Area Transport Manager - EME

Maersk is a global leader in integrated logistics and has been an industry pioneer for over a century. Through innovation and transformation, we continuously set new standards for efficiency, sustainability, and excellence - redefining what’s possible in global trade.

At Maersk, we believe in the power of diversity, collaboration, and continuous learning. We work hard to ensure our people reflect and understand the customers we serve. With over 100,000 employees across 130 countries, we work together to shape the future of global trade and logistics.

We are now looking for an Area Transport Manager covering Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria.

Join us as we harness cutting-edge technologies and unlock opportunities on a global scale. Together, let’s sail toward a brighter, more sustainable future with Maersk.

At Maersk, we move more than cargo—we move the world. If you’re passionate about shaping efficient transport networks and driving operational excellence across diverse markets, this is your chance to make an impact.

About the role

As Area Transport Manager, you will play a key role in our regional transport strategy, managing and optimizing flows across three critical markets. You’ll collaborate with Procurement, Operations, Middle Mile, Solutions, and HSSE teams to deliver a reliable, cost-efficient, and scalable network. Your work will strengthen our Contract Logistics and Middle Mile operations and prepare us for future growth.

What we offer

Joining Maersk means becoming part of a global leader in logistics and supply chain management.

We offer:

• A dynamic, international environment where your ideas matter.

• Opportunities to influence regional transport strategies and innovate solutions.

• Professional development and career growth within a global organization.

Key responsibilities

• Build deep market intelligence & portfolio understanding across Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria, including lane dynamics, capacity trends, pricing drivers, seasonality, and border/regulatory constraints.

• Own the partner ecosystem: develop and manage strong relationships with carriers, brokers, and 3PLs; maintain a healthy mix of contract and spot capacity aligned to portfolio needs.

• Lead daily transport execution for domestic and cross-border flows, ensuring OTIF performance through proactive control, fast escalation, and structured root-cause problem solving.

• Ensure seamless transport–warehouse integration by supporting operations at XDCs, small hubs, and deconsolidation centers, improving planning accuracy, dock coordination, and handover quality.

• Drive supplier governance and performance: define KPIs, enforce SLAs, lead QBRs, and ensure compliance with HSSE standards and relevant regulations.

• Manage exceptions end-to-end (delays, damages, claims, POD gaps, capacity shortfalls) and implement preventive actions to improve stability and customer experience.

• Deliver continuous improvement initiatives across cost, service, and reliability (route optimization, load consolidation, carrier allocation, cost-to-serve reduction).

• Contribute to growth and planning: provide transport inputs to new business proposals, customer onboarding, network planning, peak readiness, and contingency planning.

Who we are looking for

• Extensive experience in transportation, middle mile, and/or domestic distribution, ideally in a multi-country or multi-site environment.

• Strong market experience in Turkey, Romania, and/or Bulgaria with a proven ability to navigate local transport ecosystems (carrier base, broker models, spot vs contract, seasonality).

• Proven cross-border operations expertise within Turkey–Romania–Bulgaria corridors, with solid understanding of lead time variability, border constraints, and operational interfaces (customs touchpoints as relevant).

• Portfolio experience on both sides of the table:

  • Service provider side: hands-on 3PL/carrier/broker management, performance governance, and service recovery.

  • Customer side: exposure to multi-customer or sector-diverse portfolios and the ability to translate customer requirements into executable transport solutions (SLAs, cut-offs, delivery windows, exception handling, returns).

• Strong routing, scheduling, and transport network planning capabilities; comfortable balancing cost, service, and capacity.

• Excellent stakeholder management and problem-solving skills, with confidence engaging internal operations teams and external partners/customers when required.

• Data-driven mindset; able to use TMS/Excel/BI tools to track KPIs and drive actions.

• Languages: Fluent English required; Turkish or Romanian preferred; Bulgarian is a plus.

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Logistics, Supply Chain, Business Administration, Engineering, or related field.

Ready to shape the future of transport with Maersk?
We look forward to receiving your application! Interviews will be held on an ongoing basis, and we will close for applications once we have found the right candidate.