Ocean Freight Operations Lead

Forward Air Corp.; Coppell (TX); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) plan

Paid time off

Job summary

Forward Air Corp. in Dallas, TX, seeks an Operations Supervisor – Ocean Freight to lead daily ocean import/export operations, supervise a team, and coordinate with steamship lines, brokers, and inland partners to maintain service levels.

You will ensure compliance with FMC and customs, manage FCL/LCL shipments, drive continuous improvements, and mentor coordinators in a fast-paced, on-site environment.

Responsibilities

• Supervise day-to-day ocean import and export operations, ensuring compliance with international trade regulations and company SOPs.
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of ocean freight coordinators, fostering accuracy, accountability, and service excellence.
• Oversee end‑to‑end ocean shipment execution, including booking, documentation, customs coordination, and final delivery.
• Ensure compliance with FMC, customs, carrier, and port authority requirements for international ocean freight movements.
• Manage both FCL and LCL shipments, including coordination with steamship lines, NVOCCs, CFS facilities, and drayage providers.
• Monitor operational KPIs such as transit times, dwell time, demurrage and detention exposure, service levels, and cost control.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for customer issues, port delays, rollovers, and documentation discrepancies.
• Review and approve ocean freight documentation, including B/Ls, commercial invoices, packing lists, ISF filings, and export documentation.
• Coordinate closely with overseas agents, carriers, customs brokers, and inland transportation partners.
• Support pricing, routing, and capacity decisions in partnership with sales, procurement, and network teams.
• Identify process inefficiencies and implement continuous improvement initiatives to enhance operational performance.
• Ensure accurate and timely system updates within freight forwarding and transportation management platforms.
• Maintain strong customer relationships through proactive communication and issue resolution.
• Support staffing, scheduling, and workload planning to meet volume fluctuations and service commitments.
• All other duties as assigned to meet evolving business needs.

Job description

Forward Air Corp. in Dallas, TX, seeks an Operations Supervisor – Ocean Freight to lead daily ocean import/export operations, supervise a team, and coordinate with steamship lines, brokers, and inland partners to maintain service levels.

You will ensure compliance with FMC and customs, manage FCL/LCL shipments, drive continuous improvements, and mentor coordinators in a fast-paced, on-site environment.