Key Account Operations Manager

Right Now Group are recruiting for an experienced Key Account Operations Manager on behalf of our client, an established international freight forwarding and logistics business based near Heathrow.

This is a senior operational management position specialising in the High-Tech sector, supporting strategic customers operating across areas including technology, AI and data centres.

The Key Account Operations Manager will lead a team of approximately three to five Import and Export Operators, with responsibility for operational performance, customer service, team development and the successful delivery of complex international freight movements.

The operation is predominantly Export focused, approximately 80% Export and 20% Import, making this an excellent opportunity for someone with extensive international export freight experience who is ready to take ownership of a specialist operation and its key customers.

High Tech logistics can involve valuable, sensitive and time-critical equipment, so attention to detail, communication, shipment visibility and proactive exception management will be critical to the role.

Key Responsibilities of a Key Account Operations Manager:

• Lead, manage and develop a team of approximately three to five Import and Export Operators.
• Take overall operational responsibility for strategic customers within the High Tech, AI and Data Centre sectors.
• Oversee an operational workload split of approximately 80% Export and 20% Import.
• Ensure international shipments are coordinated effectively from initial instruction through to final delivery.
• Manage operational workloads and priorities across the team, ensuring service levels and customer deadlines are consistently achieved.
• Act as the senior operational escalation point for customers and internal teams.
• Maintain close oversight of high-value, sensitive and time-critical shipments.
• Build strong relationships with key customer stakeholders and develop a detailed understanding of their operational and supply-chain requirements.
• Monitor customer performance against agreed SLAs, SOPs and KPIs.
• Coordinate with airlines, hauliers, overseas offices, customs teams and other logistics partners.
• Ensure customers receive proactive shipment visibility and communication throughout the movement.
• Manage operational exceptions and service recovery when shipments do not progress as planned.
• Lead investigations into service failures and implement appropriate corrective actions.
• Identify operational risks and introduce preventative measures.
• Support customer implementations, new projects and the onboarding of additional business.
• Drive continuous improvement across processes, systems, reporting and service delivery.
• Monitor account profitability, costs, revenue and gross profit performance.
• Identify opportunities to expand services and develop existing strategic accounts.

The Successful Candidate:

• Significant experience within international freight forwarding and logistics.
• Strong Export Freight knowledge is essential due to the operational split of the role.
• Previous experience managing or supervising a team of freight forwarding operators.
• Proven experience managing key or strategic customer accounts.
• Experience within High Tech, Technology, Data Centre, AI infrastructure or specialist project logistics would be highly advantageous.
• Experience handling high-value, sensitive or time-critical freight would be particularly relevant.
• Strong understanding of international freight forwarding, customs and transport processes.
• Confident managing complex operational escalations and customer expectations.
• Experience working with customer SLAs, SOPs and KPIs.
• Strong people-management skills with the ability to coach and develop an operational team.

Benefits of a Key Account Operations Manager:

• Salary: -50,000 - -75,000 depending on experience
• Location: Heathrow area
• Position: Permanent
• Senior operational management position within international freight forwarding.
• Manage a team of approximately three to five Operators.
• Specialist exposure to the rapidly developing High Tech, AI and Data Centre logistics sector.
• Responsibility for strategic international customer accounts.
• Opportunity to influence operational strategy, customer performance and account growth.

If you are an experienced Key Account Operations Manager with a strong export freight background and experience managing specialist, high-value or time-critical logistics, please apply online now!