Transport & Freight Operations Manager

About the role

Career Directions Limited (CDL) is hiring a Transport & Freight Operations Manager in Mombasa, reporting to the C&F Manager and sitting on dotted line to the Branch Manager. The role leads and manages the company's transport operations, covering planning, allocation, execution and monitoring of transport activities, fleet utilization, transporter relationships, regulatory compliance, cost control and customer service.

Key responsibilities

• Lead planning, coordination and execution of transport operations so cargo moves on time and service delivery is reliable.
• Develop transport schedules, allocate resources and monitor execution to maximize fleet utilization.
• Optimize truck allocation, route planning and transporter utilization to reduce transport costs.
• Maintain strategic relationships with transport service providers, evaluate their performance against service levels and contracts, support onboarding and qualification, and take part in rate negotiations.
• Ensure compliance with customs documentation and transit regulations, including T1s, Exit Notes, T812 documents and transit rules, and keep up with regulatory changes.
• Coordinate with Commercial, Customer Service, Customs, Warehouse and other teams, and resolve customer queries and transport exceptions promptly.
• Prepare daily, weekly and monthly performance reports, monitor costs and KPIs, and recommend improvements.
• Lead, coach and develop the transport team, conduct performance reviews and promote continuous improvement.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Transport Management, Business Administration or a related field.
• Minimum 5-7 years' experience in transport or logistics operations, with at least 3 years in a supervisory or management role.
• Practical hands-on experience in Clearing & Forwarding operations.
• Strong understanding of clearing & forwarding, customs procedures and regional transit operations.
• Working knowledge of KRA, KPA, URA and regional customs systems.

Required skills

• Transport operations management, fleet planning and optimization, and route planning.
• Customs and transit procedures, including T1, Exit Note and T812 documentation.
• Negotiation and vendor management.
• Data analysis and reporting.
• ERP and transport management system experience is highly desirable.