Sea Logistics Operational Key Account Manager - Program Manager

It's more than a job

As a member of the Freight Forwarding team Kuehne+Nagel, you will play a key role in transporting goods, optimising processes, and fulfilling our customers' promises. And by transporting medicines, toys and important machine parts, you are not only delivering goods, you are making small and big moments possible for people all around the world. At Kuehne+Nagel, our contribution counts in more ways than we imagine.

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Are you passionate about transforming supply chains, driving operational excellence, and building long-term partnerships with global customers? Kuehne+Nagel is looking for a Sea Logistics Operational Key Account Manager (Program Manager) to join our Operational Key Account Management team.

In this role, you will serve as the operational leader and trusted advisor for one of our strategic customers, ensuring the successful delivery of complex ocean freight and supply chain solutions across the Americas. You will act as the bridge between customer expectations and operational execution, leveraging data, technology, and process improvement initiatives to drive performance, strengthen customer satisfaction, and unlock long-term supply chain value.

This is a highly visible role that requires a unique combination of operational expertise, program management capabilities, analytical thinking, and strong stakeholder management skills. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams across regions, influence senior stakeholders, and help shape the future of our customer's supply chain strategy.

How you create impact

• Serve as the primary operational point of contact for strategic customer accounts, ensuring delivery against customer commitments and service expectations.
• Develop and maintain strong customer relationships while acting as a trusted advisor and escalation point for operational matters.
• Gain a comprehensive understanding of customer supply chains and become the operational subject matter expert for the assigned account.
• Manage and coordinate complex ocean freight, order management, and supply chain programs across multiple countries and stakeholders.
• Monitor operational performance through KPIs, dashboards, and reporting tools, ensuring service commitments are consistently achieved.
• Analyze operational data and identify root causes of service disruptions, performance gaps, and process inefficiencies.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives that enhance visibility, efficiency, customer experience, and supply chain performance.
• Collaborate with customer stakeholders, operational teams, customer care centers, transportation providers, and systems experts to execute customer-specific solutions.
• Support implementation of new business, operational onboarding projects, process enhancements, and system integrations.
• Utilize operational insights and customer intelligence to support commercial growth opportunities and strategic account development.
• Create, maintain, and optimize standard operating procedures, governance processes, and documentation standards.
• Facilitate business reviews and present operational performance, project updates, risks, and improvement opportunities to internal and external stakeholders.
• Identify operational risks proactively and coordinate mitigation plans across the Kuehne+Nagel network.
• Promote automation, digitalization, and process standardization initiatives to improve overall supply chain effectiveness.
• Act as a strategic partner in developing long-term supply chain value roadmaps and continuous improvement programs for the customer.

This position is not eligible for employment visa sponsorship. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without the need for current or future employer sponsorship.

What we would like you to bring

• 5+ years of experience in Sea Logistics, Freight Forwarding, Supply Chain Management, Operational Key Account Management, Program Management, or Order Management environments.
• Strong understanding of ocean freight operations, global supply chains, transportation management, and customer fulfillment processes.
• Experience managing strategic customer relationships and leading customer-facing operational reviews with senior stakeholders.
• Proven ability to interpret operational data, manage KPIs, conduct root cause analysis, and drive measurable process improvements.
• Experience with Order Management, Control Tower, Supply Chain Visibility, TMS, ERP, or similar logistics technologies; experience with Nexus or comparable platforms is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated project or program management experience within complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence across all organizational levels.
• Strong analytical mindset combined with a proactive, solution-oriented approach to problem solving.
• Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and thrive in a fast-paced, customer-centric environment.
• Experience supporting retail, consumer goods, footwear, apparel, or other high-volume import supply chains is considered an advantage.

What's in it for you

At Kuehne+Nagel we strive daily to inspire, empower, and deliver not only to our customers, but also to our colleagues. We offer a dynamic global work environment with opportunities for excellent training programs and career mobility. The target base salary range for this position is between $90,000 and $100,000. Base salary is part of a competitive total rewards package that includes health and welfare benefits, a 401k retirement savings plan, tuition reimbursement, and incentive compensation for eligible roles. Individual pay may vary from the target range and is determined by a number of factors including experience, skills, job location, internal pay equity, and other relevant business considerations. Kuehne+Nagel reviews pay ranges regularly to ensure competitive and fair pay based on industry market data. #LI-UT1

Kuehne+Nagel participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used to assist in specific processes [e.g. screening applications, interview scheduling]. These tools analyze information to support decision-making, but final decisions are made by human reviewers.

Who we are

Logistics shapes everyday life - from the goods we consume to the healthcare we rely on. At Kuehne+Nagel, your work goes beyond logistics; it enables both ordinary and special moments in the lives of people around the world.

As a global leader with a strong heritage and a vision to move the world forward, we offer a safe, stable environment where your career can make a real difference. Whether we help deliver life-saving medicines, develop sustainable transportation solutions or support our local communities, your career will contribute to more than you can imagine.