Freight Operations Manager – Fresh Produce

Job Title: Freight Operations Manager – Fresh Produce

We're looking for a Freight Operations Manager to lead Dastgyr’s global freight operations for perishables—especially fresh produce imported into the UK and beyond. You’ll be at the core of our international logistics engine: designing smarter freight flows, securing reliable capacity, minimizing costs, and ensuring cargo lands on time with full cold chain integrity.

Job Responsibilities:

• Lead end-to-end air freight operations for perishables into the UK and other key markets (USA, Germany).
• Design and execute cost-efficient freight strategies that balance reliability, speed, and landed cost.
• Identify and secure priority lanes with airlines and freight forwarders; negotiate long-term capacity deals and favorable credit terms.
• Build and nurture global freight relationships with partners across LATAM, Africa, Asia, and Europe.
• Advise sourcing and commercial teams on freight feasibility, routing options, and seasonal constraints.
• Coordinate with origin teams and vendors to confirm space, track load plans, and ensure timely uplifts.
• Supervise daily booking activity across partners, ensuring zero gaps in space, compliance, or documentation.
• Act as the escalation point for offloads, delays, or missed handovers—respond fast, reroute smartly.
• Oversee tracking and visibility tools to maintain real-time control over all in-transit shipments.
• Own the pre-alert and clearance process for UK-bound shipments—work closely with our broker (GR Freight) to preempt holds or document issues.
• Ensure full compliance with destination regulations (DEFRA, HMRC, etc.) and international customs standards.
• Review and verify documentation (AWB, invoices, COAs, phytosanitary certificates) to avoid clearance delays.
• Guide origin teams and suppliers in correcting documentation issues and aligning with SOPs.
• Ensure cold chain standards are upheld during the entire journey—monitor temperature logs, shelf life, and pack integrity.
• Work with warehouse and handling agents to minimize transit delays and handover frictions.
• Support SOPs for packaging, handling, and temperature-sensitive routing strategies.
• Sync with supply, demand, and commercial teams to align freight plans with sales cycles and inventory positions.
• Work with finance to manage freight invoices, vendor payments, and budget adherence.
• Provide feedback to sourcing on supplier readiness, documentation quality, and export responsiveness.
• Lead weekly operations calls to review uplifts, delays, root causes, and forward planning.
• Own partner SLAs and ensure accountability—track performance, flag underperformance, and enforce penalties as needed.
• Maintain detailed metrics: uplift % by carrier, average clearance TAT, landed cost per KG, etc.
• Benchmark air freight pricing and capacity across geographies to stay ahead of market disruptions.
• Conduct quarterly business reviews with key freight vendors and co-develop improvement plans.
• Monitor macro risks: airline strikes, weather delays, route changes, customs policy shifts.
• Build out contingency plans with backup partners and alternate gateways.
• Ensure that Dastgyr always has options in the face of disruption—no single point of failure.
• Continuously refine freight SOPs: booking workflows, escalation protocols, box specs, temperature SOPs.
• Contribute to logistics tech stack improvements—visibility dashboards, reporting tools, partner integrations.
• Document learnings from escalations and failed shipments to build institutional knowledge.

Qualifications:

• 8–10 years of freight/logistics experience, ideally managing perishable or temperature-sensitive air freight.
• Deep knowledge of air freight booking processes, customs documentation, and cold chain handling.
• Proven ability to negotiate long-term freight agreements and manage complex partner networks.
• Strong connections in the freight forwarding and airline cargo world
• Experience moving perishables across international markets, especially into the UK.
• Analytical, detail-oriented, and able to make decisions quickly with incomplete data.
• A strong communicator across time zones—clear, concise, and reliable.
• Tech-comfortable—Excel/Google Sheets is a must; CargoWise or TMS experience is a plus.
• A self-starter who thrives in a remote, global, high-ownership culture.
• Deep understanding of international customs regulations, Incoterms, and documentation requirements.
• Knowledge of cold chain standards, temperature monitoring, and shelf-life optimization in transit.
• Proficiency in English is mandatory; additional language skills (e.g., Mandarin, Spanish, or Arabic) are a plus.

What We Offer:

• Become part of a well-funded Series A powerhouse with $37 million raised, poised to revolutionise global markets and redefine industry standards.
• Join a company aiming to go public by 2027, giving you the opportunity to grow alongside us during this exciting journey.
• Take on a dynamic role with the chance to expand into international markets, shaping the future of cross-border commerce.
• Unlock the potential of ESOPs that could translate into life-changing wealth, paving the way to financial independence and beyond.
• Collaborate with a dynamic team of serial entrepreneurs driven by the mission to solve the global cross-border challenge at scale and transform the way businesses connect.

Please apply by sending your updated resume to [contact hidden] or submit you interview at https://app.hirevire.com/applications/098d3a2d-cd27-419f-9517-cdfd06eaab02