Air and Ocean Export Manager

ATA; Mumbai; On-site; INR 3,500,000 - 6,000,000; Full time

Job summary

ATA in Mumbai is seeking an experienced Ocean Freight Product & Operations Manager to lead the India-wide development of our ocean freight offering, pricing, carrier relationships and operational excellence.

The role covers end-to-end ocean freight, including import/export, FCL/LCL, vendor management, documentation, and performance, working with Sales, Pricing, Customer Service, Finance and overseas offices.

Qualifications

• Graduate degree in Logistics, Supply Chain, Commerce, Business Administration, or related field.
• Postgraduate qualification in Supply Chain / Logistics / International Trade is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage the ocean freight product strategy for India.
• Build strong relationships with shipping lines, NVOCCs, co-loaders, consolidators, and overseas agents.
• Collaborate with Pricing to attain competitive buying rates, service contracts, free days, credit terms, space commitments, and other conditions.
• Oversee end-to-end ocean freight operations including import/export, FCL/LCL, documentation, and performance.
• Lead and develop the ocean freight operations and product team; establish KPIs and reviews.
• Ensure compliance with Indian customs, DG and documentation requirements; manage risk and SOP adherence.

Skills

Ocean freight knowledge

Carrier negotiation

Team leadership

MIS & Excel

Pricing & procurement

Customer service

Documentation

Education

Graduate degree in Logistics/SC/Commerce/BA

PG in Supply Chain/Logistics/International Trade (advantage)

Job description

Job Description – Ocean Freight Product & Operations Manager

Position: Ocean Freight Product & Operations Manager-India

Department: Ocean Freight / Operations

Reporting To: Director/Head of Ocean Freight & Commercial Director

Experience: 8–15 years in freight forwarding / NVOCC / shipping & logistics

Employment Type: Full-time

1. Role Purpose

The Ocean Freight Product & Operations Manager will be responsible for managing and developing the company's ocean freight product across India, ensuring competitive pricing, strong carrier relationships, operational excellence, and profitable growth.

The role will oversee end-to-end ocean freight operations, including import, export, FCL, LCL, carrier management, vendor management, customer service, documentation, and operational performance.

The position will work closely with Sales, Pricing, Customer Service, Finance, Customs, Warehousing, and overseas offices/agents to deliver reliable and commercially competitive ocean freight solutions.

2. Key Responsibilities

• Develop and manage the company's ocean freight product strategy for India.
• Build strong relationships with major shipping lines, NVOCCs, co-loaders, consolidators, and overseas agents.
• Work closely with Pricing team to attain competitive buying rates, service contracts, free days, credit terms, space commitments, and other commercial conditions.
• Monitor market trends, carrier capacity, blank sailings, GRIs/PSS, congestion, equipment availability, and schedule changes.
• Develop and maintain competitive trade-lane solutions for key import and export markets.
• Identify new trade lanes, services, carriers, and consolidation opportunities.
• Support the sales team with market intelligence, rate guidance, and product solutions.
• Review profitability by customer, trade lane, carrier, and shipment type.
• CFS Management,Transportation management

B. Ocean Freight Operations

• Manage the complete operational cycle of ocean freight shipments from booking to final delivery.
• Ensure timely execution of:
• Booking and space confirmation
• Shipping instructions
• Bill of Lading / Sea Waybill
• VGM
• Documentation
• Container release and pickup
• Customs coordination
• Gate-in / cut-off management
• Vessel sailing and arrival monitoring
• Arrival notices
• Delivery order and destination coordination
• Ensure smooth handling of both FCL and LCL shipments.
• Monitor shipment exceptions and proactively resolve operational issues.
• Establish SOPs and ensure adherence across branches and teams.
• Ensure accurate and timely system updates for all shipments.
• Maintain strong working relationships with shipping lines and NVOCCs.
• Negotiate and manage annual/quarterly service contracts along with Pricing teams .
• Schedule reliability
• Documentation
• Detention/demurrage
• Claims and service issues
• Develop alternate carrier and routing options to mitigate operational risks.
• Evaluate and manage overseas agents, co-loaders, transporters, CFS/ICD operators, and other service providers.

D. Team Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop the ocean freight operations and product team.
• Allocate responsibilities and monitor team performance.
• Establish KPIs and productivity targets.
• Conduct regular performance reviews and training.
• Build a strong culture of ownership, customer service, accuracy, and operational discipline.
• Act as the escalation point for critical ocean freight operational issues.
• Ensure prompt resolution of customer complaints and service failures.
• Work proactively with customers and internal teams to manage:
• Rolled cargo
• Port congestion
• Equipment shortages
• Customs/documentation issues
• Detention/demurrage
• Damage/claims
• Drive continuous improvement in customer experience.

F. Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with applicable Indian customs, shipping, port, DG, and documentation requirements.
• Ensure proper handling of Dangerous Goods (DG) and other restricted cargo.
• Monitor documentation accuracy and minimize operational and financial risks.
• Ensure adherence to company SOPs, compliance policies, and audit requirements.

G. MIS, Analytics & Performance Management

Prepare and review regular MIS covering:

• Revenue and gross profit
• On-time sailing performance
• Customer profitability

Use data and market intelligence to identify opportunities for volume growth, cost reduction, margin improvement, and operational efficiency.

3. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Gross profit and GP/TEU
• Revenue growth
• Carrier buying rate competitiveness
• Space and equipment availability
• Documentation accuracy
• Claims ratio
• Customer complaint resolution time
• Productivity per employee
• SOP compliance

4. Candidate Profile

Education

• Graduate degree in Logistics, Supply Chain, Commerce, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Postgraduate qualification in Supply Chain / Logistics / International Trade is an advantage.

Experience

• 8–15 years of relevant experience in ocean freight forwarding, NVOCC, shipping, or logistics.
• Strong experience in FCL and LCL ocean freight operations.
• Experience dealing with major shipping lines and overseas agents.
• Experience in ocean freight pricing, procurement, carrier negotiations, and product management.
• Prior experience managing a team is preferred.

Required Skills

• Strong knowledge of Indian ocean freight and logistics operations.
• Good understanding of major global trade lanes.
• Strong carrier negotiation and procurement skills.
• Good understanding of Incoterms, BL procedures, customs processes, port operations, detention/demurrage, and freight surcharges.
• Strong commercial and analytical skills.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills.
• Strong customer-service orientation.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure.
• Strong Excel/MIS and logistics-system skills.
• Leadership and people-management capability.

5. Preferred Trade-Lane Knowledge

Experience in one or more of the following will be advantageous:

• India–Southeast Asia
• India–Australia / New Zealand

6. Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate should combine strong ocean freight operational expertise with commercial/product-management capability. The person should be capable of managing the entire ocean freight product lifecycle—from carrier procurement and rate negotiation to shipment execution, customer service, profitability, and team performance.

A strong understanding of the Indian forwarding market, excellent carrier relationships, commercial acumen, and the ability to build scalable processes will be critical to success.

7. Compensation

CTC: Competitive, based on experience and market standards.

Travel: Domestic travel may be required for carrier meetings, customer meetings, overseas agent meetings, and industry events.