Manager, Freight Forwarding & Logistics

About the role

For over 70 years Buckland has been working to help companies across the world experience global trade in a better way. Buckland employs a unique approach to global trade that focuses on combining trusted technologies and talented people that know how to use them. As a customer-focused company, Buckland provides customers with a single source of unmatched Customs Brokerage (Canadian, US, Mexican), Trade Managed Solutions, Freight Forwarding, Trade Technologies and Warehousing/Distribution Services. Buckland strives to provide customized services in a memorable way. Buckland is looking for Manager, Freight Forwarding & Logistics. The Manager, Freight Forwarding & Logistics, is responsible for the operational management and service delivery of assigned strategic freight forwarding accounts. Acting as the primary customer contact, this role oversees international ocean freight operations, coordinates with carriers and logistics partners, and ensures customer expectations, service commitments, and operational requirements are consistently met. The role combines strategic account management, ocean freight operations, customer relationship management, performance reporting, process improvement, and account growth.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary operational contact for assigned strategic accounts and build strong customer relationships.
• Manage day-to-day international ocean import and export operations, including shipment coordination and exception resolution.
• Coordinate with customers, carriers, overseas offices, NVOCCs, drayage providers, and other logistics partners.
• Develop and maintain customer-specific SOPs, KPIs, workflows, and service standards.
• Lead customer business reviews and provide performance reporting and operational insights.
• Investigate and resolve service issues, claims, escalations, and supply chain risks.
• Support carrier procurement, rate management, and transportation solutions.
• Identify and implement opportunities for continuous improvement, service enhancement, and operational efficiency.
• Support customer implementations, onboarding, account growth, profitability, and retention initiatives.
• Collaborate with Sales, Operations, Customs Brokerage, Finance, and other internal teams to deliver integrated customer solutions.
• Provide guidance and operational support to team members involved in assigned accounts.
• Ensure compliance with applicable regulatory, customer, and company requirements.
• Ability to manage a group of +20 employees.
• Conduct performance evaluations for direct reports.
• Hire and terminate employees.
• Assign tasks to team members.
• Assist with training and guidance of direct reports.
• Monitor work volumes of direct reports to ensure entries are completed to customs regulations guidelines.
• Supervise team members, conduct team meetings, monitor attendance, and work schedules.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Post-secondary education in Supply Chain, Logistics, Transportation, International Business, Commerce, or a related field.
• 7+ years of freight forwarding or international logistics experience, including 3+ years in customer-facing account management or strategic customer support.

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of international ocean import/export operations, complex transportation programs, carrier management, and procurement.
• Experience developing customer SOPs, KPIs, and operational processes.
• CIFFA and/or CITT designation, or actively pursuing.
• Experience supporting high-volume ocean freight programs, particularly within automotive OEM or Tier 1 environments.
• CargoWise or similar TMS experience.
• Project management and/or continuous improvement experience.
• Must be legally eligible to work for the Company at all times.
• Valid passport and ability to occasionally travel if required to other office locations in Canada, USA, and Mexico.

Skills

• Strong