Ocean Import Operations Manager — U.S. Desk & Key Accounts

Ocean Import Operations Manager — U.S. Desk & Key Accounts

Location: New York / New Jersey Metropolitan Area — On-site

Employment: Full-time

Reports to: VP, Beeontrade USA

Department: U.S. Freight Forwarding Operations

The Opportunity

Beeontrade is looking for an experienced, hands-on Ocean Import Operations Manager to help build and lead our U.S. freight forwarding operations.

We are entering a new stage of growth. Over the past five years, we have established our NVOCC capabilities, international agent network, carrier relationships, CargoWise infrastructure, overseas support teams and customer portfolio. We are now strengthening our U.S. leadership and building a disciplined local operating team.

This is not a role for someone who only delegates, monitors emails or manages reports.

We need someone who knows how to operate shipments, manage customers, solve problems, protect margins and lead people.

You will work directly with our U.S. Vice President to take ownership of daily Ocean Import operations, manage strategic customer accounts, establish operating standards, and recruit and develop a local team as the business grows.

Initially, you will be hands-on with customers, shipment execution and exceptions. As the operation develops, your responsibility will expand into managing and coaching import operations professionals who can grow into commercially responsible account managers.

Your mission is to build an Ocean Import desk that customers trust, employees can execute consistently, and management can scale with confidence.

What You'll Own

1. Ocean Import Operations & Delivery Control

Take responsibility for the execution and performance of U.S. Ocean Import shipments, including FCL, LCL, BCO accounts and overseas forwarding agents.

• Oversee shipments from pre-alert, documentation and arrival planning through customs release, final delivery, empty return and financial closeout.
• Coordinate with ocean carriers, terminals, customs brokers, CFS facilities, truckers, warehouses and overseas agents.
• Monitor vessel schedules, availability, last free days, customs holds, exams, delivery appointments and empty-return deadlines.
• Ensure ISF/AMS responsibilities and required filing confirmations are properly assigned, verified and documented.
• Take ownership of critical shipment exceptions, including demurrage, detention, storage, missed appointments, cargo damage and unexpected vendor charges.
• Maintain proactive customer communication and ensure problems are resolved rather than simply escalated.
• Establish clear operational controls to prevent recurring mistakes and avoidable financial losses.

2. Key Account Management & Commercial Accountability

Our operations team must understand both how shipments move and how they make money.

• Manage assigned U.S. importer, BCO and forwarding customer relationships.
• Understand each customer's shipment patterns, service requirements, trade lanes and commercial agreements.
• Coordinate quotations and pricing for existing accounts with the company's pricing and procurement teams.
• Review expected versus actual gross profit, supplier charges, accessorial exposure and job costing.
• Protect margins through proper cost approval, charge recovery and vendor negotiation.
• Ensure shipments are commercially ready for accurate and timely billing.
• Identify opportunities to expand customer relationships through drayage, inland transportation, warehousing, distribution and other forwarding services.
• Support the U.S. leadership team with operational input for strategic customers, complex freight movements and new business onboarding.

This is not a pure sales position. Your commercial responsibility is to retain customers, protect profitability and grow the value of the accounts under your management.

3. Build, Lead & Develop the U.S. Operations Team

One of your most important responsibilities will be developing the people and operating structure that support our future growth.

• Help recruit, interview and select experienced Ocean Import operations employees.
• Train employees in CargoWise, customer communication, shipment execution, documentation, compliance coordination and commercial controls.
• Establish clear responsibilities, operating procedures, daily priorities and performance expectations.
• Manage attendance, workload distribution, work quality, accountability and professional office standards.
• Conduct regular coaching, feedback and performance evaluations.
• Address repeated mistakes and underperformance through documented corrective action and management escalation.
• Develop capable import operators into customer-facing account owners with strong commercial judgment.
• Recommend staffing changes and support hiring and employment decisions in coordination with U.S. leadership.

The goal is to build a small, capable team where every customer and every shipment has a clear owner.

4. Coordinate Our Global Operations Structure

Beeontrade has established operations and support resources across the United States, Turkey and India.

You will be responsible for making this structure work effectively for our U.S. customers.

• Coordinate with overseas import operations, documentation, export, pricing and accounting teams.
• Define clear responsibilities between the local U.S. desk and remote execution teams.
• Assign and monitor shipment priorities, handoffs and service deadlines.
• Ensure remote processing supports the U.S. customer experience without creating duplicate work or unclear ownership.
• Escalate recurring workflow failures and implement practical corrective measures.

Our goal is not to duplicate every function in the United States. It is to combine strong local leadership with efficient international execution.

5. CargoWise, Financial & Operational Discipline

We operate through structured systems, measurable performance and clear accountability.

• Maintain accurate shipment ownership, milestones, documentation, cost and revenue information in CargoWise.
• Monitor open shipments, overdue milestones, delivery exceptions and financial risks daily.
• Review preventable demurrage, detention, chassis, storage and other accessorial charges.
• Ensure operational files have accurate buy/sell information and appropriate cost accruals before billing.
• Coordinate timely billing handoffs and resolve operational reasons for invoice delays.
• Build customer-specific SOPs, shipment checklists and escalation procedures.
• Provide the U.S. Vice President with regular visibility into operational performance, customer issues, team capacity and profitability.

What Success Looks Like

First 30 Days — Take Control

• Understand the current U.S. customer portfolio, operational workflow and offshore support structure.
• Review active import shipments, delivery risks, customer escalations and CargoWise accuracy.
• Establish daily operating priorities and a clear ownership structure for BCO and forwarder accounts.
• Identify recurring operating failures and introduce corrective controls.

First 60 Days — Build Discipline

• Establish consistent customer communication and shipment milestone controls.
• Reduce preventable operational exceptions and financial leakage.
• Implement reliable coordination between U.S., Turkey and India teams.
• Begin recruiting and developing additional local import operations capacity, subject to approved staffing plans.

First 90 Days — Build a Scalable Desk

• Establish a controlled U.S. Ocean Import operation with clear accountability.
• Build and train the first local team members as business volume supports.
• Improve customer retention, operational reliability, job profitability and billing readiness.
• Create operating procedures and a management rhythm that allow the desk to perform without constant executive intervention.

What We're Looking For

• 7+ years of hands-on U.S. Ocean Import freight forwarding experience , including FCL and LCL.
• Prior experience supervising, training or managing operations employees.
• Strong understanding of U.S. port operations, carrier processes, customs coordination, drayage, CFS handling and final delivery.
• Direct experience managing importer/BCO or overseas forwarding customer accounts.
• Ability to independently handle urgent operational exceptions and customer escalations.
• Working knowledge of gross profit, vendor costs, accruals, billing and freight forwarding commercial processes.
• CargoWise experience strongly preferred.
• Strong communication skills with customers, ocean carriers, truckers, warehouses and overseas agents.
• A practical, organized management style with the ability to enforce standards while developing employees.
• Willingness to work hands-on while building a team.

Experience with project cargo, flat racks, special equipment, air freight or multimodal transportation is an advantage, but strong Ocean Import operational leadership is our primary requirement.

The Person Who Will Succeed Here

You are someone who takes ownership.

When a customer shipment has a problem, you do not simply forward the email. You investigate, coordinate, make decisions and follow through until the issue is resolved.

You understand that a shipment is not finished just because cargo has been delivered. The empty must be returned, costs must be accounted for, the customer must be properly informed and billing must be completed.

You can manage experienced operators, develop junior employees and hold people accountable.

You understand how to protect customer relationships while protecting the company's profitability.

Most importantly, you are comfortable building something. You do not need a large team or several management layers before you can deliver results.

About Beeontrade

Beeontrade is a U.S.-based international freight forwarder and NVOCC founded in 2021, with teams and business operations across the United States, Turkey, India and the UAE.

Our services include Ocean and Air Freight, international forwarding, inland transportation, project cargo, warehousing coordination and value-added logistics.