Freight Operations Manager

Role overview

This position is responsible for leading, improving, and expanding domestic as well as cross-border road freight activities within a unified logistics network. The role combines business growth, daily operational control across the UAE and the wider GCC, and support in building dependable, cost-efficient transport solutions. It has direct accountability for improving fleet usage, overseeing FTL and LTL line-hauls, maintaining strict cold-chain temperature compliance, and lowering regional transit costs.

Line-haul and fleet operations

• Coordinate, plan, and fine-tune daily domestic and cross-border FTL/LTL freight movements across UAE, GCC, and Levant routes, including KSA, Qatar, Oman, and related lanes.
• Drive maximum productivity from the combined fleet of heavy vehicles and multi-temperature trailers while reducing empty running and transport delays.
• Oversee both leased and company-owned trucks to keep freight operations running without interruption.
• Handle high-volume, time-sensitive movement requirements, including bulk B2B freight and smaller transfers for FMCG and premium meal plan deliveries.

Documentation, customs, and bonded transport

• Manage the full customs clearance and documentation cycle for inbound and outbound freight, including commercial invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin, and delivery orders, with accurate and timely submissions to avoid demurrage and border hold-ups.
• Supervise bonded truck movements from Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), ensuring customs-controlled movement, valid declarations, intact seals, and proper bonded-transit paperwork until destination clearance.
• Coordinate customs brokerage work, whether handled internally or through appointed brokers, including HS code classification and communication with UAE Customs and JAFZA officials.
• Maintain complete and accurate records for bonded and cleared consignments so the business remains audit-ready and protected from duty, penalty, and compliance exposure.
• Review and improve cross-border customs paperwork to reduce delays at borders.

Vendors, procurement, and cost management

• Discuss and secure freight pricing, arrange lane capacity, and manage relationships with 3PL partners and subcontractors during busy periods.
• Work with the fleet function to interpret asset performance trends and convert them into corrective operational actions, escalating recurring downtime and poor-performing lanes when needed.

Analytics and technology

• Use transport management systems, advanced Excel, and Power BI dashboards to monitor KPIs and provide clear performance updates to senior leadership.
• Apply automated routing logic to avoid traffic congestion and improve terminal turnaround times.

Team and capacity management

• Ensure the department has the right number and quality of staff and drivers, while appraising, developing, motivating, and supporting the team to improve output.
• Build disciplined housekeeping and record-keeping practices, and provide periodic training to ensure compliance with legal, customs, customer, and company standards.
• Lead the driver team by managing rostering, conduct, and recurring training on road safety, defensive driving, hours-of-service compliance, and cargo/seal handling to protect reliability and maintain a zero-claims, zero-accidents standard.

Qualifications and experience

• 5 to 8 years of solid experience in road freight management, line-haul operations, or transport logistics within the GCC, including at least 3 years in a managerial capacity.
• Strong knowledge of UAE road networks, key industrial areas such as JAFZA, DIC, and Al Quoz, border points such as Batha, and GCC transport regulations.
• Advanced working knowledge of telematics, GPS tracking tools, transport management systems, advanced Excel, and Power BI.
• Strong driver-management and vendor-negotiation skills, with a proven ability to handle high-pressure situations such as breakdowns and border delays calmly and effectively.

Additional information

This is a full-time onsite role based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The compensation details, number of openings, start date, and application deadline were not specified.