The opportunity:

At Flexport, global trade is powered by data -- data that equips our clients with best-in-class visibility into their supply chains and helps them run their businesses effectively. 

As a Senior Ocean Trade Lane Associate, you will be a foundational member of the team, learning all aspects of the trade, mastering Flexport’s advanced tech systems, and working on the front lines to ensure Client Solutions teams - and by extension, Flexport’s clients - have the right solutions and the right prices so that supply chains run smoothly. You will be an expert in coordinating and executing the end-to-end procurement, solution design, rate setting, and implementation cycles for the geography’s imports. From fulfilling pricing requests to working directly with carriers, you will learn the breadth of our interaction with ocean carriers and bridge the gap between our clients and the fulfillment of ocean freight.

You will:

Be a market expert

• Stay up-to-date on all market pricing, current conditions and cost competitiveness
• Assist with both short-term and long-term pricing exercises
• Work cross-functionally with Pricing, Sales, and Operations to implement best practices for new services in the market 

Coordinate and implement the end-to-end solutions designed for Flexport clients 

• Develop ownership of the day-to-day supporting functions involved in working with ocean carriers and Flexport Client Solutions stakeholders
• Assist with new client implementation
• Procure rates for customer requests within our network of vendors (carriers and partners); ensure they are readily available in Flexport’s software
• Manage all types of rate quotations and work with vendors to find dynamic and creative solutions for customers
• Manage all rate databases, cost and sell; ensure integrity of data in both databases

Act as the first point of contact for all Ocean issues, requests, or questions and take the lead in reaching a resolution

• Act as the first point of contact for Client Solutions regarding Ocean escalations; resolve as quickly as possible or coordinate a resolution with an eye for mitigating future escalations of the same nature
• Triage incoming requests and solve where possible or provide direction to the appropriate team for resolution
• Monitor group emails, Slacks, and offer support wherever possible

Develop and maintain relationships with external vendors and carriers

• Interface with external vendors to procure rates and design solutions for Flexport customers, both internal and external
• Support the Trade Lane Manager in developing and maintaining excellent relationships with external vendors
• Maintain a pulse on the market regarding our vendors’ costs, capacity, and rate trends
• Develop professional expertise, apply company policies and procedures to resolve varied complexity while maintaining high customer satisfaction.

Contribute to process improvements

• Master all Flexport internal tools and databases for maintaining buy & sell rates
• Maintenance of ocean procurement documentation. This can include, but isn’t limited to: organizational folders, procurement databases, charts, workflows, etc.
• Embody a “can-do” attitude at all times

You should have:

• Requires at least 2-4 year(s) of related experience. Bachelor's degree required or equivalent years relevant work experience 
• Knowledge of product and technology within the industry
• Experience with regards to imports and/or exports from a sales, operational or procurement perspective. 
• Experience building and maintaining relationships and partnerships with vendors
• Analytical skills and metric / data based approach to solving problems
• Strong analytical background and knowledge of analytical tools (Excel, etc)
• Strategic vision and ground floor execution
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills

About Flexport:

We believe global trade can move the human race forward. That’s why it’s our mission to make global trade easier for everyone. We aim to do this by building the Operating System for Global trade - a strategic model combining advanced technology and data analytics, logistics infrastructure, and supply chain expertise. Flexport today connects almost 10,000 clients and suppliers across 109 countries, including established global brands like Georgia-Pacific as well as emerging innovators like Sonos. Started in 2013, we've raised over $1.3B in funding from SoftBank Vision Fund, Founders Fund, GV, First Round Capital and Y Combinator. We’re excited about the three big ways we’re moving forward after our recent $1B investment from SoftBank Vision Fund in February 2019.

Worried about not having any freight forwarding experience?

• Don’t be! We’re building the first Operating System for Global Trade. That’s why it’s incredibly important for us to bring people from diverse backgrounds and experiences together with our industry veterans to help move the freight forwarding industry forward.
• What’s freight forwarding and why does it matter? Listen to Ryan, our CEO explain what freight forwarding is and why improving global trade can help to connect the world and break down economic barriers in this Fast Company Freethink Original Series video.
• We know this industry is complex. That’s why we invest in education starting day one with Flexport Academy, a one week intensive onboarding program designed specifically to set every new Flexport employee up for success. 

At Flexport, our ability to fulfill our mission of making global trade easy for everyone relies on having a diverse, dedicated and engaged workforce. That is why Flexport is committed to creating and nurturing an environment where anyone can be their authentic self. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical and mental disability, health status, marital and family status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law.