Operations Manager (Freight Forwarding) Jobs in Chennai Freight Forwarding Company

📋 Job Description

Jobzi is sourcing qualified candidates for Operations Manager (Freight Forwarding) positions in Chennai's private Freight Forwarding Company sector. This is a full-time opportunity with a reputed Freight Forwarding and Customs Broking employer in Chennai offering competitive salary, structured growth, and a professional work environment. Tamil communication skills are preferred alongside English for professional and business interaction in Chennai.

📌 Key Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end freight forwarding operations team covering documentation, customs clearance, ocean freight, air freight, and customer service functions
• Ensure documentation quality control across all B/L, AWB, and customs filing activities and implement correction processes to reduce error rates and customer complaints
• Oversee customs clearance team performance on ICEGATE filing accuracy, BoE and Shipping Bill turnaround, and client duty disbursement efficiency
• Manage staffing, productivity, and skill development of the operations team including documentation executives, customs executives, and customer service staff
• Hold P and L accountability for operations cost including headcount, vendor charges, and service recovery costs against the operations budget
• Resolve client escalations on shipment delays, documentation errors, customs holds, and cargo damage claims with urgency and structured follow-up
• Drive process improvement initiatives including documentation automation, customs filing efficiency, and customer service response time reduction
• Prepare monthly operations MIS including shipment volumes, error rates, customs clearance turnaround, and team productivity for senior management review

🎓 Qualifications and Requirements

• MBA from a recognized institution; Graduate with strong freight forwarding operations track record also considered
• 5 - 12 Years of experience in freight forwarding operations with at least 3 years in a managerial role covering documentation, customs, or multi-function operations
• Proven ability to manage a cross-functional operations team across documentation, customs clearance, and customer service in a freight forwarding environment
• Strong knowledge of ICEGATE customs filing, B/L and AWB documentation procedures, and ocean and air freight operations workflows
• P and L accountability experience covering headcount cost, operations overhead, and service recovery cost management in a freight forwarding context
• Excellent client escalation management skills with the composure and problem-solving ability to resolve complex shipment and documentation crises
• Strong analytical and reporting skills for operations MIS, error rate analysis, and team productivity benchmarking
• Good Tamil and English communication skills for team coordination and client interaction in Chennai.

✅ Required Skills

🏆 Certifications and Qualifications

IATA Cargo Agent certification for air freight roles; CHA (Customs House Agent) licence for customs clearance roles; FIATA Diploma for freight forwarding operations roles; Diploma or Graduate in Logistics and Supply Chain Management; knowledge of ICEGATE, ICES, and SEZ customs procedures for customs roles; B/L (Bill of Lading), AWB (Air Waybill), and shipping instruction processing for documentation roles; HS code classification and duty calculation for tariff and customs roles; IncoTerms 2020 knowledge for commercial freight roles; IATA DGR for dangerous goods air cargo roles