The Operations Lead for Airfreight oversees day-to-day execution of critical air cargo movements for high-value customers. This role ensures flawless coordination across booking, documentation, carrier handling, customs clearance, and milestone visibility. As the primary escalation point for critical accounts, the Operations Lead safeguards service reliability, manages exceptions, and maintains strong customer relationships in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
Daily Duties:-
* Lead airfreight teams responsible for bookings, pre-alerts, tracking, and exception management.
* Ensure all shipments meet airline cut-offs, security requirements, and customer-specific SOPs.
* Monitor daily performance metrics such as uplift success rate, milestone accuracy, and transit time compliance.
* Act as the operational owner for key airfreight customers with sensitive cargo, high volumes, or strict transit requirements.
* Build strong relationships with customer logistics teams, understanding their routing guides, compliance rules, and service expectations.
* Conduct regular performance reviews, including root-cause analysis for delays, rollovers, or documentation errors.
* Oversee end-to-end airfreight processes: booking, pickup, export documentation, security screening, airline acceptance, uplift, arrival, customs clearance, and final delivery.
* Serve as the first escalation point for issues such as:
* Airline rollovers
* Missing or incorrect documentation
* Screening failures
* Capacity shortages
* Weather-related disruptions
* Customs holds
* Coordinate with carriers, ground handlers, customs brokers, and internal teams to resolve issues quickly and protect customer timelines.
* Ensure accuracy and timeliness of all airfreight documents, including MAWB/HAWB, commercial invoices, packing lists, DG declarations, and security documentation.
* Maintain compliance with aviation security regulations, IATA standards, and customer SOPs.
* Identify documentation gaps and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
* Work closely with airlines, GSAs, and ground handling agents to secure space, manage uplift priorities, and resolve operational issues.
* Provide proactive communication to customers regarding flight status, delays, and recovery plans.
* Support carrier performance reviews by providing operational insights and data.
* Partner with Sales, Key Account Management, Customs, and Network Operations teams to support customer needs and service improvements.
* Provide operational feedback to influence routing strategies, carrier selection, and capacity planning.
* Support onboarding of new airfreight accounts, ensuring SOPs, KPIs, and communication flows are clearly defined.
Required Experience
* Experience in airfreight operations within a freight forwarder or airline environment.
* Strong understanding of IATA regulations, airline processes, security screening, trade compliance and customs procedures.
* Experience managing time-critical shipments and high-pressure escalations.
* Excellent communication skills with the ability to provide clear, concise updates to customers and internal teams.
* Familiarity with airfreight systems, airline portals, and visibility platforms.
As an agency we are fast becoming the number one Freight specialist in the UK. We have a fast growing reputation with most Freight related companies. Freightserve has been established since 1992 working within the Freight Forwarding and Shipping industry
Salary description
£40000.00 - £45000.00 per year