Manager, Ocean Procurement

The Opportunity

The Ocean team at Flexport works globally to make sure all business moves smoothly and our ocean product is the best it can be for our clients.  Our Ocean Procurement Team is essential to winning new business, supporting all current business, and building out the future of Flexport’s ocean services.

As a Procurement Manager, you’ll be an integral part of helping achieve Flexport’s growth goals. It’s a face-paced and integral position for both winning new business, and supporting our current book of business. This role is focused on the Transpacific-Eastbound (TPEB) trade. A successful procurement manager will need to communicate market developments and strategy to a broad range of colleagues, negotiate freight rates, be willing and able to dig into the weeds of pricing / contract nuances, manage carrier relationships, and represent Flexport commercially.

You Will

• Drive all things ocean carrier procurement for TPEB and take direct responsibility for carrier development and partnership on the respective trade, demonstrating Flexport’s competitive advantages
• Coordinate and negotiate annual, quarterly, monthly, and weekly procurement activities
• Build scalable procurement operating rhythms and tools, including working directly with internal contract tools for cost and pricing management
• Lead rate setting and strategy for RFP season on the trade
• Work closely with commercial Ocean and demand teams to win new business and execute for current book of business
• Educate and enable the broader Flexport organization with carrier and tradelane intelligence to foster better decision making, client engagement and growing the trade
• Lead regular cross team meetings
• Work collaboratively with colleagues in Asia to execute trade strategy and fulfillment
• Dive into escalations both in Asia and in the U.S. to keep our business moving

You Should Have

• 7+ years of prior Ocean procurement experience at a top freight forwarder or trade experience at a carrier or 7+ years of supply chain experience and a BA/BS Degree;
• Strategic vision and continuous desire to improve–get into the weeds and build process from ground-up when needed
• Strong negotiation skills
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills;
• Desire to build / scale ocean business
• Ability to travel regionally and internationally
• People management experience desired (but not required)
• A "compliance first" attitude to keep our regulators happy and enthusiastic about Flexport since we operate in a heavily regulated industry.