Carrier Sales Manager

The Operations Manager is responsible for generating profitable capacity by effectively managing carrier relationships, sales resources and a high-volume capacity team. This role involves developing sales strategies, negotiating rates, lane development and overseeing the booking and tracking of shipments while ensuring customer satisfaction and retention. The manager will seek out and target new carriers, initiate action plans to secure profitable capacity, and inspire team members to align with the company's vision and goals.

Operations Manager responsibilities and essential job functions include, but are not limited to the following:

• Manage daily operations, including leading and developing a team focused on daily freight coverage, carrier relationships, and long-term capacity development.

• Set daily/weekly performance goals and KPIs, ensuring reps hit coverage, margin, and carrier retention targets. 

• Drive strategy, negotiation, and execution of carrier sourcing to support aggressive customer growth.

• Drive process efficiency and tech adoption to streamline sourcing, coverage, and relationship management. 

• Provide business solutions for customers, and ensure customer and carrier issues are addressed promptly in order to generate positive customer satisfaction.

• Act as the voice of carriers internally, partnering closely with pricing, customer sales, and sourcing teams to strengthen network performance. 

• Develop and execute strategies for mode and lane growth, especially in underserved or high-margin markets (reefer, flatbed, intermodal, etc.). 

• Promote team growth, actively participate in the hiring process, training and coaching.

• Proactively address team concerns and conflicts; Address difficult personnel issues, including performance discussions and disciplinary actions.

• Work after hours as needed, responding to team and customer needs at all times.

• The above job functions are illustrative of the duties and responsibilities associated with this position and are not intended to be all-inclusive. Employee may be asked to perform other related duties to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.

Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• High School Diploma or GED; Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Transportation or other related field of study or equivalent combination of education and work experience preferred.

• 3+ years of experience in a carrier sales leadership role at a 3PL, brokerage, or asset-based provider; Previous experience in multiple aspects of logistics operations a plus. 

• Deep carrier network and background in flatbed, reefer, or dedicated lane development a plus. 

• Previous experience working with McLeod a plus.

• Ability to work after-hours as needed. 

• Strong understanding of the split model and how to win with operational excellence on the carrier side. 

• Proven ability to lead teams in high-volume, fast-paced environments — freight hustle is in your DNA. 

• Proficient in utilizing industry capacity and pricing tools (DAT, Carrier 411, Highway, Truckstop, etc.).

• Tactical and strategic thinker — can see the chessboard and coach reps move by move.

• Obsessed with KPIs, data, coaching, and building a team culture around winning, accountability, and personal development; Ability to inspire and motivate others to reach and exceed goals.

• High energy, unshakable grit, and serious charisma — someone who leads from the front and inspires others to level up.

• In-depth knowledge of freight industry trends, capacity demand, and competitive pricing dynamics. 

• Strong communication skills, both written and oral, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to clearly and effectively communicate with and present to both internal and external business partners.

• Ability to multitask and shift focus in a fast-paced environment with rapidly changing priorities, meet deadlines, work well under pressure, prioritize work and maintain discretion on confidential matters while maintaining a positive attitude and providing unmatched customer service. 

• Proficient in utilizing various technology platforms, including Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and video conferencing tools (WebEx, Zoom, Microsoft Teams).

• Ability to read, write, and speak English fluently