Africa Manager - International Logistics

Our client is a leading global and logistics company with an international network of 250 offices in over 120 countries.

We are looking to recruit an experienced Africa Manager for the Johannesburg Office.

Purpose:

Africa Agent performance and relationship management, Identifying and addressing potential risks related to shipping, customs, documentation, or other logistical challenges in the Africa trade lanes, keeping the business up-to-date with African countries trade regulations, customs laws, and import/export requirements, keeping track of market trends, competitor strategies, and changes in African trade, Problem Solving, support operations with route optimization

Key responsibilities of this role:

Facilitate the signing up of additional agents where necessary
Cultivate strong relationships with agents by fostering trust and cooperation
Define relevant KPIs to measure the performance African agents
Set up a system to evaluate the performance of African agents regularly
Have regular engagements with African agents to foster continuous improvement
Facilitate dispute resolution between agents and the operations teams
Maintain open and regular communication with African agents.

Risk Management:

Ensure the African agents stay up-to-date with international trade regulations, customs laws, and shipping requirements in their countries and they share those updates with BIL in order to avoid potential delays or penalties
Identify and address potential risks related to shipping, customs, documentation, or other logistical challenges
When issues arise, such as delays, damages, or disruptions in the supply chain, find solutions promptly and efficiently

Collaboration on pricing strategy:

Collaborate with sales, operations, and Trade Lane to ensure that Africa pricing strategies align with business objectives and profitability targets.
Collaborate on pricing strategy development considering market dynamics, competitive landscape, and customer demands
Conduct regular market research and analysis to monitor competitor pricing, identify emerging trends, and make data-driven pricing decisions

Client Management:

Understand client-specific Africa trade needs, and support Business Development and Operations to provide effective solutions to meet their requirements

Managing information and Reporting:

Put in place and maintain processes and procedures to ensure accurate upload of Africa information on internal system e.g. Cargowise
Utilize relevant Management Information System (e.g.Monthly Dashboard and KPIs) in decision making
Interpret and use information on system delivery from Service Reports and Customer Surveys
Interpret and use information from Balanced Scorecard- analyze, interpret trends
Prepare Africa Tradelane and EXCO reports timorously
Disseminate information to direct reports and ensure it filters down to teams
Provide inputs for the Balanced Scorecard (if required)
Ensure confidential information is treated as such and put measures in place to ensure it is treated appropriately
Conduct market research to identify potential trade opportunities, trade patterns, and emerging trends in the African region
Monitor each African trade lane performance, costs, and revenue to ensure profitability and identify areas for improvement
On agreed intervals, prepare the following reports: KPI reports (for agents and tradelanes), country market and industry reports, profitability reports, risk management report, rates trends report

Financial Responsibility:

Achieve Africa budget and forecast
Maximize Profits by rate negotiations with suppliers and improving profits where possible
Manage cash flows - invoicing, query resolution and collection
Minimize financial waste
Safeguard assets

Requirements Qualifications:

Matric
Tertiary qualification in international supply chain essential
Management post-graduate qualification will be advantageous
At least 5 years management experience

Experience:

Proven experience in business processes design and implementation
Commercial expertise including: agent management
Africa Risk management experience will be advantageous
At least 5 years relevant experience in the clearing and forwarding industry, with a focus on African trade
In-depth knowledge of trade regulations, customs procedures, and logistics in the African region

Competencies:

Strong leadership and managerial qualities
Supply Chain knowledge will be advantageous
Excellent communication and negotiation skills to interact with clients and various stakeholders
Strong proven working knowledge of International Forwarding and clearing industry with a focus on African trade
Must be numerate
Must be familiar with African customs processes
Agent relationship management
Well - developed inter-personal skills coupled with expert written and verbal communication
Excellent negotiation skills
Sound Planning and organizational skills
Ability to manage and work under pressure
Customer (internal and external) centric
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to make data-driven decisions
Must have a high level of emotional intelligence

Performance Indicators: