Manager – Airfreight Procurement, SEAO

Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement regional airfreight procurement strategies aligned with business objectives across South and Southeast Asia and Oceania (SEAO).
• Establish and maintain strategic relationships with key airlines, General Sales Agents (GSAs) and other carrier partners.
• Lead regional carrier procurement exercises, RFQs, contract negotiations and annual rate reviews.
• Secure competitive rates, space commitments and strategic capacity allocations across key trade lanes.
• Negotiate long-term agreements, Block Space Agreements (BSA), Capacity Purchase Agreements (CPA), ad hoc rates and tactical procurement arrangements.
• Monitor airfreight market developments, capacity trends, pricing movements and changes in airline networks.
• Analyse capacity supply and demand across major trade lanes and recommend appropriate procurement strategies.
• Develop contingency procurement and capacity plans for peak seasons, market disruptions and urgent business requirements.
• Ensure contractual compliance and monitor airline performance against agreed rates, capacity, service levels and commitments.
• Drive procurement initiatives that improve cost efficiency, yield, margins, carrier utilisation and market competitiveness.
• Establish procurement governance standards and consistent procurement practices across countries and business units.
• Develop carrier scorecards and KPIs to monitor procurement savings, service quality, capacity utilisation and overall carrier performance.
• Conduct regular business reviews with strategic airline partners and follow up on performance improvement actions.
• Support major customer tenders and commercial opportunities by securing competitive and reliable carrier solutions.
• Collaborate with country airfreight teams, overseas offices, gateway operations, Finance and Management on procurement planning, budgeting and regional or global initiatives.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Aviation Management or a related discipline.
• Minimum 10 years of relevant experience in airfreight procurement, airline management, freight forwarding or aviation commercial functions.
• Demonstrated experience in airline negotiations, carrier sourcing, RFQs and contract management.
• Strong understanding of air cargo market dynamics, pricing structures, capacity management, trade lanes and airline networks.
• Proven track record in procurement cost optimisation, supplier management and securing competitive rates and capacity.
• Strong commercial acumen and strategic mindset, with advanced analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Proficiency in data analysis, procurement reporting tools and performance-dashboard preparation.
• Excellent negotiation, influencing, communication and presentation skills.
• Strong stakeholder-management skills, with the ability to collaborate across countries, functions and seniority levels.
• Results-oriented, self-driven and able to manage competing priorities under pressure, with willingness to travel regionally as required.