Air Freight Operations Manager

Morgan McKinley; Dublin; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Autonomy at leadership level

Competitive salary

Collaborative environment

Job summary

Morgan McKinley is partnering with a leading freight forwarding client in Dublin to recruit an Operations Manager for their busy Air Freight division.

You will lead the Dublin operations, drive performance, coach the team, and ensure regulatory compliance while delivering exceptional service to international customers.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience within international Air Freight Forwarding (essential).
• Previous experience managing an Air Freight operations team within a freight forwarding environment.
• Strong leadership experience with the ability to motivate, develop and manage high-performing teams.
• Excellent knowledge of international freight forwarding, customs procedures and aviation security requirements.
• Experience working with CargoWise or a similar freight forwarding operating system.
• Strong commercial awareness with experience negotiating freight rates and managing customer relationships.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• A proactive, solutions-focused approach with strong organisational and problem-solving abilities.
• Experience managing operational KPIs, compliance and continuous improvement initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the daily operations of the Air Freight department, ensuring efficient and profitable service delivery.
• Drive operational excellence through effective leadership, process improvement and team development.
• Oversee the end-to-end movement of international air freight shipments.
• Ensure compliance with customs regulations, aviation security requirements, GDP standards and industry accreditations including AEO and ISO.
• Maximise the effective use of CargoWise and ensure operational administration, invoicing and shipment documentation are completed accurately.
• Resolve operational escalations while maintaining exceptional customer service standards.
• Develop strong relationships with customers, overseas partners and carriers.
• Negotiate competitive freight rates while protecting profitability.
• Work closely with the commercial team to identify new business opportunities and support customer growth.
• Manage financial performance, including month-end processes, aged debt and operational cost control.
• Recruit, mentor, coach and develop the operations team, fostering a high-performance culture built around accountability and continuous improvement.

Skills

Air Freight Forwarding

Leadership

Team management

Commercial acumen

Customer relationships

Compliance knowledge

Tools

CargoWise

Job description

Morgan McKinley is delighted to be partnering with a key client in the freight forwarding and logistics sector to recruit an experienced Operations Manager for their Dublin operation.

This is an excellent opportunity for an established operations leader with a strong background in international air freight forwarding to take ownership of a busy operation, lead a high-performing team, and drive operational excellence across the business.

Please note: Extensive Air Freight forwarding experience is essential for this role. Candidates without a proven background in managing air freight operations will not be considered.

The Role

Reporting to the Country Manager, the Operations Manager will be responsible for leading the day-to-day operations of the Dublin branch, ensuring the efficient movement of international shipments while delivering exceptional customer service and maintaining the highest levels of operational compliance.

You will play a key role in leading, developing and motivating the operations team, ensuring processes are efficient, customer expectations are exceeded, and commercial objectives are achieved.

This position requires a hands-on leader who thrives in a fast-paced freight forwarding environment and has a strong understanding of international air freight operations, customs compliance and industry best practice.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the daily operations of the Air Freight department, ensuring efficient and profitable service delivery.
• Drive operational excellence through effective leadership, process improvement and team development.
• Oversee the end-to-end movement of international air freight shipments.
• Ensure compliance with customs regulations, aviation security requirements, GDP standards and industry accreditations including AEO and ISO.
• Maximise the effective use of CargoWise and ensure operational administration, invoicing and shipment documentation are completed accurately.
• Resolve operational escalations while maintaining exceptional customer service standards.
• Develop strong relationships with customers, overseas partners and carriers.
• Negotiate competitive freight rates while protecting profitability.
• Work closely with the commercial team to identify new business opportunities and support customer growth.
• Manage financial performance, including month-end processes, aged debt and operational cost control.
• Recruit, mentor, coach and develop the operations team, fostering a high-performance culture built around accountability and continuous improvement.

About You

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• Extensive experience within international Air Freight Forwarding (essential).
• Previous experience managing an Air Freight operations team within a freight forwarding environment.
• Strong leadership experience with the ability to motivate, develop and manage high-performing teams.
• Excellent knowledge of international freight forwarding, customs procedures and aviation security requirements.
• Experience working with CargoWise or a similar freight forwarding operating system.
• Strong commercial awareness with experience negotiating freight rates and managing customer relationships.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• A proactive, solutions-focused approach with strong organisational and problem-solving abilities.
• Experience managing operational KPIs, compliance and continuous improvement initiatives.

What's on Offer

• Opportunity to join a well-established and growing international logistics business.
• Leadership role with genuine autonomy and influence.
• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• Supportive and collaborative working environment.