Branch Manager - Freight Forwarding

Key Responsibilities

Branch Management & Business Operations

• Manage the overall functioning and performance of the branch.
• Ensure smooth coordination between sales, operations, documentation, finance, and customer service teams.
• Monitor branch revenue, profitability, business volumes, and operational performance.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, SOPs, and industry regulations.
• Identify operational gaps and implement corrective measures to improve efficiency.

Sales & Business Development

• Develop and execute strategies to achieve branch sales and revenue targets.
• Generate new business through customer acquisition, market mapping, networking, and referrals.
• Identify potential customers across import, export, air freight, sea freight, and other logistics services.
• Maintain and strengthen relationships with key customers and ensure high customer retention.
• Monitor sales pipelines, quotations, conversion ratios, and business performance.
• Work closely with the sales team to achieve individual and branch-level targets.

Customer Relationship Management

• Build strong relationships with key accounts and major customers.
• Understand customer requirements and provide suitable logistics and freight-forwarding solutions.
• Handle escalations and ensure timely resolution of customer issues.
• Ensure high levels of customer satisfaction and service quality.

Team Management

• Lead, mentor, and motivate branch employees to achieve business objectives.
• Set performance targets and monitor team productivity.
• Conduct regular reviews with sales and operations teams.
• Identify training and development requirements of team members.
• Support recruitment and onboarding of employees when required.

Freight Forwarding Operations

• Ensure effective handling of air and ocean freight shipments.
• Monitor import/export documentation, shipment coordination, and delivery schedules.
• Coordinate with shipping lines, airlines, transporters, customs brokers, and other stakeholders.
• Ensure timely resolution of operational issues and shipment-related escalations.
• Monitor service levels, turnaround time, and operational costs.

Financial & MIS Management

• Monitor branch P&L, revenue, gross profit, and operating expenses.
• Ensure timely collection of outstanding payments and maintain healthy receivables.
• Review branch MIS and prepare regular performance reports for management.
• Analyze business trends, customer profitability, and branch performance.
• Identify opportunities for cost optimization and improved profitability.

Key Performance Areas (KPIs)

• Branch Revenue & Gross Profit
• New Customer Acquisition
• Sales Target Achievement
• Customer Retention
• Freight Volume Growth
• Branch Profitability
• Collections / Outstanding Receivables
• Operational Efficiency
• Customer Satisfaction
• Team Productivity

Key Qualifications & Skills

• Graduate / MBA in Sales, Marketing, Logistics, or Supply Chain preferred.
• 8 -15 years of experience in Freight Forwarding / Logistics, with relevant branch management experience.
• Strong experience in Air Freight and Ocean Freight.
• Proven experience in sales and business development.
• Strong customer relationship and negotiation skills.
• Good understanding of import/export and freight forwarding processes.
• Experience in managing sales and operations teams.
• Strong commercial and financial understanding.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Good knowledge of MS Office and MIS reporting.

Preferred Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate should have strong experience in the freight forwarding industry, with a proven track record of managing a branch, driving revenue growth, developing new customers, and leading cross-functional teams. Candidates with experience in Air Freight, Ocean Freight, Import/Export, and end-to-end logistics solutions will be preferred.