Sea Logistics ISC Operational Key Account Manager

Kuehne+Nagel; Jersey City (NJ); On-site; USD 100,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Kuehne+Nagel in the United States is seeking an Operational Key Account Manager to establish and maintain customer relationships, clarify requirements, and drive tailored solutions across export and import activities.

You will partner with internal teams to ensure service excellence, manage KPI reporting, and lead continuous improvement initiatives while supporting onboarding and implementation for new business. This role emphasizes accuracy, collaboration, and strategic impact.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 2+ years of operational experience in freight forwarding.
• Bachelor’s degree in Logistics, Supply Chain, Business Management, or related field.
• Proven ability to influence, lead, and collaborate with internal teams.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills for process improvement.
• Deep understanding of import/export freight forwarding operations and related docs.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain strong customer relationships, serving as main contact and escalation resource.
• Clarify and formalize customer operational requirements with focus on service excellence.
• Identify cost-saving and continuous improvement initiatives across accounts.
• Support onboarding of new business and coordinate implementation.
• Collaborate with internal teams to address issues and ensure compliance.
• Execute reporting, KPI tracking, and analysis for exports, imports, and regulatory needs.

Skills

Operational experience

Influence & leadership

Analytical skills

CRM experience

Multi-national experience

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Logistics, Supply Chain, Business Management

Tools

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Job description

It's more than a job
When you work in Freight Logistics and Operations at Kuehne+Nagel, you play a key role in optimising processes and ensuring that inventory and shipments move efficiently. But that is not all. Your work also helps ensure that vital medicines reach patients on time and supports other essential deliveries, from wind turbines to semiconductors. At Kuehne+Nagel, our contribution counts in more ways than we imagine.

It's more than a job
When you work in Freight Logistics and Operations at Kuehne+Nagel, you play a key role in optimising processes and ensuring that inventory and shipments move efficiently. But that is not all. Your work also helps ensure that vital medicines reach patients on time and supports other essential deliveries, from wind turbines to semiconductors. At Kuehne+Nagel, our contribution counts in more ways than we imagine.

How you create impact

The Operational Key Account Manager is responisbe for establishing and maintaining customer relationships, clarifying and formalizing operational requirements, and increasing customer satisfaction through tailored solutions. Internally, it includes acting as a liaison for customer needs, supporting compliance and RFQ processes, and managing customer information and rate cards. Additionally, the role focuses on KPI management, continuous improvement, and facilitating business reviews and ad hoc projects.

• Build and maintain strong customer relationships, serving as a main point of contact and escalation resource.
• Understand, negotiate, and formalize customer operational requirements while ensuring service excellence and tailored solutions.
• Identify and drive cost‑saving and continuous improvement initiatives across customer accounts.
• Support new business onboarding, serving as a subject matter expert and coordinating implementation processes.
• Partner with internal teams to facilitate corrective actions, resolve issues, and maintain operational and SOP compliance.
• Execute customer reporting, KPI tracking, and analytical functions for export, import, and regulatory needs.
• Prepare and present materials for business reviews, including KPI results, root‑cause analysis, and performance improvements.
• Maintain accurate customer data in KN systems, support EDI setup, and validate rate cards.
• Monitor internal compliance (billing, visibility, processes) and address gaps proactively.
• Support RFQ processes through data analysis, rate setup, and implementation of new business awarded.

What we would like you to bring

• Minimum of 2+ years of operational experience in freight forwarding; commercial knowledge is a strong plus
• Bachelor’s degree in Logistics, Supply Chain, Business Management, or a related field
• Demonstrated ability to influence, lead, and collaborate with internal teams while building strong, trust‑based relationships
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with the confidence to drive internal and external process‑improvement initiatives
• Deep understanding of import and export freight forwarding operations, including systems, workflows, documentation, and security requirements
• Ability to ensure customer compliance through clear communication of international trade regulations
• Experience working within multi‑national and multi‑business‑unit environments
• Strong customer relationship management skills with proven success in client communication
• Experience in onboarding new business and executing effective implementation best practices
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word

This position is not eligible for employment visa sponsorship. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without the need for current or future employer sponsorship.

What's in it for you

At Kuehne+Nagel we strive daily to inspire, empower, and deliver not only to our customers, but also to our colleagues. We offer a dynamic global work environment with opportunities for excellent training programs and career mobility. The target base salary range for this position is between $100,000 - $105,000. Base salary is part of a competitive total rewards package that includes health and welfare benefits, a 401k retirement savings plan, tuition reimbursement, and incentive compensation for eligible roles. Individual pay may vary from the target range and is determined by a number of factors including experience, skills, job location, internal pay equity, and other relevant business considerations. Kuehne+Nagel reviews pay ranges regularly to ensure competitive and fair pay based on industry market data.

Kuehne+Nagel participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used to assist in specific processes [e.g. screening applications, interview scheduling]. These tools analyze information to support decision-making, but final decisions are made by human reviewers.

Who we are

Logistics shapes everyday life - from the goods we consume to the healthcare we rely on. At Kuehne+Nagel, your work goes beyond logistics; it enables both ordinary and special moments in the lives of people around the world.

As a global leader with a strong heritage and a vision to move the world forward, we offer a safe, stable environment where your career can make a real difference. Whether we help deliver life‑saving medicines, develop sustainable transportation solutions or support our local communities, your career will contribute to more than you can imagine.

We kindly advise that placement agencies refrain from submitting unsolicited profiles. Any submissions of candidates without prior signed agreement will be considered our property and no fees will be paid.

Kuehne+Nagel is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (“EEO”) and to compliance with all federal, state, and local laws that prohibit workplace discrimination and unlawful retaliation. Kuehne+Nagel strictly prohibits all discrimination on the basis of race, ancestry, color, age, national origin, ethnicity, religious creed or belief, physical or mental disability, marital or familial status, legally protected medical condition, genetic information, military or veteran status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical condition), gender (including gender identity and gender expression), sexual orientation, citizenship status, protected activity (such as opposition to or reporting of prohibited discrimination or harassment. Kuehne+Nagel will also make reasonable accommodations for disabled applicants and employees, including accommodations for pregnancy and childbirth, and for the sincerely held religious beliefs of applicants and employees depending upon individual circumstances unless such accommodation would create an undue hardship on Kuehne+Nagel.