Sea Freight SALES MANAGER
Location
Ikeja, Lagos
Job summary
The sea freight Sales Manager will be responsible for driving the growth, profitability,
and market expansion of the organization's sea freight business across Nigeria and key
international trade lanes. The role combines strategic business development,
commercial management, customer relationship management, and operational
collaboration to grow both import and export ocean freight volumes.
The successful candidate will develop and execute commercial strategies that increase.
Full Container Load (FCL), Less-than-Container Load (LCL), project cargo, breakbulk,
and specialized freight business while building long-term relationships with importers,
exporters, manufacturers, freight forwarders, multinational organizations, and
government agencies.
The role requires deep knowledge of Nigeria's maritime industry, shipping lines, and ports.
Operations, customs procedures, and international freight forwarding.
Key responsibilities
Commercial business development
ï· Develop and execute the commercial strategy for the Sea Freight Business unit.
ï· Drive revenue growth through acquisition of new sea freight customers.
ï· Identify opportunities within imports, exports, cross-trade, and project cargo.
ï· Develop profitable business across major trade lanes including Asia, Europe,
Middle East, North America, and Africa.
ï· Build a sustainable pipeline of high-value corporate customers.
ï· Prepare commercial proposals and negotiate freight contracts.
ï· Achieve annual sea freight revenue and gross profit targets.
ï· Identify opportunities to increase container volumes and shipment frequency.
Customer acquisition
Target customers across:
ï· Manufacturers
ï· FMCG companies
ï· Oil & gas companies
ï· Pharmaceutical companies
ï· Agricultural exporters
ï· Chemical companies
ï· Government agencies
ï· EPC contractors
ï· Construction companies
ï· Telecommunications companies
ï· Importers and exporters
ï· Freight forwarding companies
Key account management
ï· Develop strategic relationships with key importers and exporters.
ï· Conduct quarterly business reviews.
ï· Improve customer retention.
ï· Identify opportunities for cross-selling customs brokerage, warehousing, inland.
Transportation, and distribution services.
ï· Serve as the primary commercial contact for strategic accounts.
Shipping line & carrier management
Develop strong commercial relationships with:
ï· International shipping lines
ï· NVOCCs
ï· Overseas Agents
ï· International Freight Networks
Responsibilities include:
ï· Negotiating freight rates
ï· Managing service contracts
ï· Securing competitive allocations
ï· Monitoring carrier performance
ï· Identifying alternative routing solutions
Freight pricing & commercial management
ï· Develop competitive freight pricing.
ï· Prepare quotations.
ï· Respond to RFQs, RFPs and tenders.
ï· Conduct profitability analysis before bid submission.
ï· Recommend pricing strategies based on market conditions.
ï· Monitor freight market fluctuations.
Sea freight operations collaboration
Work closely with Operations to ensure efficient execution of:
ï· FCL shipments
ï· LCL shipments
ï· Breakbulk cargo
ï· Project cargo
ï· RO-RO cargo
ï· Customs clearance
ï· Port handling
ï· Cargo delivery
ï· Marine insurance coordination
Trade lane development
Grow business across key shipping routes including:
ï· China - Nigeria
ï· India - Nigeria
ï· Europe - Nigeria
ï· USA - Nigeria
ï· UAE - Nigeria
ï· Intra-African Trade
Identify emerging opportunities under:
ï· AfCFTA
ï· Export expansion grant
ï· Non-oil exports
Market intelligence
ï· Monitor freight rates.
ï· Analyze competitor pricing.
ï· Monitor shipping line capacity.
ï· Identify market trends.
ï· Provide commercial recommendations.
ï· Track port congestion and market disruptions.
Strategic partnerships
Develop relationships with:
ï· Shipping lines
ï· Customs licensed agents
ï· Export promotion agencies
ï· Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN)
ï· Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce (NACCIMA)
ï· Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA)
ï· Terminal operators
ï· International trade associations
Marketing & brand development
ï· Promote the organization as a preferred sea freight partner.
ï· Represent the company at maritime exhibitions and logistics conferences.
ï· Conduct client seminars.
ï· Drive LinkedIn and digital campaigns targeted at importers and exporters.
ï· Develop sector-specific campaigns.
Reporting
Prepare reports on:
ï· Monthly revenue
ï· GP performance
ï· Shipment volumes
ï· Container volumes
ï· Trade lane performance
ï· Pipeline analysis
ï· Win/loss analysis
ï· Customer acquisition
ï· Market intelligence
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Commercial
ï· Sea freight revenue
ï· Gross profit
ï· Gross margin
ï· New accounts opened
ï· Monthly Container Volume (TEUs)
ï· FCL volume
ï· LCL volume
ï· Export volume
ï· Import volume
Business development
ï· Sales pipeline value
ï· Proposal win rate
ï· New corporate accounts
ï· Customer retention
ï· Cross-selling revenue
Strategic
ï· New trade lanes developed
ï· Shipping line partnerships
ï· Market share growth
ï· Key account growth
Qualifications
Education
ï· Bachelor's degree in logistics & supply chain management, shipping & maritime
studies, transport management, business administration, economics, marketing,
or related discipline.
ï· Professional certifications such as FIATA, CILT, ICS, NAGAFF, or freight
forwarding certifications are an advantage.
Experience
ï· Minimum of 7-10 years of experience in freight forwarding or international logistics.
ï· At least 5 years in commercial sea freight sales or business development.
ï· Demonstrated success in managing sea freight portfolios.
ï· Strong relationships with shipping lines, importers, exporters, and customs
stakeholders.
ï· Experience negotiating freight contracts and commercial agreements.
Technical competencies
ï· Ocean freight operations
ï· FCL & LCL management
ï· Incoterms 2020
ï· International trade documentation
ï· Customs procedures
ï· Port operations
ï· Freight pricing
ï· Trade Lane Development
ï· Carrier negotiation
ï· Tender management
ï· CRM Systems
ï· Microsoft Excel (Advanced)
ï· Freight management systems
Behavioral competencies
ï· Results-oriented
ï· Entrepreneurial mindset
ï· Customer-centric
ï· Strategic thinker
ï· Self-motivated
ï· High integrity
ï· Excellent interpersonal skills
ï· Strong negotiation capability
ï· Resilient under pressure
ï· Innovative problem solver
ï· Collaborative team player
Success profile
The successful Sea Freight Sales Manager will:
ï· Position the organization as a preferred ocean freight partner in Nigeria.
ï· Consistently exceed sea freight revenue and profitability targets.
ï· Build a diversified portfolio of importers and exporters.
ï· Develop strategic partnerships with leading shipping lines and overseas agents.
ï· Increase container volumes, customer retention, and market share.
ï· Drive sustainable growth in the company's sea freight business through strong commercial leadership and market insight
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Requirements
Qualifications
Education
ï· Bachelor's degree in logistics & supply chain management, shipping & maritime
studies, transport management, business administration, economics, marketing,
or related discipline.
ï· Professional certifications such as FIATA, CILT, ICS, NAGAFF, or freight
forwarding certifications are an advantage.
Experience
ï· Minimum of 7-10 years of experience in freight forwarding or international logistics.
ï· At least 5 years in commercial sea freight sales or business development.
ï· Demonstrated success in managing sea freight portfolios.
ï· Strong relationships with shipping lines, importers, exporters, and customs
stakeholders.
ï· Experience negotiating freight contracts and commercial agreements.
Technical competencies
ï· Ocean freight operations
ï· FCL & LCL management
ï· Incoterms 2020
ï· International trade documentation
ï· Customs procedures
ï· Port operations
ï· Freight pricing
ï· Trade Lane Development
ï· Carrier negotiation
ï· Tender management
ï· CRM Systems
ï· Microsoft Excel (Advanced)
ï· Freight management systems
Behavioral competencies
ï· Results-oriented
ï· Entrepreneurial mindset
ï· Customer-centric
ï· Strategic thinker
ï· Self-motivated
ï· High integrity
ï· Excellent interpersonal skills
ï· Strong negotiation capability
ï· Resilient under pressure
ï· Innovative problem solver
ï· Collaborative team player
Success profile
The successful Sea Freight Sales Manager will:
ï· Position the organization as a preferred ocean freight partner in Nigeria.
ï· Consistently exceed sea freight revenue and profitability targets.
ï· Build a diversified portfolio of importers and exporters.
ï· Develop strategic partnerships with leading shipping lines and overseas agents.
ï· Increase container volumes, customer retention, and market share.
ï· Drive sustainable growth in the company's sea freight business through strong commercial leadership and market insight.
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