Business Executive – Freight Forwarding (Mandarin Speaker)

Location: Jakarta
Business Travel: Short-term business trips to Semarang, Surabaya and other port cities
Reporting to: Supply Chain Manager (China)

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced logistics professional with strong relationships with shipping lines, airlines and local logistics vendors in Indonesia.

The ideal candidate should be able to independently source competitive freight rates, secure shipping space, negotiate commercial terms and manage local logistics partners. This role requires strong knowledge of Indonesia's freight forwarding and logistics market, as well as the ability to coordinate effectively with our China head office.

Key Responsibilities

1. Freight Rate Sourcing & Carrier Management

   • Source and negotiate competitive ocean and air freight rates with local shipping lines and airlines.
   • Maintain and develop carrier relationships and rate channels.
   • Regularly update freight rate sheets and market pricing information.
   • Secure vessel/flight space and support contract-rate applications when required.

2. Local Vendor & Partner Management

   • Source and manage local freight forwarders, trucking companies, warehouses and customs brokers.
   • Evaluate vendor performance, service quality and pricing.
   • Compare vendors and negotiate commercial terms, payment terms and service levels.
   • Develop reliable local logistics resources and minimize operational risks.

3. Logistics Market & Regulatory Coordination

   • Coordinate closely with the China head office and provide updates on Indonesia's logistics market, carrier policies and customs regulations.
   • Monitor relevant import and customs requirements, including PI/LS, BC2.0 and SNI compliance.
   • Provide practical advice on local logistics and customs-related issues.

4. Shipment & Operations Coordination

   • Follow up the complete shipment cycle, including booking, space confirmation, trucking/haulage arrangements and customs clearance coordination.
   • Coordinate with carriers, vendors, customs brokers and customers to ensure smooth shipment execution.
   • Handle and resolve operational issues such as space shortages, customs inspections, port issues, delays and other shipment exceptions.

5. Commercial Negotiation & Cost Control

   • Negotiate freight rates, contracts, payment terms and service levels with carriers and local vendors.
   • Conduct vendor comparisons and logistics cost calculations.
   • Identify cost-saving opportunities and support overall logistics cost optimization.

6. Market Research & Business Development

   • Collect competitor pricing and market information.
   • Analyze freight market trends and provide recommendations to improve logistics operations.
   • Maintain professional communication with customers and business partners.
   • Handle business correspondence and participate in online meetings with international teams.

Requirements

Mandatory

• Minimum 5 years of full-time experience in international freight forwarding, shipping or logistics.
• Proven practical experience negotiating freight rates and commercial terms directly with shipping lines and/or airlines.
• Strong understanding of Indonesia's ocean and air freight processes, including rate sourcing, booking and space securing.
• Established relationships with shipping lines, airlines and/or local logistics vendors are highly preferred.
• Good knowledge of Indonesia's local logistics ecosystem, including ports, trucking, warehousing and customs clearance.
• Fluent in Bahasa Indonesia and business-proficient in English, both written and spoken.
• Mandarin is a strong advantage for direct communication with the China head office.
• Strong negotiation, communication and problem-solving skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, especially Excel, for rate sheets, vendor comparison and logistics cost calculations.
• Willing to travel to Semarang, Surabaya and other locations when required.
• Able to work independently and coordinate effectively with both local and China-based teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience handling steel cargo, project cargo, heavy cargo or used capital goods.
• Familiarity with PI/LS permits, BC2.0 customs systems and SNI requirements.
• Previous experience working for a shipping line, airline cargo division or established freight forwarding company.
• Existing commercial relationships or contract-rate resources with shipping lines and airlines.
• Experience negotiating annual/contract freight rates or volume-based commercial agreements.
• Experience working with Chinese companies or China-based logistics teams.

What We Are Looking For

We are looking for someone who can bring practical market knowledge and established logistics resources to the company, not only handle daily shipment operations.

The ideal candidate should be able to:

Source competitive rates → Secure space → Negotiate with carriers → Manage local vendors → Solve operational issues → Control logistics costs.

If you have strong relationships with shipping lines, airlines, freight forwarders, trucking companies or other logistics providers in Indonesia, we would be interested in speaking with you.