Ocean Freight & Supply Chain ManagerJob Overview
We are seeking an experienced, highly organized, and commercially minded Ocean Freight & Supply Chain Manager to lead our international ocean freight activities and support the performance of our broader supply chain.
Ocean freight is a critical component of our business. The successful candidate will take ownership of shipments from supplier readiness through final delivery, ensuring that products arrive on time, at the lowest practical landed cost, and with minimal disruption. This individual will work closely with overseas suppliers, ocean carriers, freight forwarders, customs brokers, warehouses, trucking companies, and internal departments.
This is a hands-on management position for someone who combines strong ocean freight expertise with the ability to plan ahead, negotiate effectively, analyze costs, solve problems, and continuously improve supply chain performance.
Key ResponsibilitiesOcean Freight Management
- Take primary ownership of all ocean freight activities, from shipment planning and booking through customs clearance and final delivery.
- Coordinate import shipments with overseas suppliers, freight forwarders, ocean carriers, customs brokers, ports, warehouses, and inland transportation providers.
- Monitor vessel schedules, bookings, container availability, documentation, customs clearance, port activity, and final delivery.
- Proactively identify and resolve delays, rolled bookings, port congestion, documentation issues, demurrage, detention, storage charges, and other shipment disruptions.
- Maintain accurate shipment schedules and provide clear, timely updates to internal stakeholders.
- Ensure that shipping documentation is complete, accurate, and received on time.
Freight Procurement and Cost Management
- Negotiate ocean freight rates, inland transportation rates, service agreements, free-time allowances, and related commercial terms.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with freight forwarders, carriers, customs brokers, trucking companies, and other logistics partners.
- Compare service providers and transportation options based on total landed cost, reliability, transit time, and operational risk.
- Review freight invoices and accessorial charges for accuracy and dispute incorrect or avoidable costs.
- Track freight costs by container, shipment, supplier, product, and destination.
- Identify and implement opportunities to reduce ocean freight, drayage, demurrage, detention, storage, and other logistics expenses.
Supply Chain Planning
- Coordinate shipment timing with purchasing requirements, supplier production schedules, sales forecasts, inventory levels, warehouse capacity, and customer demand.
- Work with overseas suppliers to improve production visibility, shipment readiness, documentation accuracy, and on-time performance.
- Support purchasing and inventory planning to maintain product availability while avoiding unnecessary inventory and carrying costs.
- Identify potential supply chain risks and develop contingency plans to minimize disruption.
- Balance container utilization, order quantities, shipment frequency, inventory requirements, and landed cost.
- Assist in developing reliable supply chain plans for new products, suppliers, customers, and geographic markets.
Reporting and Continuous Improvement
- Maintain accurate shipment, cost, inventory, and supplier information within the company’s ERP and logistics systems.
- Develop and monitor key performance indicators, including on-time shipment performance, transit reliability, landed cost, freight cost per unit, container utilization, demurrage and detention, and supplier performance.
- Produce regular reports identifying cost trends, service issues, risks, and improvement opportunities.
- Establish clear procedures and controls for shipment booking, documentation, freight approval, invoice verification, and exception management.
- Lead initiatives to improve supply chain visibility, reliability, efficiency, and scalability.
- Perform other related duties as required to support the company’s operational objectives.
Qualifications and Experience
- Minimum of five years of progressive experience in ocean freight, international logistics, import operations, or supply chain management.
- Strong working knowledge of full-container-load ocean freight, international shipping documentation, customs clearance, drayage, ports, and inland transportation.
- Demonstrated experience negotiating with ocean carriers, freight forwarders, customs brokers, trucking companies, and 3PL providers.
- Experience managing shipments from overseas suppliers through delivery to warehouses or customers.
- Strong understanding of landed-cost analysis, freight pricing, accessorial charges, demurrage, detention, and container utilization.
- Experience with purchasing, inventory planning, demand forecasting, or supplier management is a strong asset.
- Experience importing building materials, industrial products, or other high-volume containerized goods is preferred.
- Post-secondary education in supply chain management, logistics, international business, operations, or a related discipline is preferred.
- Supply chain or logistics certification, such as SCMP, CCLP, CSCP, or an equivalent designation, is an asset.
Skills and Competencies
- Advanced negotiation and vendor-management skills.
- Strong analytical and cost-management capabilities.
- Exceptional organization and attention to detail.
- Ability to manage multiple shipments, deadlines, suppliers, and service providers simultaneously.
- Strong judgment and the ability to resolve urgent logistics problems calmly and effectively.
- Proactive approach to identifying risks and preventing avoidable costs or delays.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to collaborate effectively with purchasing, sales, finance, warehouse, and operations teams.
- Proficiency with ERP systems, shipment-tracking platforms, Microsoft Excel, and related supply chain technology.
- High level of accountability, initiative, and follow-through.
What Success Looks Like
The successful Ocean Freight & Supply Chain Manager will:
- Improve the reliability and visibility of international shipments.
- Reduce avoidable freight and logistics costs.
- Minimize demurrage, detention, storage charges, and preventable delays.
- Strengthen relationships and performance with suppliers and logistics partners.
- Improve coordination between purchasing, inventory, sales, finance, and operations.
- Build a more disciplined, measurable, and scalable supply chain operation.
If you are an experienced ocean freight and supply chain professional who takes ownership, anticipates problems, and consistently finds better ways to move products efficiently and cost-effectively, we would like to hear from you.
Pay: $80,000.00-$95,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Extended health care
- On-site parking
- Paid time off
- RRSP match
Work Location: In person
