Position summary

The Business Development Manager is a manager-level individual contributor responsible for winning net-new freight forwarding business across an assigned U.S. territory. This is a dedicated new-business development role focused on importers and exporters in Food & Beverage, FMCG, retail, reefer, and selected general cargo markets. The role sells ocean freight FCL and LCL, air freight, reefer logistics, and dry/general cargo solutions. The position is remote within the United States, requires approximately 40% travel, and reports to the Head of Procurement & Business Development. If a Blue Water Shipping office is within reasonable proximity, periodic office attendance is expected.

Key responsibilities and tasks 

• Identify, engage, qualify, and secure new customers within the assigned U.S. territory.
• Build a disciplined pipeline of importers and exporters, with primary emphasis on Food & Beverage, FMCG, retail, reefer customers, and other suitable general cargo opportunities.
• Sell ocean freight FCL and LCL, air freight, reefer logistics, and dry/general cargo solutions.
• Lead the complete new-business sales cycle from prospecting and discovery through solution development, pricing coordination, negotiation, closing, implementation handoff, and early account stabilization.
• Develop relationships with decision-makers and logistics stakeholders through direct prospecting, networking, referrals, industry events, and account-based outreach.
• Collaborate with procurement, pricing, operations, trade management, and overseas offices to create competitive and executable customer solutions.
• Maintain complete, timely, and accurate opportunity, activity, forecast, and customer information in Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
• Use Power BI and approved market intelligence and prospecting tools to prioritize opportunities and monitor performance.
• Prepare territory plans, target-account lists, pipeline reviews, and gross-profit forecasts.
• Achieve minimum annual gross-profit targets provided by the management team.
• Travel approximately 40% for customer meetings, prospecting, industry events, internal collaboration, and market development.
• Protect healthy margins and support a structured handoff to operations after business is secured.

 Qualifications and competencies 

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum five years of freight forwarding sales or closely related international logistics business-development experience.
• Proven performance in a net-new business development role with responsibility for net-new customer acquisition.
• Working knowledge of international ocean freight and air freight, including FCL, LCL, reefer, and dry/general cargo solutions.
• Existing relationships with importers, exporters, or target-industry customers are preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to build pipeline, negotiate commercial terms, close opportunities, and deliver gross-profit growth.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft Power BI, or demonstrated ability to use comparable CRM and reporting tools.
• Strong communication, presentation, negotiation, prospecting, and territory-management skills.
• Professional fluency in English is required; Spanish is an asset.
• Ability to work remotely, attend a nearby Blue Water Shipping office when reasonably accessible, and travel approximately 40%.
• Self-directed, accountable, commercially disciplined, resilient, collaborative, and comfortable operating as a manager-level individual contributor.

Key performance indicators

• New customers won.
• Gross profit generated versus annual target.
• Qualified opportunity pipeline value, quality, velocity, and coverage.
• CRM discipline, forecast accuracy, and documented sales activity.
• Margin quality and successful operational handoff.

What we offer

Competitive compensation as well as 100% employer paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees. Additional benefits include a robust 401K, generous paid time off and values-driven, international culture.

Ready to take the next step in your career, apply now.

As we review applications, we plan to invite qualified candidates for interviews while the posting may still be active.
So if the position has piqued your interest, we recommend that you don't hesitate to send in your application.

For this role, visa sponsorship is not available.  Applicants must have work authorization in the United States.

What we do – Together we create solutions

Blue Water Shipping is a global provider of all logistic services in modern supply chain management. Founded in Denmark in 1972, Blue Water is a global organization of professionals, skilled to offer complete and tailor-made solutions to any shipping requirement anywhere in the world. We offer clients the best service and highest quality in the industry. 

The company is represented with more than 70 offices in 30 countries worldwide combining strong global network with local expertise. Every day our 2000 employees and 6 distinct business units.