Air Freight Supervisor

Air Freight Supervisor International Freight Forwarding – Houston, TX $65,000 – $85,000 Base + BenefitsABOUTWe are representing a globally connected, privately owned freight forwarder with a network spanning 51 countries and a strong operational presence across North America, Latin America, and the Middle East.Established in 1978 and headquartered in Europe, they expanded into the U.S. Gulf Coast market in the early 2000s off the back of demand from their energy and industrial client base. Their Houston office operates as the regional hub for air and ocean freight across the South-Central U.S. and handles a significant volume of time-critical, hazardous, and project cargo moving in and out of George Bush Intercontinental Airport.The air freight desk currently processes a consistent volume of import and export shipments daily across multiple trade lanes. The team is operationally sound and the client base is well-established. They need an experienced Air Freight Supervisor to lead the desk, keep standards high, and develop the team around them.This is a hands-on leadership role. You will be expected to know the work as well as manage it.CORE RESPONSIBILITIESSupervise and manage the day-to-day operations of the air freight import and export desk, ensuring shipments are processed accurately and on timeOversee the full air freight file lifecycle from booking and documentation through to customs clearance, delivery, and file closureCoordinate with airlines, handling agents, customs brokers, and truckers to secure capacity, resolve service failures, and meet customer deadlinesEnsure full compliance with IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) and TSA security programme requirements across all air export shipmentsMonitor team performance, assign workloads, and provide hands-on training and development to air freight agentsManage customer escalations directly, providing timely updates and solutions without passing the problem up the chainReview and approve billing, ensuring accuracy across all charges before invoices are issuedReport on operational KPIs, service failures, and team capacity to the Branch Manager on a regular basisWHAT WE ARE LOOKING FORMinimum 5 years of experience in international air freight operations within a freight forwarding environment, covering both import and exportDemonstrable experience in a supervisory or team lead capacity, with the ability to manage, train, and hold a team accountableStrong working knowledge of IATA DGR regulations and experience handling hazardous cargo, lithium batteries, and time-critical shipmentsHands-on experience with CargoWise or a comparable freight management systemSolid understanding of U.S. export compliance, AES filing, and air import customs clearance proceduresComfortable working in a high-volume, deadline-driven environment where accuracy and speed are both non-negotiableBased in Houston with full-time on-site availability at the IAH stationWHAT'S ON OFFER$65,000 – $85,000 base salary depending on experienceFull medical, dental, and vision coverage401(k) with company contributionPaid time off and public holidaysA well-established air freight desk with consistent volume and a tenured operations team behind youDirect line into senior management and genuine scope to grow into an operations management role