OPERATIONS TEAM LEAD

About Our Client

On behalf of an established, fast-growing independent global freight forwarding and logistics group with a direct footprint across more than 15 countries and comprehensive multimodal operations (ocean, air, and land), we are seeking an experienced and driven:
Operations Team Lead – Freight Forwarding

Our client is defined by long-term partner relationships, operational clarity, and a strong commitment to digital transformation. The company empowers its teams to make data-backed decisions and maintain seamless cross-border collaboration across international offices.

The Opportunity & Mandate

Based within the Logistics Division, the Operations Team Lead will drive day-to-day operations and manage an operational desk of 6+ team members with a decisive lead-from-the-front, hands-on approach. This is not a passive delegation role; it demands an active leader who stays close to the workflows, sets the operating benchmark, and directly shapes process evolution.

This mandate is designed for someone who wants to build and optimize operations rather than merely administer them. The incoming leader will benefit from a structured onboarding and training program, with a clear trajectory toward broader operational ownership and leadership scope.

Key Responsibilities

• People Leadership & Coaching: Lead, mentor, and motivate a team of 6+ operations specialists. Allocate priorities, balance daily capacity, and cultivate accountability, high performance, and continuous improvement.
• Operational Excellence & Delivery: Own the team's operational output, ensuring all forwarding files, customs coordination, and freight movements are executed accurately, on schedule, and to strict quality standards.
• Systems & Process Optimization: Enforce rigorous, consistent adoption of the ERP platform (CargoWise), leveraging real-time data to identify process bottlenecks and implement structural efficiencies.
• Customer Centricity & Escalation: Serve as the senior escalation point for operational hurdles, safeguarding service levels and strengthening operational trust with key accounts.

Candidate Profile

• Track Record: 5–8 years of hands-on experience in international freight forwarding / multimodal shipping (ocean, air, and/or road freight).
• Leadership Style: Pragmatic, detail-oriented, and visible. Demonstrable capability to lead by example, coach junior team members, and maintain team cohesion under pressure.
• Systems Proficiency: Confident working with enterprise TMS/ERP environments. Direct experience with CargoWise is a significant competitive advantage.
• Analytical & Organizational Acumen: Strong problem-solving mindset, comfortable interpreting operational KPIs, dispatch loads, and service metrics.
• Language Skills: Full professional proficiency in both Italian and English is mandatory given the cross-border nature of the desk.
• Nice-to-Have: Prior direct supervisory experience, exposure to niche commodity verticals, or additional language capabilities.

Package & Value Proposition

• Contract & Transparency: Direct permanent contract (Contratto a Tempo Indeterminato) governed by the CCNL Agenzie Marittime. Target salary range: €45,000 – €60,000, evaluated objectively against seniority, technical depth, and proven autonomy.
• Culture & Impact: A flat, agile, and international work environment where operational initiatives are recognized and executed without excessive bureaucracy.
• Flexibility: Modern hybrid working arrangement (after an initial on-boarding phase).