Ocean Operations Associate

The Opportunity:

The Ocean Operations Associate role, based in Manila, is a rare opportunity to be at the ground floor of Flexport Philippines’ growth. As one of our earliest team members in the region, you will wear many hats and play a defining role in shaping our operations, culture, and client experience. This is a career-defining role with a clear path forward. 

You will develop a deep understanding of global logistics end-to-end, from operations and process design to client management and commercial strategy, working alongside country leadership, operations management, and sales teams. This breadth of exposure is intentional: we want to develop the next generation of logistics leaders.

 

What You Will Do:

The role is anchored in operations, with a strong bent towards process improvement and automation. 

Core tasks:

• Execute end-to-end shipments across all modes (FCL, LCL, import and export), including bookings, documentation, planning and milestone tracking.
• Communicate directly with clients, carriers, trucking providers, CFS/warehouse operators and customs teams to keep shipments on time and on spec.
• Troubleshoot shipment exceptions proactively and escalate issues with clear context and a recommended path forward.
• Maintain data accuracy across Flexport systems to meet KPIs and client SLAs.
• Support account managers and customs teams to deliver an exceptional client experience.

Process Improvement & Automation

• Identify operational bottlenecks and design scalable solutions anchored in AI, code, and automation.
• Build or contribute to internal tools, dashboards, and workflows that reduce manual effort and improve data quality.
• Leverage AI tools proactively in your daily work—from drafting client communications to analysing shipment data—and share learnings with the team.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement; if you see something broken, fix it.

Stakeholder & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work directly with country management, operations leads, and sales teams to align on priorities and client needs.
• Build trusted relationships with clients, external partners including carriers, customs brokers, and freight vendors.
• Contribute to regional strategy discussions and bring an operator’s perspective to commercial decisions.

 

What we’re looking for:

The Four A’s

• Agency: You don’t wait to be told. You identify problems, take ownership, and drive solutions without prompting. You treat Flexport’s business like your own.
• Adaptability: You thrive in ambiguity and change your approach when circumstances demand it. You stay calm when things go sideways and help others do the same.
• AI & Data Fluency: You are comfortable using AI tools and working with data. You ask good questions of datasets, build basic automations, and continuously seek to do more with less.
• Ability to make judgements in ambiguity: You can make sound, well-reasoned decisions with incomplete information. You know when to escalate and when to act.

 

What you will need:

• Experience in freight forwarding, supply chain, logistics operations, and/or a related field
• 3+ years of experience in professional logistics or supply chain operations including hands-on experience in ocean operations, particularly towards the US/Canada and EMEA.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to generate data-driven insights that inform decisions and strategy
• Strategic understanding of the evolving AI landscape, with the ability to identify, implement, and scale modern AI tools to drive operational efficiency.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organisational skills