Strategic Accounts Operations Manager

Job Title:
Strategic Accounts Operations Manager

Location:
Concord, Ontario

Shift Time:
8:00am to 4:30pm (In-Office)

Terms:
Permanent Full-Time

Salary:
Competitive, based on experience

Reports To:
Executive Directors

About Us:
North American Freight Forwarding is a Canadian based company specializing in logistics services with specific strength in warehousing and distribution, LTL consolidations, expedites, full truckloads and specialized equipment service to and from Canada, United States and Mexico. As a professional international freight forwarder, we provide overseas import and export ocean and air freight services all over the world.

We seek out driven, talented individuals to join our team to meet and exceed our clients' needs. We offer a rewarding career and brand that our employees are proud to represent.

Job Purpose:

The Strategic Accounts Operations Manager leads the operational setup, execution, and ongoing management of high-volume, highly regulated accounts across our warehouse network. The position focuses on strategic workflow design, GDP and Medical compliance, major-client implementation and onboarding success, and cross-functional leadership. Working closely with existing warehousing leadership and the Executive team, the Strategic Accounts Operations Manager oversees all internal large-scale workflow operations while ensuring world class service and operational excellence standards for the client.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Support company Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) by proactively contributing to initiatives that drive strategic goals and organizational success.
• Live our company core values and support a well-organized, respectful, and service-focused work environment.

Operational Leadership:

This leader oversees strategic warehouse & inventory high-volume, GDP, and medical operations and is considered the subject matter expert, responsible for training, mentoring, and developing team capabilities across all service and client areas.

• Create, implement, and manage workflows for large-scale accounts across our warehouse facilities according to the operational needs of the client, and in compliance with all regulations.
• Establish onboarding protocols, operational KPIs, compliance standards, and reporting requirements.
• Support warehouse management teams with specialized initiatives related to large-scale, medical, or GDP accounts.
• Ensure readiness of team, providing hands-on training, coaching, and mentoring of supervisors and team members to strengthen leadership skills and the operational knowledge required for large-scale, high-volume, medical, or GDP new client requirements.
• Serve and coach the team with a servant-leadership mindset.

Client Onboarding, Implementation, and Management:

• Lead the onboarding for all Tier 1 or large-scale clients, including equipment, software, shelving and lighting.
• Attend regular client calls, QBRs, manage escalations and ensure SLA adherence.
• Work closely and coordinate cross-functionally with sales, operations, inventory, warehousing, procurement, IT, senior leadership and the executive team.

Strategic Account Operational Excellence:

• Attend procurement strategy sessions with the President to review and negotiate warehousing contracts, establish readiness timelines, ensuring terms align with company policies, applicable compliance regulations, and client expectations.
• Conduct regular evaluations and audits to assess service quality, contract compliance.
• Champions a culture of continuous improvement by proactively anticipating issues and working closely with the teams to drive improvements.

Compliance and Quality:

• Implement and lead all GDP and medical-compliance related processes, documentation standards and internal audits.
• Partner with our compliance team and executive leadership for ISO and GDP audit preparation and execution.
• Maintain a digital portfolio of required accreditations, licenses, and certifications, overseeing required renewal processes.
• Create and maintain SOPs and ensure processes are followed.

Performance and Reporting:

• Develop and maintain compliance reporting, client reporting, KPIs and other operational insights.
• Provide timely reports to executives and key clients.
• Prepare and host regular business reviews with executives and clients.
• Prepare annual business plans for scalability and growth aligning with the company's annual objectives.
• Support company Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) by proactively contributing to initiatives that drive strategic goals and organizational success.
• Live our company core values and support a well-organized, respectful, and service-focused work environment.

Mindset & Personality:

• Commitment to service excellence
  : Leads by example in upholding quality service, responsiveness, and long-term relationship building
• Accountability:
  Holds self and others to high standards with consistency, professionalism, and fairness
• Emotional Intelligence:
  Demonstrates empathy, self-awareness, and emotional control, especially in high-pressure situations
• Composure:
  Remains calm and solution-oriented when navigating operational challenges or escalations
• Trust-Building
  : Fosters a culture of psychological safety, collaboration, and open communication
• Resilience:
  Adapts quickly to change, maintains positivity, and leads others through uncertainty with confidence
• Feedback Mindset:
  Welcomes input, accepts feedback and openness, and uses it to drive personal and team improvement

Professional & Educational Background:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, or a related technical field is required
• Minimum of 10 years of professional experience in operations management, with at least 5 years in a leadership or management role
• Knowledge of the Freight Forwarding industry and 3rd Party warehouse environment is essential
• Leadership experience in GDP medical, pharmaceutical, medical device, or highly regulated inventory environments
• Hands-on experience managing high-value and/or demo medical equipment programs
• Specific ISO 13485 practical experience and certification considered an asset
• Six Sigma certifications (Green Belt/Black Belt) considered an asset

Skills & Ability:

• Regulatory compliance:
  Confident and experienced working in highly regulated or GDP influenced settings with strong attention to compliance and documentation.
• Planning and organization:
  Ability to lead in a high-volume, constant shifting environment with multiple competing priorities, allocating resources effectively in collaboration with various departments.
• Coaching:
  Develops team capability through regular feedback, cross-training, performance conversations, and career pathing (succession) support, coaching from the lens of what good looks like
• Problem-solving:
  Strives to understand root causes and contributing factors and works to resolve complex concerns with sound judgement
• Multi-tasking:
  Effectively balances competing deadlines, shifting priorities, and high-volume workflows without compromising quality or attention to detail.
• Interpersonal Skills:
  Builds strong, respectful relationships across all levels of the organization and communicates with clarity, empathy, and professionalism
• Accuracy:
  Strong attention to detail and ability to provide accurate reporting to management.
• Communication:
  Exceptional communication skills with the ability to influence and represent large-scale operations with the executive team and enterprise-level clients.
• Leadership:
  Ability to lead by example with calm, consistent, professional behaviour during escalations or operational stress.
• Technical:
  Auditing, analyzing and recommending improvements on processes and SOP's.

Effort & Working Conditions:

• Warehouse Environment
• Must be physically able to stand and walk around dock/warehouse for long periods of time
• May include occasional weekend work, shift work, in a highly targeted fast paced environment.
• Travel within the GTA to multiple warehouse locations

Why Join Us?

North American Freight Group is a company that truly values its employees. The company fosters a supportive and collaborative work environment, where management encourages growth through mentorship and career development opportunities.

Joining North American Freight Group means becoming part of a team that values innovation, teamwork, long-term plans based on our value proposal. Our Mexico turnover ratio is an actual proof of our ethics and work environment.

Our organization takes the accessibility needs of employees and candidates with disabilities into account during the position summary review process. Employees and candidates are required to notify their Director/Manager/Supervisor or Hiring Manager if they have any particular accessibility needs and the organization will collaborate with the employee to address them.