight forwarding and logistics business. Based from Felixstowe, Middlesbrough or Newcastle, you will shape strategy, lead sales and BD, and drive revenue growth across multiple sites.

This newly created board-level role requires strong leadership, end-to-end commercial acumen, and the ability to negotiate contracts, manage margins and pricing. Regular UK travel and close collaboration with Operations will be essential.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in senior commercial or sales leadership within freight forwarding or logistics.
• Track record of winning new business and managing key customer relationships.
• Experience with warehousing solutions and multimodal freight would be advantageous.
• Strong leadership, negotiation, financial planning and board-level presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute commercial strategies to drive revenue, profitability and growth.
• Lead sales, business development, marketing and key account management.
• Oversee pricing, contracts, risk and margins across multi-site operations.
• Collaborate with Operations and senior leadership to deliver commitments and report performance.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Sales and business development

Pricing and contract negotiation

Financial planning and performance

Board-level reporting

Job description

Head of Commercial – Freight Forwarding & Logistics

Location:

Felixstowe, Middlesbrough or Newcastle

We are recruiting an experienced Head of Commercial to join an established, growing UK freight forwarding and logistics business in a newly created senior leadership position within the UK Board.This is an excellent opportunity for a commercially driven leader to shape business strategy, drive profitable growth and lead sales and business development across a multi-site operation.

The Role

Develop and deliver commercial strategies to drive revenue, profitability and sustainable growth. Lead sales, business development, marketing and customer relationship management. Oversee pricing strategies, contract negotiations, commercial risks and profit margins. Identify new markets, business opportunities and areas for expansion. Manage and develop the commercial team, monitoring sales performance and targets. Work closely with Operations to ensure customer commitments are delivered effectively. Report on sales performance, major tenders and commercial developments at monthly UK Board meetings. Collaborate with senior leadership to deliver wider business objectives.

The Ideal Candidate

Proven experience in a senior commercial, sales or business development leadership role within freight forwarding or logistics. Strong commercial understanding of sea, air and road freight .Experience developing commercial strategies, winning new business and managing key customer relationships. Knowledge of project cargo, breakbulk or multimodal freight would be highly advantageous. Experience selling warehousing solutions would be beneficial but is not essential. Strong leadership, negotiation, financial and strategic planning skills. Comfortable presenting commercial performance and growth opportunities at board level.

The Opportunity

Join an established, asset-based logistics business with a UK-wide network of 11 offices, international operations, multiple warehouse locations and its own fleet of approximately 60 vehicles.This is a key leadership appointment offering the opportunity to influence commercial strategy, develop new revenue streams and contribute directly to the company's future growth.

Location Requirements:

Ideally based within commuting distance of Felixstowe or Middlesbrough, with Newcastle also considered. Regular UK travel will be required to attend board meetings and visit company locations.

Interested? If you have the commercial leadership experience and freight forwarding knowledge to make a real impact, we would love to hear from you.