Freight Operations Manager

Operations Manager Location: Luton Role Summary The Operations Manager is responsible for leading the companies core airfreight and customs operations, ensuring compliant, efficient, and time-critical handling of shipments. The role requires strong expertise in air cargo, airline/airport procedures, and UK customs regulations. Experience in road and sea freight is a strong advantage, supporting the companies multimodal offering and contributing to seamless end-to-end logistics solutions. Key Responsibilities 1. Airfreight Operations Leadership * Manage daily air export and import operations. * Ensure full compliance with Regulated Agent requirements, IATA rules, and airport/aviation security protocols. * Oversee MAWB/HAWB preparation, airline bookings, screening, and flight cut-off performance. * Coordinate with airlines, ground handling agents, and the Luton warehouse. * Resolve delays, offloads, capacity issues, and handling irregularities. 2. Customs Operations & Compliance * Lead all customs activities for imports, exports, and transit (T1) declarations using ASM Sequoia. * Ensure HMRC compliance, including correct tariff classification, valuation, and regulatory documentation. * Manage customs processes for bonded warehousing, controlled goods, and special procedures. * Act as the escalation point for HMRC, Border Force, and customer customs enquiries. * Train and update the team on changing customs regulations and best practice. 3. Road & Sea Operations Support * Support the coordination of road transport with TC’s European fleet, including collections, express shipments, and airport linehauls. * Liaise with drivers, planners, and TC depots to ensure timely and compliant movement of goods. * Assist with sea freight operations when required—booking, documentation, customs, and carrier liaison. * Contribute to multimodal planning for customers using combined air-road-sea solutions. * Ensure operational alignment across all modes to deliver seamless end-to-end service. 4. Quotation Management & Customer Response * Guarantee accurate and responsive quotations for airfreight, handling, customs, and multimodal services. * Validate operational costs, air rates, and customs charges before issuing prices. * Support commercial opportunities by providing strong operational insight to sales and account teams. 5. Team Leadership & Staff Development * Lead, motivate, and develop the operations and customs team at Luton. * Ensure staff maintain high competency in airfreight processes, customs procedures, and operational compliance. * Plan resources to support 24/7 time-critical environments. * Track and improve performance against KPIs for service quality, accuracy, compliance, and efficiency. 6. End-to-End Shipment Oversight * Manage the entire shipment lifecycle from booking → handling → customs → transport → delivery. * Ensure accurate documentation, job costing, invoicing, and operational reporting. * Maintain clear, proactive communication with clients throughout the process. Required Skills & Experience - Minimum 5 years’ experience in airfreight operations (export/import) within a freight forwarder or air cargo environment. - Strong, hands-on experience with UK customs procedures and ASM Sequoia. - Solid knowledge of airline handling processes, screened cargo, and aviation security standards. - Previous experience supervising or managing an operations or customs team. - Strong problem-solving ability and resilience in a time-critical environment. - Excellent communication skills, accuracy, and a strong compliance mindset