Account Operations Manager - Heathrow - Freight Forwarding in London

Job Description

Account Operations Manager

Salary: £50,000 – £70,000 + Branch Bonus

Monday – Friday | Heathrow

The Opportunity

We are recruiting for an experienced Account Operations Manager to take responsibility for a major account within a leading global freight forwarding and logistics organisation.

This is a hands-on leadership role, managing a team of 6 operational staff while taking ownership of operational performance, customer service and the ongoing success of the account.

The operation is approximately 80% imports and 20% exports, with the freight mix being around 90% air freight and 10% ocean freight.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, manage and develop a team of 6 operational staff.
• Take ownership of the day-to-day performance of a major customer account.
• Oversee predominantly air freight import operations, alongside export movements.
• Remain hands-on operationally, supporting the team with complex shipments and escalations.
• Act as a senior point of contact for the customer, maintaining a strong working relationship.
• Handle challenging situations confidently and professionally.
• Monitor operational performance and ensure agreed service levels are consistently achieved.
• Liaise with airlines, shipping lines, overseas offices, agents and internal departments.
• Identify operational issues and implement effective solutions.
• Drive high standards of customer service across the team.
• Support process improvements and improve operational efficiency.

About You

We're looking for an experienced freight forwarding professional with a combination of strong operational knowledge, hands-on leadership ability and excellent customer service skills.

Ideally, you will have:

• Strong air freight operations experience.
• Experience across both imports and exports, with particularly strong import knowledge.
• Previous experience leading or managing an operational freight forwarding team.
• A hands-on management style and the ability to lead from the front.
• Experience managing major or demanding customer accounts.
• Excellent customer service and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making ability.
• The confidence to manage escalations and challenging conversations.
• Excellent communication and organisational skills.
• Ocean freight knowledge would be advantageous but is not essential.

What's on Offer?

• £50,000 – £70,000 basic salary, depending on experience.
• Branch bonus on top of the basic salary.
• Monday – Friday working pattern.
• Leadership responsibility for a team of 6.
• Ownership of a significant global customer account.
• Predominantly air freight-focused operation.
• Opportunity to join a major international freight forwarding organisation.
• A senior, hands-on operational position with genuine responsibility and progression potential.

If you're an experienced Air Freight Operations Manager or senior freight professional ready to take ownership of a major account and lead a successful operational team, we'd like to hear from you.