Carrier Capacity Specialist - Challenger (Chicago)

Role Summary: The Carrier Capacity Specialist plays a critical role in driving revenue growth and profitability by identifying, pricing, securing, and converting spot freight opportunities across Canada, Cross-Border, and Intra-US markets. Acting as the organization's frontline freight acquisition expert, this role is responsible for responding to spot-market opportunities, securing carrier capacity, and leveraging market intelligence to maximize gross profit while delivering exceptional customer service. The Carrier Capacity Specialist combines strategic pricing, carrier procurement, and market knowledge to capitalize on transportation opportunities and support the organization's growth objectives. Success in this role is driven by responsiveness, pricing discipline, profitability, win rates, and the ability to build strong carrier relationships that create long-term value. Hours of Work: Monday to Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm Work Arrangement: On-site Position Type: Non-Union Employment Status: Permanent Compensation: Base salary + Incentives/Commissions Work Location & Environment: 311 W. Superior, Suite 110, Chicago IL ; Office environment Key Accountabilities Spot Opportunity Management & Revenue Growth Monitor customer portals, spot boards, centralized quote inboxes, and other freight opportunity channels to identify and respond to available freight opportunities. Evaluate spot freight opportunities across multiple markets and transportation networks, prioritizing opportunities based on profitability, strategic importance, available capacity, and likelihood of award. Develop competitive and profitable spot quotes that align with company pricing strategies and margin objectives. Capture new freight opportunities while contributing to overall revenue growth and gross profit performance. Identify recurring spot opportunities that may develop into longer-term or dedicated business opportunities. Pricing & Market Intelligence Develop and execute pricing strategies using market conditions, historical lane data, carrier feedback, and internal pricing intelligence. Analyze freight market trends, capacity conditions, lane-specific dynamics, and transportation costs to support informed decision-making. Maintain awareness of changing market conditions and provide valuable insights regarding opportunities, risks, and competitive activity. Utilize data-driven decision-making to balance customer competitiveness with profitability goals. Contribute to the development and accuracy of organizational pricing intelligence and market knowledge. Carrier Procurement & Relationship Management Source and secure carrier capacity to support customer and business requirements. Negotiate competitive carrier pricing while maintaining service expectations and margin discipline. Build and strengthen relationships with existing, preferred, strategic, and prospective carrier partners. Leverage carrier networks and market knowledge to identify capacity solutions in competitive and changing market environments. Collaborate with carriers to ensure service requirements, transit expectations, and customer commitments are met. Freight Award & Operational Execution Coordinate awarded opportunities through carrier assignment and initial dispatch activities. Ensure shipment details, customer requirements, pricing information, and carrier commitments are accurately documented and communicated. Execute seamless handoffs to Operations Specialists and Track & Trace teams to support successful shipment execution. Maintain accountability for data integrity and shipment accuracy prior to operational handoff. Support a positive customer experience through effective communication, execution, and issue resolution. Data Management & Process Excellence Record all quoting activities, carrier interactions, and pricing decisions within approved company systems. Capture carrier feedback, market conditions, and pricing intelligence to strengthen organizational knowledge and future decision-making. Maintain accurate win/loss reporting and supporting rationale for business analysis. Ensure documentation accuracy and compliance with company processes and standards. Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, enhance data quality, and strengthen pricing and carrier management processes. Team Collaboration Contribute to a collaborative spot desk environment where opportunities are managed collectively across customers, lanes, and geographic markets. Share carrier intelligence, market insights, and pricing knowledge with team members and leadership. Support colleagues during peak demand periods, vacation coverage, and workload balancing initiatives. Work closely with Operations, Sales, Strategic Account Managers, Track & Trace, Carrier Relations, Finance, and Leadership teams to support company objectives. Foster a team-oriented culture focused on profitability, service excellence, and continuous improvement. Qualifications Experience Minimum 3-5 years of experience in transportation, logistics, freight brokerage, carrier procurement, pricing, carrier management, or freight operations. Proven success negotiating rates and managing carrier relationships in a fast-paced transportation environment. Strong understanding of all North American domestic and Cross border transportation markets. Experience supporting spot freight, capacity procurement, pricing strategy, and carrier sourcing activities. Skills & Competencies Strong commercial mindset with exceptional negotiation and relationship-building skills. Excellent analytical skills with the ability to evaluate data and make informed business decisions. Ability to prioritize and make decisions quickly in a fast-paced environment. Strong problem-solving and critical-thinking capabilities. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously. Proficiency in transportation management systems (TMS), pricing platforms, customer portals, CRM tools, and Microsoft Office applications. #J-18808-Ljbffr Fastfrate Group