Operational Excellence Manager – Freight Forwarding

Rhenus SE & Co.; Cranford (NJ); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Rhenus SE & Co. is seeking a Senior Operations Excellence leader in Cranford, NJ to drive and coordinate improvement initiatives across the U.S. network, aligned with regional priorities.

You will plan operating model changes, monitor data quality, standardize processes with commercial, finance, IT and operations teams, and lead KPI reporting and cross-functional projects. As the business grows, you will oversee system rollouts, support change management, and ensure timely execution of approved

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, logistics, supply chain, engineering, IT, or a related field; an advanced degree is an asset.
• 5–10 years of experience in freight forwarding or logistics operations, including hands-on process improvement or operational excellence responsibilities.
• Experience leading cross-functional improvement projects across multiple teams or locations.
• Fluent written and spoken English; additional languages are an asset.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate operational excellence initiatives across the U.S. network.
• Plan and support operating model changes and country-to-regional insourcing transitions.
• Monitor data quality and investigate recurring issues with operations teams.
• Review, document, standardize, and improve operational processes with cross-functional teams.
• Develop and maintain operational KPI reporting and translate findings into improvement plans.
• Coordinate resources and stakeholders for approved process, system, documentation, and KPI changes.
• Apply the regional operational audit framework to evaluate process compliance and data integrity.
• Benchmark branch performance and share proven practices across the network.
• Lead cross-functional improvement projects and support change management.
• System Rollout: define rollout standards, coordinate testing, training, implementation, and post-launch support.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

Change management

KPI analysis

Lean Six Sigma

English proficiency

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in business/logistics/supply chain/engineering/IT

Job description

What You Can Expect :Operational Excellence:Lead and coordinate operational excellence initiatives across the U.S. network, aligned with regional priorities and the Regional Head of Operational Excellence – Americas.Plan and support operating model changes, including country-to-regional in-sourcing and the transition from end-to-end (A–Z) workflows to defined front-end and back-end responsibilities.Monitor data quality at the branch and country levels; investigate recurring issues with operations teams and implement corrective actions.Review, document, standardize, and improve operational processes in coordination with commercial, finance, IT, and other support functions.Develop and maintain operational KPI reporting covering productivity, efficiency, data accuracy, compliance, and customer service; translate findings into improvement plans.Gather and assess branch requests for process and application enhancements; prioritize and escalate proposals through the regional demand-management process.Coordinate resources and stakeholders for approved process, system, documentation, and KPI changes, ensuring clear ownership and timely execution.Apply the regional operational audit framework to evaluate process compliance, documentation quality, data integrity, and service performance.Benchmark branch performance, identify root causes of gaps, and share proven practices across the network.Partner with regional leadership to define short-, medium-, and long-term operational excellence priorities and track progress against agreed objectives.Lead cross-functional improvement projects, support change management, and help teams adopt new standards and ways of working.System Rollout:Assess business requirements, process gaps, and operational readiness before introducing new systems or functionality.Partner with Operational Excellence and IT leadership to define rollout standards, scope, milestones, and success measures.Plan and coordinate system rollouts across branches, including testing, training, implementation, and post-launch support.Align operations, IT, and other stakeholders on rollout timelines, responsibilities, and process impacts.Provide clear project status updates, risks, and action plans to regional leadership and key stakeholders.Monitor adoption, system performance, and operational KPIs after launch; address issues and identify further improvements.Support implementation of new application features and ensure consistent use of approved tools and workflows.Act as a point of contact for branch teams during rollout, coordinating issue resolution and ongoing process support.What You Bring:Bachelor’s degree in business, logistics, supply chain, engineering, IT, or a related field; an advanced degree is an asset.5–10 years of experience in freight forwarding or logistics operations, including hands-on process improvement or operational excellence responsibilities; strong air and ocean freight knowledge preferred.Experience leading cross-functional improvement projects, process standardization, and change management across multiple teams or locations.Strong analytical and structured problem-solving skills, with experience using operational KPIs, data quality measures, and root-cause analysis to drive results.Ability to balance operational efficiency, customer requirements, and commercial priorities when evaluating process improvements.Effective stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence branch teams and regional leadership.Experience supporting transportation management or freight forwarding system implementations, testing, training, or process rollouts.Proven ability to manage multiple projects, work independently, and deliver measurable improvements; Lean Six Sigma or similar training is an asset.Fluent written and spoken English; additional languages are an asset. Willingness to travel as business needs require.