Senior Air Import Operations Manager

DHL Global Forwarding; Hebron Estates (KY); On-site; USD 93,142 - 124,190; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Compensation: base plus incentives

401(k) Match

Stock Purchase Plan

Medical coverage

Vision coverage

Dental coverage

Paid time off

Job summary

DHL Global Forwarding in Hebron, Kentucky, seeks an Air Import Operations Manager to lead and coordinate airborne import processes, ensuring timely delivery, billing readiness, and file closure. You will oversee a team of coordinators, optimize dispatch, and manage capacity with warehouse and carrier partners.

The role requires 5+ years in air freight import, 3+ years of leadership, and strong knowledge of US import operations, with CargoWise experience preferred.

Qualifications

• 5+ years Air Freight Import experience required; strategic customer experience preferred.
• 3+ years leadership experience required.
• Strong knowledge of U.S. air import operations, dispatch, customs coordination, POD, billing readiness, and file closure.
• Experience in control tower, key account, or customer operations environments preferred.
• CargoWise experience required or strongly preferred; customer visibility tools and TMS workflows are a plus.
• Proven ability to manage onsite and remote coordinator teams with accountability and execution.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end Air Import operations from pre-alert through delivery and file closure.
• Manage team workload, coaching, training, performance, and daily priorities.
• Monitor shipments, milestones, exceptions, escalations, and service risks.
• Oversee dispatch planning, carrier/driver assignment, and delivery execution.
• Handle same-day changes, re-deliveries, and final-mile exceptions.
• Collaborate with warehouse leadership and providers to mitigate bottlenecks.
• Maintain relationships with carriers and third-party warehouses for issue resolution.
• Act as primary liaison between Operations and Program Management; drive resolutions.
• Respond to customer inquiries with urgency and clear communication.
• Lead performance routines: status, SLA, customs actions, billing readiness, RCCA.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to meet service and compliance standards.
• Promote customer focus, compliance, continuous improvement, and discipline.

Skills

Air freight import experience

Leadership

Communication

Problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Customer service

Education

Bachelor/Equivalent preferred

Tools

Cargowise

TMS workflows

Job description

DHL Global Forwarding in Hebron, Kentucky, seeks an Air Import Operations Manager to lead and coordinate airborne import processes, ensuring timely delivery, billing readiness, and file closure. You will oversee a team of coordinators, optimize dispatch, and manage capacity with warehouse and carrier partners.

The role requires 5+ years in air freight import, 3+ years of leadership, and strong knowledge of US import operations, with CargoWise experience preferred.