Assistant Manager - Ocean Procurement

Own global ocean freight procurement and carrier management. Secure competitive Buy rates and committed space on priority trade lanes, build long-term strategic carrier partnerships, and supply timely cost and capacity input to bids and regions, so that the network can grow volume at a sustainable cost base. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Ocean freight rate procurement & carrier contracting

• Plan and run annual and periodic carrier tenders for priority trade lanes in line with the Ocean trade lane plan.
• Negotiate base rates, surcharges, free time (demurrage & detention) and contract terms, aligned with HQ Standards & Governance requirements.

Volume commitment & space security

• Set and negotiate MQC / allocation levels with carriers based on regional volume forecasts; track weekly utilisation vs. commitment and act on shortfall or overflow.
• Secure space in peak season and disruption periods; manage allocation sharing across regions and escalation with carriers.
• Manager booking distribution to monitor GM performance.
  

Carrier relationship & performance management

• Define the strategic carrier portfolio per trade lane; hold regular business reviews with key carriers at HQ level.
  

Trade lane service analysis

• Analyse carrier services, transit times, routings and reliability by lane; recommend carrier mix and service options for each trade lane.
• Provide buy-side analysis to Strategy & Performance for trade lane planning, target-setting and performance review.

Bid support – cost & capacity 

• Provide buy rates, carrier options and space confirmation for RFQs and tenders within agreed turnaround times; 

• Work with the Manager, Commercial & Bid Management, who owns the customer-facing price and bid submission; ensure awarded volume is reflected in carrier commitments.

Market intelligence & regional enablement

• Publish regular market updates (rate trends, capacity, blank sailings, GRI/PSS, regulatory changes) to regions, sales and management.
• Set procurement processes and rate-data standards in the system; coach and coordinate regional ocean procurement staff.

ESSENTIAL JOB QUALIFICATIONS

Education/Technical Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Shipping, Logistics, Supply Chain, International Business or related field.
• Fluent business English (written and spoken); Mandarin is an advantage.
  
• Advanced Excel; experience with rate management / TMS and BI tools (e.g. Power BI, Tableau).
  

Knowledge/ Work Experience

• 10+ years in ocean freight with a forwarder/NVOCC or carrier, including 3–5 years in carrier procurement or carrier management with direct responsibility for negotiating service contracts.
• Strong knowledge of major trade lanes (Transpacific, Asia–Europe, Intra-Asia), carrier alliances, MQC management, surcharge structures and D&D.
• Working knowledge of FMC / NVOCC service-contract rules and Incoterms; experience working with multiple regions and time zones.
  

Key Behavioral Competencies

• Negotiation and influencing skills; able to hold firm positions with senior carrier counterparts.
• Analytical and commercial acumen – turns data into procurement decisions on cost, risk and capacity.
• Relationship building, cross-cultural collaboration and resilience in a volatile market; high integrity.