Head of Airfreight Operations – Philippines

Location: Philippines
Function: Airfreight / Freight Forwarding
Level: Senior Leadership / Country Level

USD 6-10,000 per month + bonus depending on experience

About Our Client

Our client is one of the world's largest and most established global logistics and freight forwarding organizations, with a major presence across Asia Pacific and a substantial operation in the Philippines.

Operating an extensive international network, the company provides end-to-end supply chain solutions spanning airfreight, ocean freight, contract logistics, customs, transportation and integrated supply chain management. The organization serves many of the world's leading multinational companies and is recognized for its scale, operational capabilities and investment in technology and people.

As part of the continued development of its Philippines business, our client is seeking an experienced Head of Airfreight Operations to lead the country's airfreight operations function.

Overall Purpose

The Head of Airfreight Operations will provide country-level leadership for the airfreight operations organization in the Philippines.

The position will lead the implementation of the company's airfreight strategy, ensuring reliable and efficient movement of goods and information across customers' global supply chains while delivering against commercial, operational and service objectives.

This is a broad leadership role combining operations, capacity and carrier management, procurement, pricing, profitability, customer engagement and people leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the Philippines airfreight operations strategy in alignment with the country business strategy and global policies.
• Lead operational planning, budgets and performance initiatives to drive profitability, volume growth, service quality and expansion.
• Provide overall leadership for airfreight operations across the country, ensuring consistent service delivery and operational excellence.
• Manage end-to-end capacity requirements, including network procurement, carrier relationships and consolidation opportunities.
• Oversee operational sites and provide direction on capacity procurement, technical support and local purchasing activities.
• Monitor preferred carrier utilization, commercial agreements and incentive arrangements to ensure optimal operational and financial outcomes.
• Lead major operational projects and initiatives designed to improve the speed, reliability, efficiency and competitiveness of airfreight solutions.
• Monitor market developments, customer requirements and competitor activity to identify opportunities and potential challenges within the Philippines airfreight market.
• Contribute to pricing strategy and provide guidance on margins to support sustainable and profitable growth.
• Work closely with Sales and Commercial teams on key customer opportunities, tenders, RFQs, pricing exercises and customer presentations.
• Support the development and implementation of new airfreight products and solutions, providing operational input into solution design and service requirements.
• Establish and monitor operational standards, procedures and compliance requirements in accordance with global guidelines and local regulatory requirements.
• Benchmark operations against industry best practices and continuously improve processes, infrastructure and service performance.
• Utilize operational and performance-management tools to proactively identify issues, improve productivity and enhance service quality.
• Lead, coach and develop the airfreight operations organization, conducting regular performance and quality reviews against agreed targets.

Candidate Profile

We are looking for an experienced airfreight professional with a strong understanding of the Philippines freight forwarding and aviation market and the leadership capability to manage a significant country-level operation.

The successful candidate will ideally bring:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum 10 years of airfreight operations experience, including substantial leadership responsibility.
• Strong knowledge of airfreight forwarding, import/export operations and international transportation.
• Experience managing airline and carrier relationships, capacity procurement and routing.
• Strong understanding of pricing, margins and the commercial drivers of an airfreight operation.
• Experience working with multinational customers and complex global supply chains.
• Strong business and financial acumen, including budgeting and operational performance management.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and lead major operational projects.
• Strong stakeholder-management and influencing capabilities.
• Excellent negotiation, communication and presentation skills.
• Proven people-management experience, including developing and leading operational teams.
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency with Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word and related business systems.

Relevant Industry Expertise

Experience across several of the following areas would be particularly valuable:

Airfreight forwarding Airline and carrier management Capacity procurement Import and export operations Ground transportation Consolidation Cold chain Third-party logistics Routing and shipment management Pricing and commercial management RFQs and tenders Operational excellence Compliance Customer solutions Supply chain management

The Opportunity

This is a senior country-level opportunity with one of the world's leading logistics organizations, providing responsibility for a major airfreight operation within an important Southeast Asian market.

The position offers significant exposure across operations, commercial strategy, carrier management and key customers, with the opportunity to directly influence the continued development and performance of the company's airfreight business in the Philippines.

+ Bonus