Senior Manager - Branch Operations - Freight Forwarding

The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company; Maharashtra; On-site; INR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

The Peninsular and Ocean Steam Navigation Company in Maharashtra, India seeks an experienced Operations Manager to lead end-to-end Import and Export operations and ensure timely shipments from booking to delivery. You will monitor milestones, drive automation, and align with customer SOPs and SLAs to optimise workflow across branches.

Additionally, you will coordinate with Sales, Customer Service, Finance, Customs, Transport and Warehousing, while mentoring regional teams and driving continuous

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage end-to-end Import and Export operations.
• Ensure timely shipment execution from booking to final delivery.
• Monitor shipment milestones and proactively resolve operational bottlenecks.
• Ensure adherence to customer SOPs and SLAs.
• Drive operational efficiency through standardized processes and automation.
• Review daily operational dashboards and ensure smooth workflow across branches.
• Deliver superior customer experience through timely communication and issue resolution.
• Handle critical customer escalations and implement preventive action plans.
• Conduct regular operational reviews with key customers.
• Maintain high customer retention through consistent service quality.
• Lead, mentor, and develop regional operations teams.
• Define KRAs and KPIs for team members and monitor performance.
• Conduct coaching sessions, performance reviews, and succession planning.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Monitor operational profitability and control costs.
• Ensure timely job closures and accurate billing coordination.
• Optimize freight procurement and vendor utilization.
• Support business development by providing operational solutions during customer onboarding.
• Drive productivity improvements and cost-saving initiatives.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with shipping lines, co-loaders, transporters, and other service providers.
• Negotiate operational terms and ensure vendor performance meets business expectations.
• Conduct regular vendor performance evaluations.
• Identify opportunities for process optimization and digital transformation.
• Implement best practices across locations.
• Drive Lean initiatives and continuous improvement projects.
• Monitor operational KPIs and develop corrective action plans where required.
• Work closely with Sales, Customer Service, Finance, Customs Clearance, Transport, Warehousing, and overseas offices.
• Support key account implementation and new business transitions.
• Ensure seamless coordination between branches and regional teams.

Job description

Operational Management

• Lead and manage end-to-end Import and Export operations.
• Ensure timely shipment execution from booking to final delivery.
• Monitor shipment milestones and proactively resolve operational bottlenecks.
• Ensure adherence to agreed customer SOPs and service level agreements (SLAs).
• Drive operational efficiency through standardized processes and automation.
• Review daily operational dashboards and ensure smooth workflow across branches.

Customer Service Excellence

• Ensure superior customer experience through timely communication and issue resolution.
• Handle critical customer escalations and implement preventive action plans.
• Conduct regular operational reviews with key customers.
• Maintain high customer retention through consistent service quality.

Team Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop regional operations teams.
• Define KRAs and KPIs for team members and monitor performance.
• Conduct coaching sessions, performance reviews, and succession planning.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Commercial & Financial Management

• Monitor operational profitability and control costs.
• Ensure timely job closures and accurate billing coordination.
• Optimize freight procurement and vendor utilization.
• Support business development by providing operational solutions during customer onboarding.
• Drive productivity improvements and cost-saving initiatives.

Carrier & Vendor Management

• Build and maintain strategic relationships with shipping lines, co-loaders, transporters, and other service providers.
• Negotiate operational terms and ensure vendor performance meets business expectations.
• Conduct regular vendor performance evaluations.

Process Improvement

• Identify opportunities for process optimization and digital transformation.
• Implement best practices across locations.
• Drive Lean initiatives and continuous improvement projects.
• Monitor operational KPIs and develop corrective action plans where required.

Cross-functional Coordination

• Work closely with Sales, Customer Service, Finance, Customs Clearance, Transport, Warehousing, and overseas offices.
• Support key account implementation and new business transitions.
• Ensure seamless coordination between branches and regional teams.