Operations Manager
Location: Luton

Role Summary

The Operations Manager is responsible for leading the companies core airfreight and customs operations, ensuring compliant, efficient, and time-critical handling of shipments. The role requires strong expertise in air cargo, airline/airport procedures, and UK customs regulations.
Experience in road and sea freight is a strong advantage, supporting the companies multimodal offering and contributing to seamless end-to-end logistics solutions.

Key Responsibilities

1. Airfreight Operations Leadership

* Manage daily air export and import operations.

* Ensure full compliance with Regulated Agent requirements, IATA rules, and airport/aviation security protocols.

* Oversee MAWB/HAWB preparation, airline bookings, screening, and flight cut-off performance.

* Coordinate with airlines, ground handling agents, and the Luton warehouse.

* Resolve delays, offloads, capacity issues, and handling irregularities.

2. Customs Operations & Compliance

* Lead all customs activities for imports, exports, and transit (T1) declarations using ASM Sequoia.

* Ensure HMRC compliance, including correct tariff classification, valuation, and regulatory documentation.

* Manage customs processes for bonded warehousing, controlled goods, and special procedures.

* Act as the escalation point for HMRC, Border Force, and customer customs enquiries.

* Train and update the team on changing customs regulations and best practice.

3. Road & Sea Operations Support

* Support the coordination of road transport with TC's European fleet, including collections, express shipments, and airport linehauls.

* Liaise with drivers, planners, and TC depots to ensure timely and compliant movement of goods.

* Assist with sea freight operations when required—booking, documentation, customs, and carrier liaison.

* Contribute to multimodal planning for customers using combined air-road-sea solutions.

* Ensure operational alignment across all modes to deliver seamless end-to-end service.

4. Quotation Management & Customer Response

* Guarantee accurate and responsive quotations for airfreight, handling, customs, and multimodal services.

* Validate operational costs, air rates, and customs charges before issuing prices.

* Support commercial opportunities by providing strong operational insight to sales and account teams.

5. Team Leadership & Staff Development

* Lead, motivate, and develop the operations and customs team at Luton.

* Ensure staff maintain high competency in airfreight processes, customs procedures, and operational compliance.

* Plan resources to support 24/7 time-critical environments.

* Track and improve performance against KPIs for service quality, accuracy, compliance, and efficiency.

6. End-to-End Shipment Oversight

* Manage the entire shipment lifecycle from booking → handling → customs → transport → delivery.

* Ensure accurate documentation, job costing, invoicing, and operational reporting.

* Maintain clear, proactive communication with clients throughout the process.

Required Skills & Experience

- Minimum 5 years' experience in airfreight operations (export/import) within a freight forwarder or air cargo environment.

- Strong, hands-on experience with UK customs procedures and ASM Sequoia.

- Solid knowledge of airline handling processes, screened cargo, and aviation security standards.

- Previous experience supervising or managing an operations or customs team.

- Strong problem-solving ability and resilience in a time-critical environment.

- Excellent communication skills, accuracy, and a strong compliance mindset