Global Director - Cross-Functional Systems Lead

Job Purpose:

To lead and manage all business design aspects of the cross-functional systems for Freight Forwarding services, ensuring that:

• Business requirements as defined by the Global FF Commercial and Product owners are understood, prioritized, and correctly and completely delivered to the IT team for development or configuration.
• New developments in CRM, NPM, Quote Tool, Customer Platform, and any other Cross functional systems are delivered to the end-users as fit for purpose.
• To engage Global FF Management (Commercial, Product, Operations, Finance, etc.) to ensure alignment of goals and deliverables, and to support the delivery of the planned business benefits, including productivity targets, revenue generation, cost optimization, etc.
• To ensure that the business and IT aspects are completely aligned and that the whole team acts as a single entity to deliver the goals.
• To act as the escalation point for business issues relating to the design of the TiaB systems.

Key accountabilities:

The Global Director Cross Functional Systems & Processes Director Freight Forwarding (FF) leads the Global Cross Functional Systems business teams (incl. CRM, NPM, Quote Tool, Customer Platform, MDM), coordinating and managing all development requirements and training globally. This role also serves as the principal liaison to Global IT, collecting, defining, and prioritizing system requirements that are then conveyed to Global IT for consideration and development.

• Define and implement the global strategy for cross-functional freight forwarding systems and processes.
• Act as a bridge between business operations and IT to ensure system and process alignment with organizational objectives.
• Drive standardization and harmonization of freight forwarding processes globally.

• Own and oversee the cross-functional freight forwarding system landscape, ensuring consistency and adherence to best practices.
• Define and maintain governance frameworks for system changes, process improvements, and compliance.
Work closely with IT and system vendors to ensure robust system performance and enhancements.

• Identify opportunities for process optimisation and efficiency gains.
• Lead cross-functional teams to implement process improvement projects.
• Monitor and report on the progress and impact of improvement initiatives.
• Continuously assess and optimise processes and systems to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
Identify opportunities for automation and process enhancements.

• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure process effectiveness and quality.
• Implement quality control measures and corrective actions as needed.
• Monitor data quality and integrity, promptly identifying and resolving any data transmission errors.
Implement error-handling procedures to minimise disruptions.

• Develop and implement training programs to enhance the skills and knowledge of operational staff on the relevant freight forwarding systems and processes.
• Ensure consistent training methodologies across regions to maintain high competency standards.
• Work closely with regional leaders to identify training needs and tailor learning solutions accordingly.
Facilitate workshops, webinars, and hands-on training sessions for system enhancements and process changes.

• Collect, analyse, and interpret data to identify trends and areas for improvement.
Prepare regular reports and presentations to communicate findings and recommendations.

• Monitor regulatory changes in the freight industry and ensure compliance.
• Ensure that freight forwarding processes and systems adhere to regulatory and industry standards
Work closely with compliance, legal, and risk management to mitigate operational risks related to systems and processes.

• Manage relationships with external service providers and technology vendors.
Negotiate contracts and service level agreements to ensure effective service delivery.

• Collaborate with Global and Regional cross-functional teams to ensure consistent processes and standards.
• Engage with stakeholders to gather input and feedback for process and system enhancements.
Responsible for the management and leadership of an engaged team, promoting collaboration and ensuring that each is developed and evaluated against goals and objectives which are aligned, specific, measurable, attainable yet challenging, realistic and time bound.

Qualifications, skills and experience:

• Masters degree in Logistics, Supply Chain Management, or a related field
• 15+ years of experience in freight forwarding, logistics or supply chain management, with a strong focus on systems and processes
• Proven experience in process governance, quality management, or continuous improvement in the logistics industry.
• Strong knowledge of freight forwarding systems (TMS, Rate Management, Master Data, Customer Portals, Quotation Tools, etc.)
• Project management skills with the ability to plan, execute, and monitor projects
• Strong understanding of air and ocean freight operations and regulations.
• Proficiency in data analysis and process mapping tools.
• Exceptional communication and leadership abilities.