Procurement Manager (Sea Freight)

We are looking for an experienced Procurement Manager to lead our clients freight operations and rate management function. You will be responsible for sourcing competitive ocean freight rates, negotiating with shipping lines and NVOCCs, overseeing bookings, and ensuring our customers receive reliable and efficient service.

This is a hands-on leadership role where you'll work closely with our technology and product teams to improve their AI-powered quoting platform while building and leading a small logistics operations team.

Key Responsibilities

Freight Rate Management Source, negotiate and manage ocean freight rates with shipping lines and NVOCCs. Build and maintain competitive pricing across key trade routes. Ensure accurate and up-to-date freight rate data within the platform. Improve quotation turnaround times by supporting our AI quoting engine. Operations Management Oversee freight bookings and day-to-day logistics operations.

Resolve operational issues and act as the main escalation point for customers. Lead, mentor and expand the logistics and rate management team. Product Collaboration Work closely with the Product and Technology teams to improve the freight quotation and booking platform. Validate AI-generated freight rates against actual market conditions.

Recommend improvements that enhance operational efficiency and customer experience. Market Intelligence Monitor carrier pricing, capacity, surcharges and industry developments. Build strong relationships with shipping lines and NVOCCs. Identify the best freight partners and rate sources for our platform.

Requirements

Essential Minimum 7 years' experience in ocean freight forwarding, shipping lines or NVOCC operations. Proven experience negotiating ocean freight rates directly with carriers and logistics providers. Strong understanding of freight contracts, spot rates, surcharges and shipping operations. Experience managing a freight desk, logistics branch or operations team.

Established relationships with carriers and NVOCCs serving the India, UAE and Turkey trade lanes. Ability to identify pricing errors, operational issues and service risks quickly. Comfortable working in a fast-growing startup environment. Preferred Experience using freight management platforms such as CargoWise, Freightos or similar systems.

Previous experience in a technology startup or SaaS business. Knowledge of Hindi or Arabic is an advantage.