Operations/Transportation Manager

Job Title: Operations Manager, Mexico

Location: Puebla, Puebla

Shift Time: 9:00am to 6:00pm (In-Office)

Terms: Permanent Full-Time

Salary: Competitive, based on experience

Reports To: Sales Manager, Mexico

About Us: North American Freight Forwarding is a Canadian based company specializing in logistics services with specific strength in warehousing and distribution, LTL consolidations, expedites, full truckloads and specialized equipment service to and from Canada, United States and Mexico. As a professional international freight forwarder, we provide overseas import and export ocean and air freight services all over the world.

We seek out driven, talented individuals to join our team to meet and exceed our clients' needs. We offer a rewarding career and brand that our employees are proud to represent.

Job Purpose:

The Operations Manager is a natural leader with a strong operations and logistics background and a passion for developing teams and improving processes. They thrive in fast-paced logistics environments, are proactive problem-solvers, and prioritize both efficiency and customer satisfaction. Their ability to motivate a team, drive accountability, and enhance operational performance makes them a key asset to the organization.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Support company Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) by proactively contributing to initiatives that drive strategic goals and organizational success.
• Lead and develop the operations team to ensure excellence in execution and a high-performance culture.
• Coach, mentor, and support team members in achieving and exceeding KPIs, performance goals, and customer service standards.
• Monitor individual and team performance, providing regular feedback, coaching, and performance management to drive continuous improvement.
• Set clear expectations for efficiency, accuracy, and proactive problem-solving in all aspects of transportation, logistics and freight-forwarding business models.
• Ensure full team competency by identifying skills gaps, implementing cross-training, and fostering professional development.
• Create a customer-first culture by reinforcing best practices in responsiveness, communication based on our values.
• Collaborate closely with leadership to align operations with company goals, drive efficiency, and contribute to strategic initiatives like in procurement, OPs procedures, OKR's and compliance with customers.
• Analyze operational performance metrics to identify areas for improvement and implement solutions to optimize efficiency.
• Act as a key decision-maker in resolving escalated operational challenges, ensuring timely and effective solutions.
• Drive accountability and ownership, ensuring that each team member understands their impact on service level given our value proposal (making our customers' life easier).
• Foster a collaborative team environment by ensuring open communication, engagement, and a shared commitment to excellence.
• Managing the suitable performance for each Customer Service: system compliance, communication, customer service level, back up.
• Oversee the performance and effectiveness of customer service systems, ensuring compliance, clear communication, and high service levels, with appropriate backup processes in place.
• Ensure the customer service team maintains accurate shipment records in CargoWise, including documentation, carrier charges, and delivery dates to support timely invoices. Address service issues promptly and uphold high standards of customer service.
• Clarify roles and responsibilities based on individual strengths and the client's account needs to ensure efficiency and engagement. Assign critical tasks strategically and hold regular check-ins to monitor progress and address challenges.
• Train and onboard new employees on the system, procurement processes, supplier management, and cost optimization strategies to ensure smooth integration into the team.
• Analyze and negotiate with suppliers to secure competitive rates. Standardizing rates based on service conditions (by weight, volume, zone, type of cargo). Rate calculation and margin analysis to ensure competitiveness and profitability. Clarifications and adjustments in case customer requests.
• Keep informed by subscribing to industry news, market trends, government updates, and logistics reports.
• Conduct regular check-ins with Canadian team members to strengthen relationships, address concerns, and provide feedback.
• Promote clear, concise communication and consistent documentation of decisions and action items using shared tools to ensure alignment across time zones.
• Negotiate and manage contracts with carriers and service providers to secure competitive rates and reliable service. Source and evaluate transportation and warehousing partners to meet operational needs.
• Identify and evaluate potential carriers by considering factors like records, transit times, service reliability, coverage, equipment availability, and compliance with regulations / authorities. Build long-term relationships by maintaining open communication, providing feedback, and offering consistent business opportunities
• Implement cost-saving strategies by consolidating shipments and selecting the most efficient transport routes to reduce transit times and budgets. Collaborate closely with carriers to minimize delays, continuous improvement, and ensure timely deliveries while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
• Recognize issues early before they escalate. Gathering relevant data (root causes, impact, involved parties) keeping all relevant teams informed (customer service, operations, finance, etc.). Escalating critical issues, when necessary, with a proposed action plan. Proactively addressing recurring problems.
• Close communication with Sales teams regarding growth, adjustments. OPS Leader can provide support and guidance to sales teams during pricing negotiations, helping them to justify prices and achieve win-win outcomes.
• After-hours activities. Responsible for overseeing operations outside of regular business hours. This includes ensuring service continuity, addressing urgent issues, assigning / delegating last minute orders for suitable follow up/tracking.

Mindset & Personality:

• Proactive & Solutions-Oriented – See challenges as opportunities and actively seeks ways to improve processes and service.
• Leadership-Driven – Naturally motivates, supports, and develops others while leading by example.
• Accountability-Focused – Takes ownership of results and holds the team to high performance standards.
• Customer-Centric – Prioritizes world-class service and ensures the team delivers seamless customer experiences.
• Resilient & Agile – Handles pressure, manages competing priorities, and stays focused in a fast-paced environment.
• Detail Oriented – Balances the ability to see both immediate tasks and long-term strategic goals.
• Empathetic & Approachable – Builds strong relationships with the team, fostering trust and open communication.
• Results-Driven – Continuously pushes for improvements and higher efficiency.
• Confident Decision-Maker – Can quickly assess situations and make informed decisions under pressure.
• Growth-Oriented – Committed to professional and personal development for both them and their teams.

Professional & Educational Background:

• 10+ years of transportation or freight forwarding experience required
• 5+ years of experience in a similar managerial role required
• Experience working with Transportation Management Systems (TMS) and EDI Systems
• Knowledge of Canada, USA, Mexico Customs cross border practices & procedures
• Knowledge of LTL/FTL systems
• Knowledgeable in CargoWise considered an asset
• Working knowledge of Loadlink /DAT is considered an asset.
• Post Secondary education in Supply Chain Management considered an asset

Skills & Ability:

Leadership & Team Management

• Strong coaching and mentoring skills to develop team members.
• Ability to set clear expectations and drive accountability.
• Skilled in performance management, feedback, and conflict resolution.
• Experience in motivating teams to achieve and exceed performance targets.

Operations & Logistics Expertise

• In-depth understanding of logistics, customs processes, and carrier negotiations.
• Strong ability to analyze operational performance and identify areas for improvement.
• Experience with coordinating complex shipments and troubleshooting logistics challenges.
• Ability to implement process improvements to enhance efficiency.
• Expert at building relationships with carriers and providers.

Customer Service & Communication

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills for both internal teams and external partners/customers.
• Strong ability to de-escalate issues and handle customer and carrier concerns proactively.
• Capable of training and coaching the team to enhance service levels and responsiveness.

Strategic Thinking & Problem-Solving

• Ability to think critically and make data-driven decisions
• Strong time management and prioritization skills in a fast-moving environment.
• Skilled in identifying root causes of operational efficiencies and implementing solutions.

Technical & Analytical Skills

• Proficiency in TMS (Transport Management Systems (Cargo Wise et al), Logistics software (Load link), and excel.
• Ability to track KPIs, analyze trends, and create reports for leadership.
• Experience in cost analysis and revenue tracking for shipments.

Effort & Working Conditions:

• Office Environment

Why Join Us?

North American Freight Group is a company that truly values its employees. The company fosters a supportive and collaborative work environment, where management encourages growth through mentorship and career development opportunities.

Joining North American Freight Group means becoming part of a team that values innovation, teamwork, long-term plans based on our value proposal. Our Mexico turnover ratio is an actual proof of our ethics and work environment.

Our organization takes the accessibility needs of employees and candidates with disabilities into account during the position summary review process. Employees and candidates are required to notify their Director/Manager/Supervisor or Hiring Manager if they have any particular accessibility needs and the organization will collaborate with the employee to address them.