Operations Manager (Airfreight)

Operations Manager (Airfreight)

Location: Heathrow (office and warehouse based)

Salary: up to £60,000

The company

An independent Heathrow forwarder with over 30 years' trading history, its own warehouse and a small fleet of trucks. It built its reputation handling international shipments for a number of high value cargo clients, alongside a group of general import/export clients.

The business is 99% airfreight (around 80% export, 20% import). The owner is now looking for an operations leader to strengthen the operation and help build the next phase of growth, with a genuine ownership stake to match.

The role

You'll take full ownership of the Heathrow operation: a small team of operators as well as a couple of general admin staff and drivers. This is a hands-on leadership role. You'll run the desk, set the standard and step in on live shipments whenever needed, not manage from a distance.

The immediate priority is the operation itself: raising service standards, building a proactive customer-first culture and making the business ready to grow. Once that foundation is in place, you'll play a central part in driving growth, and hitting agreed milestones earns you equity in the business.

Key responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day air export and import operations at Heathrow, working live shipments alongside the team
• Lift customer service standards and reset the culture of an established team — coaching, setting expectations and tackling under-performance
• Own service quality for high-value, time-critical and specialist cargo
• Manage airline, handling agent, customs and haulier relationships to secure capacity, rates and reliability
• Oversee the warehouse and small fleet, scheduling collections and deliveries efficiently
• Ensure compliance with security (RA/KC), customs and dangerous goods requirements
• Improve processes and systems so the operation can scale
• Help shape and deliver the growth plan once the operation is strengthened, including supporting client development

What we're looking for

You're probably the person currently holding operations together at a forwarder or 3PL — and you're ready to build something you own a piece of.

Essential

• Strong, recent airfreight operations experience
• Solid working knowledge of both air export and import processes, airline booking, customs and security procedures
• Experience leading or supervising an operations team, with the confidence to raise standards and drive culture change
• Hands-on mentality: comfortable rolling up your sleeves on the busiest days
• Customer-first attitude and excellent communication skills
• Commercial awareness: you understand margin, cost control and what keeps clients loyal

Desirable

• Experience with high value or specialist cargo
• Existing client relationships, airline contacts or capabilities that would add commercial value to the business
• Ambition to grow into a senior leadership and ownership role

Package

• Basic salary up to £60,000 — more for candidates bringing clients or capabilities with clear commercial value
• Equity in the business, earned by hitting agreed milestones: a genuine stake, not just a title
• Real autonomy to shape the operation, its culture and its growth
• Long-established business with physical infrastructure and a loyal client base