National Business Development Manager – Freight Forwarding

National Business Development Manager – Freight Forwarding

Location: Heathrow, with UK-wide customer travel

Proposed basic salary: £60,000–£70,000, depending on experience + commission ote £75-80k + car or car allowance £800prcm

About the opportunity

Working with an international freight forwarding and logistics business providing air freight, sea freight and wider logistics solutions through its UK and global network. This role offers the opportunity to develop business across the UK, working closely with the Heathrow operations team, regional customer service colleagues and international network to deliver solutions that meet customers’ requirements.

Main purpose of the role

To identify, develop and secure profitable new freight forwarding business across the UK, while identifying opportunities to grow allocated existing accounts.

The National Business Development Manager will manage the sales process from prospecting and initial customer engagement through to proposals, negotiation and the successful handover of new business. The role will focus on understanding customers’ supply chains, presenting appropriate freight solutions and building lasting commercial relationships.

Key responsibilities

• Identify and engage prospective customers with international freight forwarding requirements, with a focus on air and sea freight imports and exports.
• Develop a structured sales plan aligned with the company’s UK growth objectives and agreed target markets.
• Generate opportunities through proactive outreach, referrals, networking, customer visits and collaboration with the wider network.
• Build and maintain a qualified sales pipeline, progressing opportunities from initial enquiry through to conversion.
• Understand customers’ shipping volumes, trade lanes, service requirements and current supply chain challenges.
• Present tailored solutions that demonstrate the commercial and service benefits of working with the company
• Identify opportunities to introduce additional freight forwarding and logistics services where relevant.

Commercial proposals and negotiation

• Work with pricing, operations and overseas colleagues to develop competitive and commercially sustainable quotations.
• Prepare and present customer proposals, and contribute to tenders and requests for quotation.
• Negotiate rates and commercial terms within agreed approval limits.
• Assess opportunities against service capability, expected gross profit and the resources required to deliver them.
• Maintain a focus on profitable growth, alongside revenue and shipment volumes.

Customer relationships and account development

• Build strong relationships with decision-makers in procurement, logistics, supply chain and other relevant functions.
• Develop allocated existing accounts by identifying additional trade lanes, services and shipment opportunities.
• Hold customer meetings and reviews to understand changing requirements and support long-term retention.
• Work with branch customer service teams to maintain consistent communication and a joined-up customer experience.
• Support the resolution of significant customer concerns alongside the relevant operational and customer service colleagues.

Internal collaboration and implementation

• Work closely with the central Heathrow operations team to ensure proposed services can be delivered effectively.
• Coordinate clear handovers of newly secured business, including agreed rates, service requirements and customer expectations.
• Support customer onboarding and the early stages of implementation.
• Collaborate with regional branches and overseas offices to develop opportunities and support customer relationships.
• Share market intelligence and customer feedback to help improve the company’s commercial offering.

Sales reporting and performance

• Maintain accurate records of prospects, customer activity, quotations and opportunities within the company’s sales systems.
• Provide regular pipeline updates, sales forecasts and performance reports.
• Work towards agreed targets for new business, gross profit and account development.
• Monitor competitor activity, freight market developments and changes in customer demand.

Knowledge, skills and experience

• Demonstrable experience in freight forwarding sales or business development, with evidence of securing new customers.
• A sound understanding of international air and sea freight import and export services.
• The ability to understand customer requirements and translate them into appropriate freight forwarding solutions.
• Strong prospecting, relationship-building, presentation and negotiation skills.
• Commercial awareness, including an understanding of pricing, margins and gross profit.
• Experience managing a sales pipeline and working towards commercial targets.
• The ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with operations, pricing and customer service teams.
• Good written communication, reporting and organisational skills.
• Willingness and ability to travel across the UK for customer meetings and business development activity.
• Experience preparing tenders or managing more complex freight forwarding opportunities.
• Knowledge of customs clearance and complementary logistics services.
• Experience selling through an international forwarding network.
• An operational freight forwarding background that supports practical understanding of service delivery.

The successful candidates will be proactive, commercially focused and comfortable opening doors with new customers. They will combine persistence in prospecting with the ability to listen, understand customer challenges and build trust. They will take ownership of their sales activity, communicate clearly with colleagues and customers, and recognise the importance of delivering on the commitments made during the sales process.

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