Head of Road Freight

Head of Road Freight – Kenya

We are seeking an experienced Head of Road Freight to lead our operations in Kenya. This role involves managing customer relationships, optimizing processes, driving business growth for the Industrial Project product, and leading a high-performing team. You will be responsible for achieving strategic targets and ensuring operational excellence across the road freight segment.

Key Responsibilities

Customers

• Identify and develop potential, sustainable customer relationships.
• Respond to customer enquiries and complaints.
• Lead in engagements and strategic customer interfaces with Key Account Contacts.
• Provide leadership in product and business development, resource utilization, country organization, and strategic Industrial Project customer interfaces.
• Support and coordinate the development, implementation, and localization of key initiatives and programs.
• Ensure effective pricing strategies are developed to sustain profitable growth.
• Coordinate with different departments to deliver quality service to Industrial Project customers.
• Be responsible for achieving Industrial Project customer business targets.
• Develop sales motivation initiatives to maintain high sales performance toward the annual business target.
• Be responsible for costs and cost structure, driving improvement measurements and actions.
• Ensure the development and maintenance of the Industrial Project customer database for identification and segmented targeting.
• Share product knowledge and provide internal support to subordinates.
• Facilitate and support country efforts in maintaining healthy relationships with trade bodies, government agencies, and authorities, including active participation in global research agencies.
• Establish KPIs and obtain agreement and commitment from country management.
• Provide guidelines and support for implementing programs such as security regulations to meet country-mandated requirements.
• Handle carrier contact and negotiation (RFR) according to corporate policy and local requirements.

Stakeholders

• Oversee the transport portal (Saloodo).
• Manage carrier contracts, relationships, and performance.
• Interact with the commercial team at the country level regarding pricing.
• Define, implement, monitor, and enforce service and quality standards in cooperation with product management at the regional office.
• Be responsible for the EBIT result at the country or country group level.

Process

• Define, monitor, and enforce targets for operational units.
• Select and assign key positions to achieve targets.
• Analyze costs and cost structures at the country or country group level, deriving improvement measurements and actions.
• Be responsible for constant improvement and optimization of production means (cost management), including make-or-buy decisions.
• Define and implement ISO standards in line with corporate instructions.
• Be responsible for operational management, production sites, traffic management, technical support (buying, capacity, etc.), and local purchasing at the country or country group level for RFR according to corporate policy.
• Propose IT needs.
• Be responsible for Preferred Carrier adherence.
• Be responsible for operational KPIs.

People Management

• Determine organizational structure, roles, responsibilities, and performance targets for the function.
• Develop a culture of quality, service excellence (for internal customers), flexibility, and cost consciousness.
• Develop team spirit and multitasking capabilities within the team.
• Plan, organize, and direct an efficient and effective function.
• Develop KPIs with team members and monitor individual performance.
• Conduct performance appraisals, including coaching.
• Manage the allocation of appropriate resources and staff commitment to achieving global, regional, and country objectives.
• Identify training needs and opportunities to develop a highly skilled functional department.

IP Product

• Manage and steer the IP (Industrial Project) product teams in the country.
• Manage all country IP P&Ls.
• Develop and maintain strong existing Industrial Project customer relations and loyalty.
• Drive business development for IP in alignment with the sales organization, including aligning IP customer target lists and driving sales/BD collaboration and incentives.
• Join IP customer meetings and sales visits (potential and existing) to present company capabilities.
• Conduct market profiling, customer research, and competitor analysis to identify market opportunities and challenges.
• Integrate IP into overall country/regional BD efforts and solution design, supporting respective customer BD efforts.
• Represent and bundle all non-AFR/OFR products in the country management team, acting as a partner and go-to person for other IP country organizations as needed.
• Inform yourself and seek to replicate successful business ideas from other countries or regions.
• Develop the IP and innovation community, actively innovating and incubating new ideas, such as niche business in a country.
• Be the contact for and manage local implementation of global and regional product launches.
• Be the contact for IP-related business cases.

Qualifications

• Degree in Business Management or a related field.
• Minimum 10 years in the logistics industry.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in Product Management or Value-Added Services.
• Experience in a management role.
• In-depth knowledge of the logistics industry, especially road freight product and forwarding business, with understanding of products and value-added services.
• Proven success in a senior management role, with specific experience selling to major global customers.
• Commercial ability, experience, and thinking in customer-centric, cross-product solution design.
• Capability to innovate and implement new ideas.
• Strategic thinking skills.
• Excellent country and regional geographical knowledge for cross-border routings.
• Commercially astute with excellent business acumen.
• Presentation and facilitation skills, with excellent training skills.
• Market intelligence.
• Outstanding negotiation and interpersonal skills.
• Project management and people management skills.
• Strong customer-facing and interaction skills.
• Excellent communication skills, both spoken and written.
• Strong leadership skills.
• Systematic problem-solving ability.