Would you like to be part of a value-driven, commercially oriented international environment where we enable global trade every day?
The Area Head of Air Freight will play a critical role advancing and executing the overall Maersk Air Freight strategy to achieve sustainable profitable growth within Southern Africa and Islands Area (SAI). Reporting directly into the Region Product Head and supported by Regional and Global functions, this role is responsible for the air freight strategy, P&L, commercial traction and operational execution in the SAI Area, in adherence to Maersk procedures and policies.
WHAT WE OFFER:
When you join Maersk, you’ll find that the world is your workplace. You’ll work in a culturally diverse, stimulating environment, surrounded by new ideas and different ways of doing things. We believe in individual performance within highly professional teams supported by our distinctive values. To us teamwork means acceptance, respect, dedication, and the idea that we can achieve more when we all pull together.
Living our values means competing in the marketplace in an ethical way so our name is synonymous with being a credible and valuable business partner. Through Constant Care and Humbleness, we strive to prepare for the future, while never forgetting that our customers and competitors are key to our ability to improve. In our daily work Uprightness and Our Employees mean that transparency and accountability in everything we do go hand in hand with being an inspiring, challenging place to work. At Maersk, we take pride in hiring the best person for the job – irrespective of gender, age, nationality, or religious belief.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
P&L responsibility – Top and EBIT lines growth through operational excellence and cost management.
Propose and execute SAI area Air Freight strategy to achieve strategic profitability.
Keep developing SAI Air freight product offering, aligned with Maersk Air Freight objectives.
Generate a strong sense of ownership and accountability through the Air Freight team and collaborate as such to the Region and Global teams.
Collaborate with Regional and Global Air leadership teams to drive the development and/or deployment of new processes and solutions within SAI Area.
Lead trade lane development teams focusing on strategic corridors and verticals.
Strong commercial negotiation capabilities with airlines, with experience securing competitive, reliable capacity in constrained markets.
Maintain relationships with all airlines and providers operating in the region, leveraging, and supporting all SAI countries for best purchase of capacity.
Sales support and guidance: Support sales organization setting a clear direction, plan of action and product value proposition.
Act as a Product expert in front of customers, guide/support Sales to sell the right type of business to the right destinations.
Pricing and tenders: provide pricing approach in line with global and regional strategy, accountable for the area RFQ pricing. Drive spot pricing success supporting transactional customers’ needs.
Solution design: Support Air Product development of customer specific solutions pertaining to the area network (expertise role).
Operational Excellence: Identify areas with needs for area Ops Excellence team intervention, centralize key pain points to be managed within the area Ops Excellence team with guidance of Regional and Centre.
Manage and improve the performance of the Service/Product in the Area.
WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR:
A relevant tertiary qualification (university degree highly preferred)
Minimum 10 years’ experience in the Air Freight industry with management / leadership responsibility
An experienced individual with a strategic and hands on mindset
Proven record of driving commercial origination, developing strategic trade lanes, and converting network opportunities into sustained profitable growth.
Strong influencing skills with proven resilience in multi-regional and cross-functional environments, able to secure support and drive outcomes without formal authority.
Thrives in hands-on, high-ambiguity environments where processes and teams are evolving; able to deliver tactical actions while architecting long-term solutions.
Strong business, supply chain and commercial acumen
Capable to lead others and collaborate to drive change
Strong focus on business outcomes – results-driven
Pro-active and hands on profile, capable to embrace challenges as opportunities
Values team above individual results and impact
Ambition to deliver above expectation and to continue to grow his/her career
Flexible to travel 40-50% of time
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Maersk is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we embrace different styles of thinking. Maersk is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applicants without regard to race, colour, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy or parental leave, veteran status, gender identity, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with all legal requirements.
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