Trade Manager - Ocean Freight Europe (m/f/d)

Job description

**Join Voyfai, a fast-growing Series A startup shaping the future of logistics and technology across Europe.** Headquartered in Berlin, we operate at the centre of a broader group of companies active across several European markets. This is a unique opportunity to work directly with our Co-Founders from day one, drive meaningful impact and grow within a dynamic, fast-paced environment. Whether you're shaping how we run the company, leading strategic initiatives or building new organisational rhythms from scratch, your contributions will directly influence the success of Voyfai and the companies we support. If you're passionate about building from scratch and excited to be part of a company on the rise, we'd love to hear from you. ## Your Role As **Trade Manager - Ocean Freight Europe (m/f/d), you will own the Asia–Mediterranean trade lane from the European side** — managing member relationships, steering volume, driving allocation performance, and building Voyfai's commercial presence in the Med corridor. You will work closely with the Director of Trades and Partnerships and our Hong Kong-based team to keep origin and destination aligned across the Far East to Europe corridor. In your first six months, success means members trust you as their go-to trade contact on the Med lane, you own key carrier relationships, and you have a clear view of volume targets and allocation performance across your book. ## What You Will Do - Own the Asia–Mediterranean (Far East–Med) trade lane from the European side — managing FCL/LCL allocation performance, volume targets, and member delivery against trade commitments - Serve as the primary commercial contact for Voyfai members and group companies on the Med corridor — understanding their business, managing rate requests, and influencing volume behaviour - Lead pricing execution — balancing short-term market opportunities with long-term carrier credibility, and flagging performance gaps with corrective actions - Manage carrier relationships within your scope — supporting contract and COA negotiations, tracking allocation performance, and owning escalations where needed - Work closely with the HK-based Trade Manager and Director to keep pricing, allocations, and operational execution aligned across the corridor - Support new member onboarding and contribute to business development conversations — helping members win larger end customers through Voyfai's carrier portfolio, pricing capability, and tech platform - Contribute to building the trade management function itself — processes, reporting routines, and operating standards — in a lean, fast-moving environment ## What You Bring - Solid experience in ocean freight trade management, freight buying, or procurement — hands-on with FCL/LCL, container shipping, and Asia–Europe or Far East–Med lanes specifically - Strong commercial orientation with the ability to manage and deepen member or customer relationships — a farmer mentality, not purely a hunter - Hands-on experience with carrier contracts, COA/allocation management, pricing structures, and weekly lane performance tracking - Able to set volume targets, analyse performance, and take corrective action independently — without waiting to be directed - Comfortable working across geographies and time zones with Asia-based counterparts - Based in Hamburg or the wider northern Germany area — Berlin HQ is an easy train ride away and you'd be expected to come in occasionally - Self-directed and able to operate in a lean environment where processes are still being built - Strong English, both written and verbal ## Bonus If You Have - Existing relationships with major ocean carriers - Experience building a trade lane or commercial function from scratch ## What We Offer - Competitive salary and equity options - A dynamic, fast-paced work environment with a mission-driven team - Flexible working arrangements - 30 days of PTO - Regular team events and offsites - Monthly mobility budget via Navit