Operations Supervisor - Ocean

Forward Air Corporation; Euless (TX); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Forward Air Corporation is seeking an Operations Supervisor – Ocean Freight to lead daily import/export operations, ensuring compliant, cost-effective international movement. You will supervise a team of ocean freight coordinators and coordinate with steamship lines, brokers, and overseas offices.

The role requires strong knowledge of FCL/LCL, Incoterms, and cargo documentation, plus a continuous improvement mindset to optimize performance and service levels in a 100% on-site environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in international ocean freight import and export operations.
• Prior supervisory or team lead experience within a freight forwarding or logistics environment.
• Strong working knowledge of international trade compliance, Incoterms, and ocean freight documentation.
• Experience with freight forwarding systems, preferably CargoWise.
• Experience managing FCL/LCL shipments and port operations.
• Proficient with MS Office and collaboration tools.

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.
• Oversee end-to-end ocean shipment execution, including booking, documentation, and customs coordination.
• Ensure compliance with FMC, customs, carrier, and port authority requirements.
• Coordinate with steamship lines, brokers, and overseas offices to maintain service levels.
• Monitor KPIs such as transit times and demurrage/detention exposure.
• Review and approve ocean freight documentation.
• Support pricing, routing, and capacity decisions with cross-functional teams.

Skills

Ocean freight experience

Supervisory experience

Incoterms knowledge

FCL/LCL knowledge

CargoWise

MS Office

Team coordination

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Associate/Bachelor's degree in Logistics or related field

FMC/CCS/FIATA certifications

Tools

CargoWise

MS Office

Job description

Job Description

The Operations Supervisor – Ocean Freight is responsible for leading daily ocean import and export operations to ensure compliant, efficient, and cost‑effective international freight movement. They supervise a team of ocean freight forwarding professionals while serving as a subject matter expert across FCL and LCL shipments, carrier coordination, documentation, and import/export customs processes. They partner closely with internal teams, steamship lines, customs brokers, drayage providers, and overseas offices to maintain high service levels. They play a key role in managing operational performance, meeting customer SLAs, and resolving complex shipment issues. This hands‑on leader brings strong background in international ocean freight operations, and a continuous improvement mindset.

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.

Qualifications

• Education: High School Diploma or GED equivalent required; Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Logistics, Supply Chain, Business, or a related field preferred.
• Certification/Licensure: FMC, CCS, FIATA, or other industry‑recognized logistics certifications preferred.
• Experience: 5+ years of experience in international ocean freight import and export operations.
• Prior supervisory or team lead experience within a freight forwarding, NVOCC, or logistics environment.
• Strong working knowledge of international trade compliance, Incoterms, and ocean freight documentation.
• Experience working with freight forwarding systems and transportation management platforms required; CargoWise experience highly preferred.
• Experience managing FCL/LCL shipments, port operations, and demurrage/detention mitigation.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and time‑management skills in a high‑volume, deadline‑driven environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to coordinate across global teams and customers.
• 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.) and web conferencing (Teams, Zoom, Webex, etc.).
• Environment: Comfort commuting to/from and working in a 100% on‑site setting (listed in this posting), with travel for related meetings/events.