Operations Program Manager, Cross-Border Logistics

Role Overview
The Cross-Border Logistics Operations Program Manager will oversee and manage all logistics operations related to cross-border shipping and transportation for Vietnam. This role requires a deep understanding of international trade regulations, customs procedures, and global supply chain management. The successful candidate will ensure that cross-border logistics processes are efficient, cost-effective, and compliant with all relevant regulations. This is a people manager role and requires managing people and stakeholders across Vietnam, Korea, India, and the USA.
The Program Manager is a single-threaded owner responsible for the planning, execution, and delivery of operations projects related to existing programs, applying project-management best practices to make the team and process area more efficient - resolving blocking problems, facilitating delivery, assigning individual responsibilities, and developing appropriate milestones and launch schedules to ensure timely and successful delivery.
The Program Manager takes the time to learn the business needs and workflows involved in each project (requirements, data sources, metrics, mechanisms, risks, key dependencies, automation/tools, etc.), and understands a broad range of analytics techniques and when to use them. They work backward - starting with customers, stakeholders, and related team owners - to understand needs and incorporate context into project plans, define and clarify business procedures and process requirements, drive productive discussions, and help teams and customers reach consensus. They understand the technologies involved in their projects at a high level, advocate for the customer and for their team, negotiate process improvements and needed features and their priority, and establish milestones and sensible deadlines.
They run effective meetings, dive deeply into details as easily as they convey high-level plans, and communicate with a clear and concise verbal and written style - transforming raw thoughts into clear documentation and requirements (project charters, statements of work, responsibility matrices, functional requirements, implementation approaches, reporting, etc.). They ensure the right project information reaches the right audience at the right time, clearly articulate scope, timeline, owners, and risks (and mitigation steps) at each stage, identify and drive the resolution of roadblocks, and ensure each project has clear measures of success. They also participate in the interview process and help train new members of the team.
As the Subject Matter Expert for their region, the Program Manager is responsible for the planning, execution, and delivery of operations projects, working closely with the Sales team. They are the go-to person for customs and regulatory affairs, operations routing and scheduling, and carrier relationships - defining and setting up operational processes and SOPs with carriers and internal stakeholders (Sales, Finance, Ops, etc.), providing inputs to procurement and product for RFQs and BRDs, enabling carrier onboarding, and handling customs, compliance, and other processes at origin and destination.
Key Responsibilities
Cross-Border Operations Management
• Develop and implement strategies for efficient cross-border logistics operations.
• Manage and optimize cross-border shipping routes and methods.
• Ensure timely and cost-effective delivery of goods across international borders.
Regulatory Compliance
• Stay up to date with international trade regulations, customs laws, and compliance requirements.
• Ensure all cross-border shipments comply with local and international regulations.
• Liaise with customs brokers and government agencies to facilitate smooth customs clearance.
Vendor and Partner Management
• Build and maintain relationships with logistics providers, carriers, and freight forwarders.
• Negotiate contracts and service level agreements with vendors.
• Monitor vendor performance and address any service issues.
Cost Management
• Develop and manage the cross-border logistics budget.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities and implement cost-reduction strategies.
• Analyse and report on logistics costs and performance metrics.
Process Improvement
• Continuously evaluate and improve cross-border logistics processes.
• Implement best practices and innovative solutions to enhance efficiency.
• Lead cross-functional teams to drive process improvement initiatives.
Team Leadership
• Manage and mentor a team of logistics professionals.
• Provide training and development opportunities for team members.
• Foster a collaborative and high-performance work environment.
Risk Management
• Identify potential risks in cross-border logistics operations and develop mitigation strategies.
• Ensure contingency plans are in place for disruptions in the supply chain.
• Monitor geopolitical developments and their potential impact on logistics.