Area Air Logistics Gateway Operations Manager

It's more than a job

As a member of the Freight Forwarding team Kuehne+Nagel, you will play a key role in transporting goods, optimising processes, and fulfilling our customers' promises. And by transporting medicines, toys and important machine parts, you are not only delivering goods, you are making small and big moments possible for people all around the world. At Kuehne+Nagel, our contribution counts in more ways than we imagine.

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The Area Air Logistics Gateway Operations Manager is a strategic operations leader responsible for overseeing and growing air export gateway operations while ensuring service excellence, operational efficiency, and profitability. This role leads and develops high-performing gateway teams, drives process improvements, and ensures the seamless movement of freight through strong collaboration with branches, regional and global stakeholders, airline partners, and transportation providers. The manager serves as a key liaison between operational, commercial, and carrier networks, securing capacity, optimizing performance, and maintaining compliance with regulatory, security, and quality standards. Combining strong leadership, business acumen, and industry expertise, the role plays a critical part in advancing the air logistics product, enhancing customer satisfaction, and supporting the organization's strategic growth objectives in a fast-paced and complex global logistics environment.

How you create impact

• Lead and oversee all area air export gateway operations, ensuring efficient service delivery, operational excellence, and business growth.
• Manage, mentor, develop, and train gateway teams to achieve performance objectives and maintain high productivity standards.
• Support regional and national air export operations, origin stations, and global destination offices to ensure seamless freight movement.
• Plan and manage scheduled consolidation services while meeting on-time performance targets.
• Drive continuous process improvement initiatives across gateway and branch operations.
• Oversee gateway financial activities, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and profitability.
• Ensure compliance with air cargo security requirements, company policies, procedures, and quality standards.
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with airline partners, carriers, GSAs, and transportation providers to secure capacity and competitive rates.
• Negotiate carrier agreements that support profitability and operational efficiency.
• Collaborate with national gateway leadership, procurement teams, regional directors, and branch management to solve operational challenges and improve service delivery.
• Support air import operations and maintain effective coordination across internal and external stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with healthcare, quality, GxP, SecureChain, and Semicon requirements and standards.
• Promote company culture, values, and professional standards while driving operational performance and customer satisfaction.

What we would like you to bring

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Logistics, Finance, or a related field preferred.
• Professional certification preferred.
• 5-10 years of leadership experience managing teams and operational performance.
• 2-5 years of Air Logistics experience.
• 2-5 years of experience within the air freight or freight forwarding industry.
• Project management experience preferred.
• International business experience preferred.
• Strong knowledge of air logistics and transportation operations.
• Ability to negotiate effectively, influence stakeholders, and resolve conflicts.
• Strong presentation, communication, and relationship management skills.
• Advanced interpersonal and intercultural skills with the ability to manage diverse stakeholders.
• Excellent analytical, financial, strategic planning, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Experience reviewing contracts, invoicing processes, and commercial agreements.
• Ability to identify market trends and translate opportunities into business growth.
• Strong decision-making skills, accountability, and ability to perform under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word.
• International mindset with a collaborative leadership approach.
• Fluent English required; Spanish proficiency preferred.
• Willingness to travel domestically on an occasional basis and support operations that may include evenings, weekends, and extended business hours.

 

What's in it for you

At Kuehne+Nagel we strive daily to inspire, empower, and deliver not only to our customers, but also to our colleagues. We offer a dynamic global work environment with opportunities for excellent training programs and career mobility. The hourly wage range for this position is between $130,000 and $145,00 annually. Base wage is part of a competitive total rewards package that includes health and welfare benefits, a 401k retirement savings plan, tuition reimbursement, and incentive compensation for eligible roles. Individual pay may vary from the target range and is determined by a number of factors including experience, skills, job location, internal pay equity, and other relevant business considerations. Kuehne+Nagel reviews pay ranges regularly to ensure competitive and fair pay based on industry market data. #LI-SB1   

 

 

Kuehne+Nagel participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9.

 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used to assist in specific process [e.g., screening applications, interview scheduling]. These tools analyze information to support decision-making, but final decisions are made by human reviewers.

Who we are

Logistics shapes everyday life - from the goods we consume to the healthcare we rely on. At Kuehne+Nagel, your work goes beyond logistics; it enables both ordinary and special moments in the lives of people around the world.

As a global leader with a strong heritage and a vision to move the world forward, we offer a safe, stable environment where your career can make a real difference. Whether we help deliver life-saving medicines, develop sustainable transportation solutions or support our local communities, your career will contribute to more than you can imagine.

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