Senior Brokerage Account Manager

Forward Air Corp.; Des Plaines (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) with employer match

Paid time off (PTO) 10–25 days

Job summary

Forward Air Corp. is seeking a Senior Brokerage Account Manager to drive strategic oversight for high-value accounts in a dynamic transportation brokerage environment.

You will partner with sales, carrier procurement, operations, and leadership to deliver tailored multi-modal transportation solutions and executive-level client relationships. You will mentor junior team members and play a key role in RFPs and large-scale implementations, leveraging data-driven insights and market expertise to

Qualifications

• Education: High school diploma or GED; college degree preferred.
• 5+ years in transportation, logistics, freight brokerage, or account management with complex accounts.
• Strong understanding of freight brokerage operations, pricing, carrier sourcing, and market dynamics.
• Proven ability to develop account strategies and lead cross-functional initiatives.
• Experience with TMS (McLeod) and familiarity with Salesforce or digital freight tools.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day operations and relationships for a portfolio of high-value brokerage accounts.
• Serve as primary contact for executive stakeholders, ensuring high-quality service delivery.
• Develop and execute account strategies to increase revenue and profitability.
• Coordinate shipment execution across multiple transportation modes.
• Lead customer business reviews and strategic planning sessions.
• Monitor account performance and resolve service issues promptly.
• Provide accurate pricing, quotes, and rate negotiations for complex needs.

Skills

Account management

Executive relationship management

Negotiation

Data analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Mentoring juniors

Education

High school diploma or GED

Bachelor’s degree preferred

Tools

McLeod TMS

Salesforce

MS Office / O365

Job description

• Job Category Corporate: Individual Contributors
• Job Category Logistics and Transportation
• Job Function Brokerage

Job Description

Position: Senior Brokerage Account Manager

Compensation: $90,000 - 100,000 Annually

The Senior Brokerage Account Manager is responsible for managing and growing the organization’s most strategic customer accounts within a dynamic transportation brokerage environment. They serve as a commercial leader, driving account strategy, customer retention, and long-term revenue growth across a complex portfolio. They are the primary point of contact for key customers, ensuring exceptional service, operational excellence, and executive-level relationship development. They partner cross-functionally with sales, carrier procurement, operations, and leadership teams to deliver tailored transportation solutions across multiple modes, including truckload, LTL, flatbed, and partial. They provide strategic guidance through data-driven insights, market expertise, and continuous improvement initiatives. They mentor junior team members and support high-impact initiatives such as RFPs and large-scale implementations.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day operations and relationships for a portfolio of high-value, strategic brokerage accounts.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for customers, including executive stakeholders, ensuring consistent, high-quality communication and service delivery.
• Develop and execute account strategies to increase revenue, improve profitability, and expand share of wallet while supporting customer retention.
• Coordinate and oversee shipment execution across multiple transportation modes, including truckload, LTL, flatbed, and partial.
• Partner with carrier procurement, pricing, and operations teams to source capacity, optimize service, and ensure competitive positioning.
• Lead customer business reviews, strategic planning sessions, and executive-level engagements.
• Identify growth opportunities through data analysis, pricing strategies, and collaboration with sales and cross-functional partners.
• Monitor shipment activity and account performance, proactively resolving service issues, escalations, and disruptions.
• Conduct root cause analysis and implement corrective actions to improve service, profitability, and customer satisfaction.
• Provide accurate and strategic quoting, pricing recommendations, and rate negotiations for complex customer needs.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records within the Transportation Management System (TMS), including McLeod.
• Track and analyze key performance metrics such as on-time delivery, margin, service levels, and overall account health.
• Mentor and support Brokerage Account Managers by sharing best practices and contributing to team development.
• Lead or support complex implementations, large-scale RFPs, and cross-functional customer initiatives.
• Stay informed on market trends, capacity conditions, and pricing dynamics, using insights to advise customers and influence strategy.
• Ensure compliance with all company policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.
• All other duties as assigned to meet evolving business needs.

Qualifications

• Education: High school diploma or GED equivalent required; undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university preferred.
• Experience: 5+ years of experience in transportation, logistics, freight brokerage, or account management, with demonstrated success managing complex or high-value accounts.
• Strong understanding of freight brokerage operations, including truckload transportation, pricing, carrier sourcing, and market dynamics.
• Proven ability to develop account strategies, influence cross-functional teams, and lead strategic customer initiatives.
• Experience with Transportation Management Systems (TMS), preferably McLeod, and familiarity with platforms such as Salesforce or digital freight tools is preferred.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills, including experience engaging with executive-level stakeholders.
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to leverage data to drive decisions and performance improvements.
• 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.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Compensation: Competitive base pay based on experience, industry/geographic benchmarks and internal equity. Some positions may be eligible for incentive pay programs and/or equity-based incentives. Pay ranges published on job boards are not provided nor verified by the Company.
• Health: Medical and Pharmacy insurance; Health Savings Account (HSA); Vision; Dental; Life and Disability; Critical Illness; Accident Indemnity; Hospital Indemnity; On-demand telehealth via Teladoc; Employee Assistance Program (counseling and financial/lifestyle coaching).
• Wealth: 401(k) retirement savings plan with employer match; Employee stock purchase program; Flexible Spending Account (FSA); Commuter Benefits; LegalEASE legal coverage.
• Time: 7 paid holidays and generous Paid Time Off (PTO) tiers ranging from 10–25 days annually.
• Culture: A collaborative, transformation-driven, solutions-first environment full of "can do" attitude and "will do" work ethic.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Agencies: The Company does not accept unsolicited outreach from third parties. Absent an agreement signed by internal Talent Acquisition and Procurement, and a documented request from Talent Acquisition to submit candidates for a specified requisition, we will not approve payments to any third party.
• Work Authorization: Within the United States, the Company is an E-Verify employer. Unless otherwise indicated, U.S.-based workers must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship, including but not limited to F-1, H-1, H-2, L, J, and TN visas, etc.
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI): The Company is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or veteran status.
• Reasonable Accommodations: Physical/mental requirements are listed only to identify where potential accommodations may be needed, not as qualification standards. In compliance with applicable laws and regulations (including ADA, ADEA, and FMLA), accommodations may be available to qualified individuals unable to perform essential duties without them. Additional requirements may apply to meet legal, regulatory, and Company standards.
• Recruitment Fraud: We will only contact you from @forwardair.com or @omnilogistics.com emails (system messages may come from @workflow.email.us-phoenix-1.ocs.oraclecloud.com). If reached via Indeed or LinkedIn, verify recruiters by reviewing their LinkedIn profiles. We will never request sensitive personal information outside secure systems, nor ask for purchases. Report suspected scams to the Federal Trade Commission and your state Attorney General.