Ocean Freight Director

The Vita Coco Company, created in 2004 by Co-CEO Michael Kirban and Ira Liran, produces the leading brand of coconut water in the United States with a growing presence around the world. The Vita Coco Company's brands include the leading coconut water, Vita Coco; clean energy drink Runa; premium canned water, Ever & Ever; and protein-infused water, PWR LIFT.

In 2021, The Vita Coco Company became a publicly traded, Public Benefit Corporation. With a growing portfolio of natural products, The Vita Coco Company has identified its public benefit purpose as creating ethical, sustainable products that uplift communities and do right by our planet by harnessing and protecting nature's resources.

In 2022, The Vita Coco Company was certified as a B Corporation furthering the Company's commitment toward operating its business as a force for good, while delivering better-for-you products.

Vita Coco is headquartered in New York City with international offices in London and Singapore. The Company is Nasdaq-listed under ticker symbol COCO.

This is an opportunity to join Vita Coco in a newly created role as a Ocean Freight Director and help structure the organization's future approach to procurement and management of our ocean freight network. This role will be part of the Supply Chain International Logistics Team but will work cross-functionally with our Domestic Logistics and Finance departments.

This a full-time role, based out of our Singapore Office , reporting to the Senior Director of Global Planning and Logistics.

Position Overview:

We are seeking a seasoned and strategic Ocean Freight Director to lead and elevate our international logistics operations, with a strong focus on ocean freight management. This critical leadership role will be instrumental in optimizing the import of consumer goods—primarily from Southeast Asia and Brazil—ensuring efficiency, reliability, and sustainability across our global supply chain.

The ideal candidate will possess deep expertise in ocean freight logistics, a strategic mindset, and a proven track record of managing complex, high-volume logistics networks within the consumer goods sector. The Director of Global Logistics will be responsible for designing and executing forward-thinking freight strategies that align with our broader supply chain objectives, driving cost-effectiveness, operational excellence, and timely delivery.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Leadership:
• Develop and implement a global ocean freight strategy that supports the company's business objectives, focusing on key markets in Southeast Asia and Brazil.
• Lead and mentor a team of logistics professionals, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and operational excellence.
• Vendor Management & Negotiation:
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with ocean carriers, freight forwarders, and other logistics service providers.
• Negotiate contracts, rates, volume allocation, payment terms and service agreements to secure the best possible terms, ensuring cost-effectiveness and service reliability.
• Operational Excellence:
• Oversee end-to-end ocean freight operations, from origin to destination, ensuring timely and efficient movement of goods.
• Implement best practices in freight management, including routing optimization, consolidation opportunities, and risk management.
• Compliance & Risk Management:
• Ensure compliance with international trade regulations, customs requirements, and company policies.
• Develop and implement risk mitigation strategies to address potential disruptions in the supply chain, such as geopolitical risks, labor demands and potential of strikes, port congestion, and environmental factors.
• Performance Monitoring & Reporting:
• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the efficiency and effectiveness of ocean freight operations.
• Carry out quarterly business review with all vendors to measure their performance, and establish expectations for future plans
• Regularly report on performance metrics, providing insights and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Sustainability & Innovation:
• Drive initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of ocean freight operations, aligning with the company's sustainability goals.
• Stay abreast of industry trends and emerging technologies, leveraging innovations to enhance operational efficiency and sustainability.
• Collaboration & Cross-Functional Alignment:
• Work closely with internal stakeholders, including procurement, supply planning, inventory management, and customer service teams, to ensure alignment of ocean freight operations with overall supply chain strategies.
• Collaborate with regional logistics teams to ensure consistency and alignment across global operations.
• Systems and Automation :
• Identify where processes need to be automated and what technology could be implemented to remove manual tasks
• Own the implementation of such systems from its design to deployment with the assistance of our IT and Project Management teams
• Planning and Budgeting :
• Build a forecast of cost and volume for international freight, include contingencies for unexpected expenses, set tools in place to track against it and distribute the reports to the organization's financial departments

Role Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Administration, or a related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in ocean freight management, with a strong focus on international logistics, particularly in Southeast Asia and Brazil.
• Proven track record of leading global logistics operations in a consumer goods environment.
• Strong negotiation skills with experience in managing carrier relationships and contracts.
• In-depth knowledge of international trade regulations, customs compliance, and risk management.
• Excellent leadership and team management skills, with the ability to drive performance in a global team.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a focus on data-driven decision-making.
• Experience in sustainability initiatives related to logistics and supply chain operations is a plus.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate with stakeholders at all levels.