About this role
## It's more than a job
As a member of our 4PL Integrated Logistics – Control Tower team, you will play a key role in leading and optimizing complex cross-border transportation and freight forwarding operations. You will work closely with customers, carriers, and internal stakeholders to ensure operational excellence, service quality, cost efficiency, and end-to-end visibility across international transportation flows.
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We are looking for an experienced Integrated Logistics Senior Operations Manager to lead our cross-border transportation operations and team. This role will be responsible for managing international transportation flows, freight forwarding activities and parcel solutions, ensuring operational excellence, service quality, cost efficiency and compliance with international trade and customs requirements.
## How you create impact
- Lead the day-to-day execution of cross-border transportation and freight forwarding operations, ensuring service quality, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
- Oversee transportation flows across Road, Parcel, Air, Ocean, and Multimodal solutions, according to customer and business requirements.
- Manage cross-border transportation operations, with particular focus on Mexico–United States and Mexico–Canada lanes.
- Apply strong knowledge of U.S. Road Transportation to support operational execution, routing decisions, carrier management, and service optimization.
- Monitor key operational KPIs, including service levels, transit times, transportation costs, carrier performance, and shipment exceptions.
- Manage operational escalations and ensure timely resolution of transportation and customer-related issues.
- Drive carrier performance and contribute to negotiations, service improvements, capacity solutions, and transportation optimization.
- Identify and implement opportunities to improve cost efficiency, productivity, service quality, and operational processes.
- Ensure cross-border transportation activities are executed in accordance with applicable operational, customs, trade, carrier, and regulatory requirements.
- Lead and develop the Cross-Border Transportation & Freight Forwarding team, ensuring clear priorities, accountability, and consistent operational performance.
- Set clear objectives, priorities, and performance expectations aligned with business and customer requirements.
- Monitor team performance and provide ongoing coaching, feedback, and development.
- Ensure effective workload distribution and resource allocation to maintain service levels and operational efficiency.
- Build team capabilities through training, knowledge sharing, and structured development plans.
- Foster a collaborative, customer-focused, and high-performance culture, encouraging accountability and ownership across the team.
## What we would like you to bring
### Transportation & Freight Forwarding Expertise
- 8 + year of experience in Transportation, Logistics, or Freight Forwarding, preferably within complex international or cross-border environments.
- Deep understanding of U.S. Road Transportation is required and will be a primary focus of the role.
- Proven hands-on experience with Mexico–United States cross-border transportation operations.
- Experience with Mexico–Canada cross-border transportation is highly desirable.
- Experience managing multiple transportation modes, including Road, Parcel, Air, Ocean, and Multimodal solutions.
- Experience with freight forwarding operations, carrier management, routing, transit-time management, and shipment execution.
- Knowledge of oversize, project, expedited, and specialized transportation solutions, including team drivers and specialized equipment, is highly desirable.
Cross-Border & Compliance Knowledge
- Strong understanding of U.S. transportation geography, road networks, regulations, and operational restrictions.
- Knowledge of cross-border transportation processes and Mexico–U.S. trade and customs requirements.
- Familiarity with relevant compliance frameworks and requirements, including CTPAT and IMMEX, is highly desirable.
- Understanding of carrier and customs compliance considerations related to international and cross-border transportation.
Operational & Customer Management
- Experience managing carrier performance, operational KPIs, service levels, transit times, transportation costs, and shipment exceptions.
- Strong problem-solving capabilities and experience handling complex operational escalations.
- Experience working in a customer-facing logistics environment, ideally supporting complex or highly visible operations.
- Ability to identify and implement opportunities for continuous improvement, transportation optimization, and cost efficiency.
- Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across Operations, Commercial, Customer Service, Customs, and other functions.
Leadership
- Proven experience leading and developing operational teams.
- Strong coaching and people-development capabilities.
- Ability to establish priorities, manage workload distribution, and drive accountability.
- Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced and highly visible customer environment.
Language Requirements
- Strong professional English proficiency is mandatory, given the role's focus on U.S. transportation and cross-border operations.
- Portuguese is a significant advantage.
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## What's in it for you
At Kuehne + Nagel, we give you the opportunity to expand your knowledge, shape processes, and create innovative solutions in the exciting world of logistics.
As undisputed leaders in this sector, we foster a diverse collaborative environment driven by the latest technologies, where you will work alongside highly motivated, customer-focused colleagues — all around the world!
## Who we are
At Kuehne+Nagel, we connect people and goods through innovative and sustainable logistics solutions. Within our 4PL Integrated Logistics organization, our Control Tower teams bring together transportation expertise, operational execution, and end-to-end visibility to manage complex supply chains for our customers.