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Global Air Logistics Operational Key Account Manager

Kuehne+Nagel

Kuehne+Nagel

Sales & Business Development, Operations
Posted on Mar 23, 2026

It's more than a job

When you work in Freight Logistics and Operations at Kuehne+Nagel, you play a key role in optimising processes and ensuring that inventory and shipments move efficiently. But that is not all. Your work also helps ensure that vital medicines reach patients on time and supports other essential deliveries, from wind turbines to semiconductors. At Kuehne+Nagel, our contribution counts in more ways than we imagine.

The Global Operational Key Account Manager is responsible for maintaining and expanding relationships with strategically important customers mainly by providing an outstanding customer experience from an operational perspective. This role requires a dynamic and customer-centric individual who can manage the operational aspects of key accounts, ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction that ultimately lead to retention and growth.

Our Global Air Logistics Operational Key Account Managers are responsible for and represent both Sea Logistics and Air Logistics Services for our Global Accounts. The position of the global OKAM has a special role, as it is similar to a Team Lead, tasked with leading the Operational Key Account Team (NetworkOKAM + OKAS) working on an account and ensuring close and efficient collaboration aligned with the account's goals. The successful candidate will work closely with various internal teams to deliver seamless service and solutions tailored to client needs.

How you create impact

  • Establish and maintain strong, long-lasting relationships with customers through regular communication, meetings, and feedback sessions. Regularly engage to better understand customer requirements, establish trust.
  • Serve as the main operational point of contact for assigned key accounts (overarching; customer requests not directly related to immediate day-to-day operations), ensuring client needs are met efficiently.
  • Act on customers behalf respective to articulating needs and requirements to the greater Kuehne + Nagel operational organization.
  • Clarify, negotiate if needed, and formalize operational requirements with the customer (in cooperation with concerned KN departments) .
  • Serve as an escalation contact and manage escalations within the respective BU (Sea and Air), incl. Claims handling escalations (structural nature).
  • Increase customer satisfaction and loyalty through the design and implementation of customer-specific solutions.
  • Identify cost improvement opportunities, building on existing operational capabilities and client relationships; engage KN and customer resources to achieve cost savings.
  • Facilitate the implementation of new business by having customer knowledge and understanding their requirements, as well as acting as a subject matter expert for KN's internal operational capabilities.
  • Work closely with Operational Key Account Team assigned to the account, including NetworkOKAMs, OKAS and our operational departments in Sea and Air Logistics (primarily CCL, OCC, RCC), as well as FU’s (mainly the KAM’s), to offer a holistic service.
  • Ensure you have overarching operational oversight of the account (cross BU and cross country) and support the operational team through overarching governance (tools, reporting, training of e.g. vertical/account specific requirements).
  • Support our operational departments, especially with non-standard requirements, so that our operational units can work smoothly according to their processes in day-to-day operations.
  • Proactively work with customer and KN sales and operational staff in facilitating corrective actions when required.
  • Execute specific customer defined analytical functions in support of export and import activities and regulatory requirements.

What we would like you to bring

  • Must have experience in dealing with multi-national and multi-business unit organizations.
  • Must have experience in customer relationship management and communications preferably as OKAM.
  • Must have in-depth knowledge of forwarder logistics import and export operations, including systems and processes as related to security protocols (Sea and/or Air Logistics).
  • Experience in project management, ideally in (Operational) Key Account Management.
  • Proficiency in CRM software and MS Office Suite.
  • Analytical mindset with the ability to interpret and act on data.

What's in it for you

At Kuehne+Nagel, you get to grow your expertise, shape processes and deliver innovative solutions. We are continuously building our local and global network and our product portfolio, creating career opportunities in different fields of work worldwide. As a leader in the logistics industry, we provide a collaborative and IT-driven environment where you will work with motivated and customer-centric colleagues across the world. We look forward to receiving your comprehensive online application.

Who we are

Logistics shapes everyday life - from the goods we consume to the healthcare we rely on. At Kuehne+Nagel, your work goes beyond logistics; it enables both ordinary and special moments in the lives of people around the world.

As a global leader with a strong heritage and a vision to move the world forward, we offer a safe, stable environment where your career can make a real difference. Whether we help deliver life-saving medicines, develop sustainable transportation solutions or support our local communities, your career will contribute to more than you can imagine.

We kindly advise that placement agencies refrain from submitting unsolicited profiles. Any submissions of candidates without prior signed agreement will be considered our property and no fees will be paid.