About this role

About Flexport:
At Flexport, we believe global trade can move the human race forward. That’s why it’s our mission to make global commerce so easy there will be more of it. We’re shaping the future of a $10T industry with solutions powered by innovative technology and exceptional people. Today, companies of all sizes—from emerging brands to Fortune 500s—use Flexport technology to move more than $19B of merchandise across 112 countries a year.
The recent global supply chain crisis has put Flexport center stage as we continue to play a pivotal role in how goods move around the world. We are proud to have the support of the best investors in the game who believe in our mission, solutions and people. Ready to tackle global challenges that impact business, society, and the environment? Come join us.
The Opportunity
The Ocean Planning Manager plays a critical role in Flexport's mission to make global trade easy for everyone. Flexport today connects almost 10,000 clients and suppliers across 109 countries. In this role, your direct customers are the partners within your region — account management, customs teams, subcontractors, carriers, terminals, and trucking providers — and your work directly supports Flexport's end customers in achieving their logistics goals.
This role is designed to hire, coach, and develop a team of planning and booking experts while navigating the complex world of freight forwarding. You'll work cross-functionally to establish a world-class planning and booking function, balancing tactical execution with adaptive, strategic leadership as Flexport builds its next operational model.
What You'll Do
Team Leadership
Hire, coach, and develop a 5–10 person team responsible for end-to-end planning and booking of ocean freight shipments (imports and exports, including intermodal movements)
Manage team performance and evaluation, guiding the team to meet OKRs and SLAs
Provide direction on training and onboarding for new team members
Empower the team to prioritise key initiatives and maintain strong on-the-job motivation
Planning & Booking Operations
Oversee execution of end-to-end planning and booking across Ocean FCL and LCL imports and exports
Manage and optimise overall allocation and SO (Shipping Order) utilisation
Design and maintain scalable operational infrastructure and procedures to ensure the team delivers the highest levels of efficiency and productivity for customers
Manage the Fulfilment Management Tool (FMT) and support feature development and enhancement
Partner & Stakeholder Management
Serve as the primary relationship manager for internal and external partners in your region, including ocean, intermodal, and drayage vendors, Account Management, Ocean Execution, Allocation, and Procurement
Act as the primary point of contact for major carrier and client escalations
Maintain long-term relationships with carriers and gateway carrier offices across Sales, Booking, Customer Service, and Documentation functions
Collaborate with Procurement, Allocation, and ROM teams to inform carrier strategy and drive revenue maximisation
Strategic & Cross-Functional Contribution
Work with gateway and global management to ensure the right metrics and data are in place to empower the team
Monitor and improve overall cost-to-serve while maintaining high client satisfaction
Act as a strategic consultant to global counterparts, product and engineering, and the operations excellence team on ocean planning and booking processes
Represent Flexport's value proposition by recommending planning solutions for new clients and opportunities to the account management team
Identify and execute on process improvement opportunities, contributing to the development of technology and systems that differentiate Flexport's operations from the industry
Live and act with integrity guided by Flexport's values, maintaining a high bar for operational quality and service
What You'll Bring
Bachelor's degree with a strong track record of success
7+ years of experience in logistics, freight forwarding, supply chain, or ocean carrier operations; experience in a startup or top consulting firm, NVOCC pricing, procurement, or hands-on experience with main ocean trade lanes is a plus
Demonstrated ability to lead teams in day-to-day execution and process improvement
Hands-on, process-oriented, structured thinker with strong problem-solving capabilities
Strategic vision paired with ground-floor execution ability
Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organisational skills
A client-first mindset, with a strong focus on both client and team satisfaction
Courage to challenge the status quo and drive meaningful change when needed
A genuine desire to lead, train, and develop the next generation of industry talent
What You'll Gain
The opportunity to build and lead a team from the ground up, shaping Flexport's next-generation operational model
Deep, cross-functional experience working with global teams to execute quickly and optimise for scale in an ambiguous, fast-growing environment
A path toward becoming a "leader of leaders" — developing the coaching skills to apprentice future team leads
The chance to build deep expertise in a specific area of supply chain management, positioning you as a go-to advisor for clients, partners, and internal teams
Exposure to client advisory and account management, with the potential to lead a team of advisors as Flexport grows its book of business
Commitment to Equal Opportunity
At Flexport, our ability to fulfill our mission of making global commerce easy and accessible relies on having a diverse, dedicated and engaged workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical and mental disability, health status, marital and family status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
Global Data Privacy Notice for Job Candidates and Applicants
Depending on your location, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) may regulate the way we manage the data of job applicants. By submitting your application, you are agreeing to our use and processing of your data as required. Please see our Privacy Notice available at www.flexport.com/privacy for additional information.

Ocean Planning Manager

About this role

How well does your CV fit this role?

Practice for this role before you apply

Flexport

Similar roles

Front Office Manager

Lead/Sr Lead – Strategy and Operations

Production Engineering

Related links