Senior Regional Manager, Air Freight

Flexport•Los Angeles, CA

7d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Regional Manager, Air Freight owns and leads air freight performance, strategy, and business growth across assigned trade lanes and geographic territories. The role carries end-to-end financial accountability, including Contribution Profit, and leads regional capacity procurement, bespoke door-to-door solution design, and go-to-market commercial execution. It bridges global air freight strategy with local operational execution and works across Sales, Account Management, Global Procurement, Operations, Tech, and Finance to expand market share, build strategic airline partnerships, and deliver a strong customer experience. The manager defines the region’s air freight vision and growth objectives in alignment with Global Air strategy and regional leadership; owns regional financial performance and performance reporting; leads export procurement and solution design; partners on import capacity and pricing; manages airline relationships, carrier agreements, and bids; and supports business development, client acquisition, account growth, and retention. The role also mentors local teams, supports operational escalations, and represents the Global Air Team in regional and external forums.

Requirements

At least 7 years of experience at a freight forwarder or in a similar field.
At least 5 years of direct experience designing complex door-to-door air freight routing solutions and competitive pricing models for enterprise customers of varying sizes.
Proven business development experience, senior-level client relationship management, and a track record of winning strategic RFQs.
Deep understanding of freight forwarding economics, P&L management, yield optimization, and data-driven decision-making.
Practical knowledge of air freight operations, TSA/security regulations, cross-border customs, carrier routings, and local drayage workflows.
Ability to operate across time zones and collaborate with overseas procurement teams, local vendors, and clients.
Superior verbal, written, and presentation skills, with the ability to influence internal stakeholders and external executive decision-makers.
Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Administration, Economics, or equivalent practical industry experience.

Nice To Haves

Established relationships with regional and global airline leadership.
An active client network within the region.

Responsibilities

Define and execute the region’s long-term air freight vision, program initiatives, focus lanes, and growth objectives in alignment with Global Air strategy and regional leadership.
Own regional financial performance, including tonnage/volume, net revenue, and Contribution Profit for assigned origin/destination combinations and trade lanes.
Co-define annual budgets with General Management and participate in weekly business reviews, reporting metrics, yield performance, target adherence, and mitigation plans.
Identify operational bottlenecks, use data analysis to improve efficiency, and drive take-rate expansion and process improvement.
Own end-to-end export procurement, routing, and air freight solution design for the region.
Partner with overseas/origin air procurement managers to secure competitive import capacity, transit times, and door-to-door pricing.
Develop airline relationships; assess carrier performance; enforce service-level agreements; improve service quality; and coordinate air trucking and drayage coverage.
Oversee custom door-to-door pricing for regional bids and sponsor high-value global RFQs for top regional accounts.
Manage carrier agreements, block space agreements, and spot rates in the internal procurement database to ensure accurate cost application and rate compliance.
Shape regional go-to-market strategy by identifying target verticals, preparing qualified prospect lead lists, and guiding initial outreach.
Participate in pipeline reviews, top-of-funnel reviews, and district sales meetings; accompany sales teams on client visits, lead strategic presentations, and help close complex enterprise deals.
Partner with Account Management to expand existing-client wallet share through pricing, customized air charter or freight solutions, and proactive relationship management.
Monitor air cargo markets, rate fluctuations, capacity constraints, and competitor positioning, and communicate actionable insights to sales organizations.
Coach, train, and mentor local Operations, Customer Service, and Pricing teams.
Step in to troubleshoot quality issues, resolve execution breakdowns, and demonstrate shipment-handling best practices.
Represent the Global Air Team in regional executive meetings and represent the company at industry conferences, vendor summits, and customer events.