About the role
From the employer’s listing · Flexport · posted 28 August 2026
About Flexport:
At Flexport, we believe global trade can move the human race forward. That’s why it’s our mission to make global commerce so easy there will be more of it. We’re shaping the future of a $10T industry with solutions powered by innovative technology and exceptional people. Today, companies of all sizes—from emerging brands to Fortune 500s—use Flexport technology to move more than $19B of merchandise across 112 countries a year.
The recent global supply chain crisis has put Flexport center stage as we continue to play a pivotal role in how goods move around the world. We are proud to have the support of the best investors in the game who believe in our mission, solutions and people. Ready to tackle global challenges that impact business, society, and the environment? Come join us.
The Opportunity:
Flexport is insourcing operations in Japan — one of the world's most quality-driven and relationship-led freight markets. To stand up our in-house Tokyo operations team, we are seeking a Senior Operations Developer: a deeply experienced freight forwarding operator who will help us build the local team, establish the right vendor relationships, and accelerate the velocity of our insourcing initiative.
Japan is a market where seniority and trust take precedence in business dealings, and where local relationships with carriers, CFS providers, and drayage partners are difficult and slow to build from the outside. As Senior Operations Developer, you will use your existing network and operational expertise to dramatically shorten that ramp time — laying the foundation for a Tokyo operations function that supports a projected ~150 FCL, ~30 LCL, and ~44 Air shipments per month by year-end 2026.
You will:
- Establish and strengthen Flexport's relationships and operating arrangements with key local vendors in Japan, including CFS, drayage providers, ocean carriers, and customs partners.
- Lead the sourcing, screening, and hiring of the local Tokyo operations team — including Ocean and Air operators — and act as the in-country hiring authority for operational roles.
- Design the end-to-end operational process for Japan: booking management, documentation, customs interaction, terminal handling, drayage coordination, exception management, and post-arrival processes.
- Drive operational execution readiness, ensuring SOPs, SLAs, and KPIs are in place before each new shipment flow is brought in-house.
- Increase the velocity of insourcing by leading the transition from external partners to in-house execution, including knowledge transfer, system setup, and partner offboarding.
- Act as the senior operational voice in client-facing meetings where local credibility is required, working closely with the commercial team on benchmarking opportunities and