Global Senior Manager– Healthcare Freight Forwarding

The role sets the global product framework and ensures that healthcare-specific regulatory, quality and operational requirements are translated into scalable freight forwarding processes, qualified network capabilities, service standards, systems and performance measures.

Working across Global Air Freight, Temperature Controlled Logistics, regions, countries, Quality Management and Commercial teams, the role governs the implementation of Good Distribution Practice (GDP) standards, directs the development of qualified healthcare transport solutions and drives consistent service quality across the global freight forwarding network.

The position is accountable for the global Healthcare Freight product roadmap, capability priorities and performance improvement agenda, enabling compliant growth, differentiated customer solutions and a reliable, scalable global healthcare logistics offering.

Healthcare Freight Product Development

• Own the development and continuous improvement of DP World's global Healthcare Freight Forwarding product, with Air Freight as the primary focus.
• Translate healthcare customer requirements and regulatory standards into practical freight forwarding solutions, operating procedures and service specifications.
• Work with Global Air Freight, Temperature Controlled Logistics and regional teams to strengthen healthcare-specific freight capabilities and service consistency.
• Support the development of integrated and multimodal healthcare freight solutions where required, ensuring appropriate coordination with other transport products.
• Define and govern the global Healthcare Freight product roadmap, prioritising investments and initiatives that improve service quality, network capability, commercial differentiation and customer value.

GDP Compliance and Quality Standards

• Set the global framework for implementing Good Distribution Practice (GDP) requirements across the healthcare freight forwarding network, with particular emphasis on Air Freight operations.
• Translate relevant regulatory frameworks, including EU GDP, WHO GDP and applicable customer requirements, into operational standards, procedures and supporting documentation.
• Develop, maintain and continuously improve global Healthcare Freight SOPs, with specific requirements for temperature-controlled Air Freight handling and transportation.
• Work with Quality Management, regional and country teams to identify compliance gaps, monitor corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs) and promote continuous improvement.
• Support the implementation of consistent healthcare quality standards across stations, gateways, hubs and approved service providers.

Healthcare Network Development and Qualification

• Lead the development and governance of a globally consistent healthcare freight network, prioritising GDP-qualified Air Freight stations, gateways, hubs and transport partners.
• Establish healthcare-specific operational qualification criteria in collaboration with Global Air Freight, Quality Management and regional operations.
• Assess network readiness, service capabilities and operational risks to support the expansion of healthcare freight services.
• Coordinate with relevant product teams to ensure appropriate healthcare handling standards across multimodal transport solutions where applicable.Identify network capability gaps and recommend improvements to support customer requirements and business growth.

Carrier and Service Provider Quality Management

• Develop and maintain healthcare-specific qualification and performance standards for airlines, ground handling agents, trucking providers, packaging suppliers, monitoring solution providers and other relevant subcontractors.
• Support the assessment and qualification of service providers against applicable healthcare, GDP and temperature-control requirements.
• Work with Procurement, Global Air Freight and Operations to monitor supplier performance and address service quality issues.
• Support supplier performance reviews, quality assessments and corrective action plans.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of the global healthcare freight partner network.

Customer Engagement and Quality Agreements

• Support Commercial and Key Account Management teams in healthcare customer engagements, including business reviews, workshops, audits and technical discussions.
• Provide specialist input into customer contracts, Master Services Agreements and Quality Agreements, particularly regarding healthcare handling, temperature control and operational compliance.
• Support the alignment of customer-specific requirements with DP World's freight forwarding capabilities and operating standards.
• Work with relevant stakeholders to identify and address potential service or compliance gaps.
• Contribute to the development of commercially competitive and operationally sustainable healthcare freight solutions.

Operational Risk Management and Service Quality

• Coordinate healthcare transport lane risk assessments, with particular emphasis on temperature-controlled Air Freight movements.
• Support the use and continuous improvement of approved risk assessment platforms, including Validaide.
• Define and maintain healthcare-specific handling and risk mitigation requirements, including temperature excursions, high-value shipments and time-critical cargo.
• Support investigations into healthcare service failures, temperature deviations, customer complaints and audit findings. Coordinate with Operations, Quality Management and service providers to identify root causes and 
• monitor corrective and preventive actions.
• Promote consistent risk management and quality assurance practices across the freight forwarding network.

Temperature-Controlled Transport Solutions

• Support the definition and maintenance of approved temperature-controlled transport solutions for healthcare freight, with a strong focus on Air Freight.
• Evaluate active containers, passive packaging solutions, temperature-monitoring devices and other specialised healthcare transport equipment.
• Work with suppliers, operations and quality teams to assess solution suitability, performance and compliance with customer requirements.
• Contribute to the standardisation of temperature-controlled handling and transport practices.
• Identify opportunities to improve shipment integrity, service reliability and operational efficiency.

Systems, Digital Capabilities and Data Visibility

• Define healthcare-specific operational and quality requirements for freight forwarding systems, particularly the Transport Management System (TMS).
• Support the development of temperature-monitoring capabilities, shipment milestones, audit trails, excursion reporting and customer-specific compliance requirements.
• Work with Digital, IT and operational teams to improve healthcare shipment visibility and reporting.
• Contribute to the standardisation of healthcare-specific data requirements and performance monitoring.
• Support the implementation of digital solutions that improve shipment transparency, regulatory compliance and customer experience.

Training and Capability Development

• Develop and maintain healthcare freight training materials, with particular emphasis on GDP requirements and temperature-controlled Air Freight operations.
• Work with Quality Management, Learning and Development and regional teams to support consistent training implementation.
• Contribute to the development of technical learning pathways, operational guidance and e-learning modules.
• Support the development of healthcare freight expertise across relevant operational and commercial teams. 
• Promote awareness of healthcare handling standards, quality requirements and operational best practices.

Performance Monitoring and Continuous Improvement

• Own the global healthcare operational and quality performance framework, including KPIs, governance reviews and improvement priorities, in collaboration with Global Air Freight, Quality Management and regional operations.
• Review service performance, quality deviations, supplier performance and customer feedback.
• Identify opportunities to improve operational consistency, service quality and compliance.
• Support the implementation and follow-up of corrective and preventive improvement initiatives.
• Provide regular insights and recommendations to relevant global and regional stakeholders.

Product Strategy and Market Intelligence

• Monitor healthcare freight market developments, regulatory changes, customer requirements and competitor offerings.
• Provide market and operational insights to support the global Healthcare Freight product strategy.
• Identify opportunities to enhance Air Freight Healthcare capabilities, network coverage and service differentiation.
• Collaborate with Commercial, Global Air Freight and Healthcare leadership to support product development and growth initiatives.
• Contribute to the development of scalable healthcare freight solutions aligned with DP World's broader Logistics strategy.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration or a related discipline.
• Advanced degree or relevant professional qualification desirable.
• GDP, pharmaceutical logistics or temperature-controlled transport certifications are an advantage.

Professional Experience

• Minimum 10 years of relevant experience in freight forwarding, including significant global or multi-regional responsibility for Air Freight Healthcare, pharmaceutical logistics or temperature-controlled logistics.
• Strong understanding of pharmaceutical and healthcare logistics requirements, including GDP compliance.
• Experience in healthcare freight operations, quality management, product development or network capability development.
• Experience working across multiple countries or regions in a matrix organisation.
• Exposure to healthcare customer requirements, quality agreements, carrier management and specialised transport solutions.

Technical and Functional Skills

• Strong knowledge of Air Freight operations and healthcare transport requirements.
• Understanding of GDP regulations, quality management systems and risk assessment methodologies.
• Knowledge of temperature-controlled packaging, monitoring solutions and specialised healthcare transport equipment.
• Ability to translate technical and regulatory requirements into operational procedures and service standards.
• Experience with freight forwarding systems, digital shipment visibility and performance monitoring.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and continuous improvement capabilities.
• Ability to influence stakeholders across global, regional and country teams.
• Strong communication, collaboration and stakeholder management skills.
• Commercial awareness and understanding of healthcare freight customer requirements.