Procurement Assistant Manager-Less-than-Container Load - Air & Specialized Freight

Overview

The Procurement Assistant Manager owns category management, strategic sourcing, supplier management, and procurement governance for Less-than-Container Load (LCL) under the Air Freight, National Distribution under MCL, and MGF Cross-Border categories in Mexico. The role builds Procurement ownership across categories that have historically operated outside the Procurement organization, develops sourcing strategies, leads supplier negotiations, and aligns stakeholders across multiple products. Success requires balancing commercial outcomes, operational requirements, supplier performance, risk, and category growth while establishing consistent sourcing governance and reducing unmanaged spend.

 Key Responsibilities

1. Category Strategy and Procurement Ownership

• Develop and execute category and sourcing strategies across LCL, Air Freight, MCL National Distribution, and MGF Cross-Border LTL. 
• Establish procurement governance for categories that have historically operated outside Procurement ownership and reduce unmanaged spend. 
• Build category roadmaps aligned with product growth, operational requirements, cost objectives, and regional procurement priorities. 
• Lead complex sourcing events, supplier selection decisions, contract negotiations, and implementation activities. 

2. Supplier Portfolio Management

• Own strategic relationships with transportation and logistics providers across the assigned portfolio. 
• Develop supplier segmentation, governance, and performance management frameworks. 
• Build a capable supplier portfolio, including providers authorized to operate within port facilities and airports and providers supporting B2B and cross-border markets. 
• Lead supplier negotiations, performance interventions, contract lifecycle management, and supplier development activities. 

3. Stakeholder Management

• Serve as the primary Procurement partner for Air, LCL, MCL National Distribution, and MGF Cross-Border LTL stakeholders. 
• Align Product, Operations, Commercial, Finance, and Procurement stakeholders on category priorities and sourcing decisions. 
• Influence stakeholders without direct authority and balance product-specific needs with procurement standards and regional objectives. 
• Present category performance, market conditions, commercial recommendations, and material risks to senior stakeholders. 

4. Cost Leadership and Market Intelligence

• Build rate benchmarks, cost models, and fact-based sourcing recommendations for assigned categories. 
• Monitor supplier markets, capacity, cost drivers, and service developments across domestic, international, and cross-border transportation. 
• Deliver measurable savings, cost avoidance, supplier performance improvements, and procurement value. 
• Identify opportunities for supplier consolidation, process standardization, network efficiency, and improved commercial terms. 

5. Risk Management and Continuous Improvement

• Anticipate supplier, capacity, service, operational, and compliance risks and establish mitigation plans. 
• Ensure sourcing activity, contracts, and supplier governance comply with Procurement requirements. 
• Drive adoption of procurement processes and approved supplier channels across the stakeholder base. 
• Lead continuous improvement across sourcing, contracting, supplier performance, market intelligence, and cost management. 

Ideal Candidate

• 5 to 8 years of experience in transportation procurement, logistics, freight forwarding, category management, or a closely related commercial role. 
• Demonstrated experience leading sourcing events, supplier negotiations, contract development, and supplier portfolio decisions. 
• Strong understanding of LCL, Air Freight, domestic distribution, LTL, or cross-border transportation markets and operating models. 
• Experience managing and influencing stakeholders across Product, Operations, Commercial, Finance, and Procurement without direct authority. 
• Strong analytical and financial capability, including rate benchmarking, cost modeling, bid analysis, savings validation, and business-case development. 
• Ability to work independently, establish structure in a developing category, and communicate recommendations to senior stakeholders. 
• Clear written and verbal communication skills. Spanish and English proficiency preferred. 

What's in it for You

• Ownership of specialized transportation categories serving port, airport, domestic distribution, B2B, and cross-border operations. 
• Opportunity to build category strategy, supplier governance, and procurement standards for a portfolio transitioning into Procurement. 
• High visibility across multiple Product and Operations teams, with direct impact on regional growth, cost, service, and supplier capability. 

Maersk is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we embrace different styles of thinking. Maersk is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applicants without regard to race, colour, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy or parental leave, veteran status, gender identity, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with all legal requirements.

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