Account Manager - Airlines

Forward Air Corporation; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 70,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Forward Air Corporation is seeking an Account Manager - Airlines to manage strategic airline customer relationships, drive retention, growth, and operational performance. You will partner with customers and internal teams to identify opportunities, resolve challenges, and deliver data-driven solutions.

This on-site role requires understanding of airline cargo operations, building relationships with operational, commercial, and leadership contacts, and leading quarterly reviews to align on

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in Business, Aviation Management, Supply Chain, Logistics, or a related field.
• 3+ years’ experience in aviation, transportation, account management, or related customer-facing roles.
• Deep understanding of airline cargo operations, airport environments, and time-sensitive transportation requirements.
• Strong relationship management, analytical, communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and build effective cross-functional relationships.
• Proficient with Windows OS, Microsoft O365, CRM systems (Salesforce), and web conferencing tools.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of strategic customer accounts in the airline sector.
• Serve as the primary contact for assigned accounts, building relationships with customer stakeholders across levels.
• Understand customer supply chain strategies and align solutions accordingly.
• Position Forward Air as the preferred transportation provider within partner networks.
• Monitor account performance, revenue trends, customer satisfaction, and retention risks.
• Identify growth opportunities and additional transportation solutions within existing accounts.
• Establish and maintain customer-specific performance metrics and reporting.
• Create, prepare, and lead Quarterly Business Reviews and executive reviews.
• Advocate for the customer internally to align resources with commitments and objectives.
• Drive retention, expansion, and profitability through strategic account plans and renewals.
• Maintain account plans, activity, opportunities, and pipeline visibility in Salesforce.
• Collaborate with Operations, Customer Service, Pricing, and Sales on account performance and initiatives.
• Support onboarding, implementation, and service launches.
• Manage escalations and cross-functional challenges to ensure service excellence.

Skills

Relationship mgmt

Analytical

Negotiation

Communication

Customer service

Problem solving

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Aviation Management, Supply Chain, Logistics, or related field

Tools

Salesforce

Microsoft 365

Teams

Zoom

Webex

Job description

Job Description The

Job Description The Account Manager - Airlines is responsible for managing, retaining, and growing strategic customer relationships. They serve as the primary point of contact and trusted advisor for their assigned accounts and are responsible for driving customer satisfaction, retention, operational performance, and long-term revenue growth. They partner closely with customers and internal stakeholders to identify opportunities, resolve challenges, and ensure service excellence. The position requires a deep understanding of customer operations and supply chain strategies, and the ability to leverage data to identify growth opportunities, lead business reviews, resolve complex challenges, and deliver solutions that enhance customer value and profitability.

Schedule: Sunday-Thursday 8am-5pm

Category Focus: Airline Partnerships

• Support a portfolio of airline partners and serve as a trusted advisor to key customer stakeholders.
• Develop a strong understanding of airline cargo operations, airport environments, and time-sensitive transportation requirements.
• Build and strengthen relationships with airline operational, commercial, and leadership contacts.
• Identify opportunities to increase freight volume, expand transportation lanes, and support account growth.

Responsibilities:

• Manage a portfolio of strategic customer accounts.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned accounts, building and maintaining strong relationships with customer stakeholders across operational, commercial, and leadership levels.
• Understand customer supply chain strategies and align solutions to support those initiatives.
• Position the Company as a preferred transportation provider within partner logistics networks.
• Monitor and analyze account performance, revenue trends, customer satisfaction, and retention risks to identify opportunities and recommend actions.
• Identify organic growth opportunities, share-of-wallet expansion opportunities, and additional transportation solutions within existing accounts.
• Establish and maintain customer-specific performance metrics and fact-based reporting to identify root causes, lead corrective action planning, and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Create, prepare, and lead Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) and executive business reviews, presenting operational and financial performance, identifying opportunities for growth, and developing strategic action plans.
• Act as a customer advocate within the organization, influencing internal stakeholders and aligning resources to support customer commitments and business objectives.
• Drive account retention, expansion, and profitability by identifying growth opportunities, developing strategic account plans, and supporting contract renewals and commercial negotiations.
• Maintain accurate account plans, customer activity, business opportunities, and pipeline visibility within Salesforce and other business systems.
• Partner with Operations, Customer Service, Pricing, Commercial, and other internal teams to improve account performance, customer experience, and long-term retention.
• Partner with Sales on growth opportunities, RFP responses, customer expansions, and win-back initiatives.
• Monitor market trends, customer needs, and competitive activity to identify growth opportunities.
• Support customer onboarding, implementation activities, and service launches.
• Manage customer escalations, service concerns, and operational challenges through effective cross-functional collaboration.
• Maintain CRM documentation, account activity, forecasting information, and customer records.
• All other duties as assigned to meet evolving business needs.

Qualifications:

• Education: Undergraduate degree in Business, Aviation Management, Supply Chain, Logistics, or a related field from an accredited college or university required.
• Experience: 3+ years’ experience in aviation, transportation, account management, or related customer-facing experience preferred.
• Deep understanding of airline cargo operations, airport environments, transportation services, or related logistics functions preferred.
• Strong relationship management, analytical, communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to identify revenue risks, growth opportunities, and customer retention strategies.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and build effective relationships across functions.
• Demonstrated discretion and confidentiality in handling and protecting sensitive information.
• Technical: Proficient with common office technologies, including Windows PCs, Microsoft O365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.), CRMs (Salesforce), and web conferencing (Teams, Zoom, Webex, etc.)
• Environment: Comfort commuting to/from and working in an on-site setting (listed in this posting), with travel for related meetings/events.