UPL - Lead - Commercial

This position is responsible to lead, develop, implement, coordinate and control all freight procurement aspects and services for shipments from all regions globally. To study and implement the global trends in logistics in terms of adoption of technology and processes end to end.

Responsibilities:

Strategic:

- Develop a global freight management network for the organization & a centralized freight procurement model to support overseas subsidiaries engaged in EXIM activities.

- Development and execution of analytical and transparent bid process, negotiations, recommendations, and a logical selection process to support cost controls, required service levels to support   forecasted company growth.

- Implement and execute internal controls, freight related policies and procedures to ensure integrity and transparency associated with all domestic & EXIM transportation modes & vendors.

- Coordinate and facilitate strategic partnerships with service providers, globally.

- Lead and implement digitization of the freight management process.

- Drive cost saving initiatives & continuous process improvement.

- Lead operational excellence projects.

- Adopting the latest digitization platforms/digitized process offered by shipping lines.

- Creating alternate channels for facilitating EXIM activities.

- Creating logistics framework for Ex-works/FOB shipments from suppliers in India and globally.

Operational:

- Annual Freight budgeting & Monthly volume forecasting.

- Freight negotiations - Ocean, Air, Road, Rail & Contract management.

- Scope for freight rate negotiation - All exports from India plus exports from Overseas subsidiary exporting locations, namely, China, Colombia, Europe, Vietnam, South Africa.

- Coordination with overseas offices of shipping lines/ forwarders for cross trade freight negotiations.

- Freight analysis and benchmarking.

- Monthly Global MIS covering spend analysis, global shipping trends.

- Support the shipment planning team globally with their issues with shipping lines, not limited to inventory, space availability, disputes with vendors, etc.

Vendor Management:

- Through logical bidding processes and evaluations, select providers and negotiate contracts to support cost controls, expected performance metrics, and company growth.

- Manage business relationships with - CHAs, Transporters, Shipping lines, forwarders, CFS, third party inspection agencies, & other export import vendors.

- Create, manage, and review performance metrics of service providers to ensure compliance.

- Ensuring vendor payment processing within agreed credit periods.

Competencies:

- Analysis and Judgement

- Credibility and Trust

- Builds Organizational Capacity

- Drive Results

- Leadership

- Negotiation

- Communication.

- Confronting Tough Issues

Skills required:

- Excellent written and oral communication skills

- Team management

- Rapport Building

- Problem Solving

- Decision Making

- Assertiveness

- Methodical

Internal Stake holders:

- Shipment Planning team

- Logistics teams at respective overseas subsidiary locations & plants in India.

- Supply Planning Team

- Customer Service team

- Accounts team

- Legal team

External Stakeholders:

- Shipping lines

- Freight forwarders

- CHA

- Inspection agency

- Container surveyors

- Transporters

- Rail companies

Qualifications & Experience

- 10 years of experience in freight procurement and contract management.

- Bachelor or MBA Degree in Transportation, Logistics, or Business related preferred.

- Working experience in global cross culture environment will be an advantage.

- Working experience in shipping lines preferred.

- TMS expertise preferred.

- Specialized transportation expertise with insurance requirements, claims, hazardous materials, transport, trailer leasing, and fleet management.

- Working knowledge of MS Windows, Word, Excel, PowerPoint.

- Working knowledge of SAP preferred.

- Experience with hands-on utilization of current supply-chain software applications and systems.