Air Freight Procurement Head - North America

Job Description

Job Description

Purpose of the Job

Responsible for the procurement side of Aramex's North America air freight product: airline relationships, rate procurement, capacity commitments, and commercial performance management. As a member of the Aramex Global Procurement Organization, this role ensures that North America sales teams and the global network are equipped with competitive, capacity-backed air freight rates on key trade lanes and that buy rates are converted into competitive, margin-managed sell rates through the pricing desk. This role is responsible for the Freight and Express lines of business in North America.

This is a commercial enabler role, not a back-office rate desk. The role works directly with airlines, customers, and the Aramex global network to win business, retain strategic accounts, secure capacity during constrained market conditions, and expand the use of Aramex-controlled air freight solutions across the network.

Job Description

Airline Relationships & Rate Procurement

• Member of the Aramex Global Procurement Organization, spanning North America, Europe, Asia, and Middle East operations.
• Builds and maintains strategic relationships with major passenger and freighter airlines operating in North America.
• Establishes tariff and contract rates on key trade lanes (Trans-Pacific, Trans-Atlantic, Latin America, Middle East, and Intra-Americas) to support customer retention and business growth.
• Negotiates named-account pricing and special service agreements supporting strategic customer opportunities, RFQs, and network requirements.
• Develops long-term procurement strategies that balance cost competitiveness, service quality, and capacity security.

Pricing & Sell-Side Management

• Directs the pricing desk for air freight RFQs, tenders, and spot quote activities, ensuring responsive turnaround times and profitable pricing strategies.
• Ensures buy rates are translated into competitive and margin-managed sell rates for field sales, overseas offices, and key account teams.
• Owns the distribution of rates within quoting and operational platforms, maintaining accurate and current pricing information across the organization.
• Supports large customer tenders and strategic pricing initiatives through market intelligence and procurement expertise.

Capacity & Allocation Management

• Secures block-space agreements (BSAs), allotments, and strategic capacity commitments with airlines on key trade lanes.
• Manages procurement across contract rates, allotments, charter solutions, and spot market purchases to ensure an optimal balance of cost, flexibility, and service reliability.
• Monitors market conditions and proactively adjusts carrier allocation strategies to address capacity constraints, seasonal peaks, and rate volatility.
• Supports charter procurement and special-project cargo requirements when necessary .

Regulatory & Operational Compliance

• Ensures adherence to applicable air cargo regulations, security requirements, and carrier operating procedures.
• Maintains procurement practices consistent with TSA, CBP, IATA, and other applicable regulatory requirements.
• Supports compliance with dangerous goods, security screening, and documentation standards where procurement activities intersect with operational requirements.
• Ensures carrier agreements and pricing programs meet company governance and audit standards.

Airline Performance Management

• Conducts Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) with strategic airline partners.
• Develops and manages airline scorecards evaluating service reliability, booking acceptance, transit performance, claims activity, and billing accuracy.
• Acts as senior escalation point for major service failures, capacity shortages, operational disruptions, and carrier-related disputes.
• Collaborates with operational teams to drive continuous service improvements and strengthen carrier accountability.

Commercial & Network Support

• Conducts joint customer visits with sales teams to understand customer requirements and provide air freight product expertise.
• Partners with global and regional commercial teams to develop solutions for strategic accounts and large opportunities.
• Supports efforts to transition business from third-party agents to Aramex-controlled air freight products and services.
• Provides market intelligence regarding airline capacity trends, pricing developments, and competitive positioning.

Job Requirements - Experience and Education

• 8-12+ years of experience in air freight, with substantial expertise in airline procurement, air product management, trade lane development, or commercial air cargo management within an international freight forwarder, integrator, airline, or logistics provider.
• Established relationships with major international passenger and cargo airlines serving North America.
• Proven experience negotiating airline agreements, block-space arrangements, allotments, and strategic procurement contracts.
• Deep understanding of global air freight market dynamics, pricing structures, capacity management, and airline commercial practices.
• Experience managing RFQs, tenders, pricing programs, and margin optimization initiatives.
• Strong understanding of air cargo operational requirements and applicable regulatory frameworks.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Logistics, Aviation Management, or a related field, or equivalent industry experience. Direct experience in the role would supersede educational requirements.

Skills

• Strong negotiation and relationship-management skills capable of positioning Aramex as a preferred strategic airline partner.
• Commercial mindset with the ability to convert procurement advantages into customer wins and sustainable profitability.
• Deep understanding of air freight capacity planning, airline economics, and trade lane profitability.
• Analytical ability to benchmark market pricing, evaluate procurement performance, and optimize margins by trade lane and customer segment.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills with experience engaging customers, airline executives, and senior internal stakeholders.
• Strong problem-solving capabilities during capacity shortages, market disruptions, and service challenges.
• Builder mentality with the ability to design and implement procurement programs, processes, and carrier strategies in a growing environment.
• Effective collaborator within a global matrix organization, balancing global procurement objectives with North American commercial requirements.

Leadership Behaviors

Building Outstanding Teams

Setting a clear direction

Simplification

Collaborate & break silos

Execution & Accountability

Growth mindset

Innovation

Inclusion

External focus

Skills