Operations Supervisor - Ocean

Forward Air•Dallas, TX

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The Operations Supervisor – Ocean Freight is responsible for leading daily ocean import and export operations to ensure compliant, efficient, and cost‑effective international freight movement. They supervise a team of ocean freight forwarding professionals while serving as a subject matter expert across FCL and LCL shipments, carrier coordination, documentation, and import/export customs processes. They partner closely with internal teams, steamship lines, customs brokers, drayage providers, and overseas offices to maintain high service levels. They play a key role in managing operational performance, meeting customer SLAs, and resolving complex shipment issues. This hands-on leader brings strong background in international ocean freight operations, and a continuous improvement mindset.

Requirements

High School Diploma or GED equivalent required
5+ years of experience in international ocean freight import and export operations.
Prior supervisory or team lead experience within a freight forwarding, NVOCC, or logistics environment.
Strong working knowledge of international trade compliance, Incoterms, and ocean freight documentation.
Experience working with freight forwarding systems and transportation management platforms required
Experience managing FCL/LCL shipments, port operations, and demurrage/detention mitigation.
Strong analytical, organizational, and time‑management skills in a high‑volume, deadline‑driven environment.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to coordinate across global teams and customers.
Demonstrated discretion and confidentiality in handling and protecting sensitive information.
Proficient with common office technologies, including Windows PCs, Microsoft O365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and web conferencing (Teams, Zoom, Webex, etc.).

Nice To Haves

Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Logistics, Supply Chain, Business, or a related field preferred.
FMC, CCS, FIATA, or other industry‑recognized logistics certifications preferred.
CargoWise experience highly preferred.

Responsibilities

Supervise day‑to‑day ocean import and export operations, ensuring compliance with international trade regulations and company SOPs.
Lead, coach, and develop a team of ocean freight coordinators, fostering accuracy, accountability, and service excellence.
Oversee end‑to‑end ocean shipment execution, including booking, documentation, customs coordination, and final delivery.
Ensure compliance with FMC, customs, carrier, and port authority requirements for international ocean freight movements.
Manage both FCL and LCL shipments, including coordination with steamship lines, NVOCCs, CFS facilities, and drayage providers.
Monitor operational KPIs such as transit times, dwell time, demurrage and detention exposure, service levels, and cost control.
Serve as the primary escalation point for customer issues, port delays, rollovers, and documentation discrepancies.
Review and approve ocean freight documentation, including B/Ls, commercial invoices, packing lists, ISF filings, and export documentation.
Coordinate closely with overseas agents, carriers, customs brokers, and inland transportation partners.
Support pricing, routing, and capacity decisions in partnership with sales, procurement, and network teams.
Identify process inefficiencies and implement continuous improvement initiatives to enhance operational performance.
Ensure accurate and timely system updates within freight forwarding and transportation management platforms.
Maintain strong customer relationships through proactive communication and issue resolution.
Support staffing, scheduling, and workload planning to meet volume fluctuations and service commitments.
All other duties as assigned to meet evolving business needs.