Manager, Operational Key Account Manager

About Ascent

Ascent Global Logistics, headquartered in Belleville, Michigan, is a leading global provider of expedited, time-critical logistics solutions and other direct transportation services. The company connects customers to its extensive carrier network, internal ground fleet and airline via its proprietary, digital PEAK freight marketplace, which provides robust carrier capacity and transparent pricing, backed by 24/7/365 logistics experts. Ascent’s offerings include air charter and ground expedited solutions as well as truckload, less-than-truckload, global forwarding, brokerage, and managed transportation services. The experienced Ascent team solves customers’ most challenging logistics needs by providing industry-leading service and top-tier satisfaction.

Our Guiding Principles

At the core of Ascent's culture is a strong commitment to excellence, driven by the passion and dedication of every team member. We're equally dedicated to going above and beyond for our customers, ensuring this commitment extends beyond our team and brings exceptional value to those we serve. We aim for perfect execution in everything we do and ‘play hard’ by creating an environment where tasks are performed with a can-do attitude from start to finish. We ‘play smart’ by delivering on our commitments in an honest, fair and ethical manner. We treat every person with whom we interface with the utmost dignity and respect. We understand that our teammates are our most valuable assets, so we ‘play together’ by making every effort to provide a professional and enjoyable experience, enabling careers to flourish and personal growth to be achieved.

ROLE SUMMARY

The Operational Key Account Manager (OKAM) is the performance owner of a portfolio of Ascent’s most important key account customers. The role is accountable for end-to-end service performance — SLAs, KPIs, continuous improvement, and cost-to-serve — across the assigned accounts. The OKAM runs the day-to-day operational cadence, owns issue resolution, and ensures Ascent delivers consistent, measurable execution on the commercial commitments made by the Growth KAM. Working closely with Operations, Control Tower, IT, and Finance, the OKAM turns performance data into customer-facing insight and continuous improvement — a hands-on, execution-focused role for a disciplined operational leader.

KEY ACTIVITIES

The six most important activities of the role:

• Own Day-to-Day Service Performance — Accountable for SLA/KPI delivery (OTIF, TTFB, claims, win/capture) across the assigned account portfolio; run the weekly and monthly operational cadence with the customer.
• Drive Continuous Improvement & Savings — Lead the CI roadmap for each account — identify systemic issues, deliver measurable cost-to-serve and OTIF improvements, and convert performance trends into documented savings.
• Lead Root-Cause Analysis & CAPA — Own issue resolution, root-cause investigation, and corrective/preventive action for escalations; close the loop with Operations and the customer on sustainable fixes.
• Maintain SOPs & Operational Governance — Design, maintain, and govern the account SOPs; ensure cross-regional consistency and smooth onboarding of new lanes, modes, or scopes awarded by the Growth KAM.
• Deliver Performance Visibility via Power BI — Own the customer’s KPI dashboards and scorecards; turn Power BI data into structured performance narratives for internal reviews and customer QBRs.
• Coordinate Cross-Functional Execution — Act as the central bridge between the customer’s operational teams, Ascent Operations, Control Tower, IT, and Finance; ensure one coordinated service delivery for the customer.

WHAT YOU WILL BRING

The successful candidate brings the following qualifications, experience, and education:

Work Experience

• 6+ years of progressive operational experience in logistics, supply chain, or freight forwarding — with a proven track record of managing complex, multi-modal customer accounts.
• Demonstrated success owning SLA/KPI performance (OTIF, claims, cost-to-serve) across global, multi-region customer footprints.
• Hands-on experience leading continuous improvement initiatives that delivered measurable savings and service-level uplift.
• Proven ability to run root-cause analysis (5 Whys, fishbone, CAPA) and drive systemic corrective actions with Operations.
• Experience authoring and governing SOPs, account playbooks, and onboarding documentation for complex customer flows.

Qualifications & Skills

• Strong operational mindset — disciplined, detail-oriented, and relentless about execution against the SLA.
• Analytical and data-driven — expert-level Power BI and Excel for KPI reporting, trend analysis, and customer scorecards.
• Excellent communication skills — confident presenting service performance to senior customer stakeholders in QBRs and issue reviews.
• Proven cross-functional collaboration with Operations, Control Tower, IT, and Finance without direct authority.
• Knowledge of CargoWise or equivalent TMS, PEAK Marketplace integrations, and shipment-level data flows a strong plus.
• Bilingual (English / Spanish) a plus, given cross-border US-MX account scope.

Educational Background

• Bachelor’s degree required — preferably in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.
• Advanced degree (MBA, MS in Supply Chain / Operations) a plus.
• Relevant professional certifications strongly preferred — APICS / CSCP, Lean Six Sigma (Green or Black Belt), PMP, or equivalent.

Ascent’s Competitive Benefits

• 401(k) and employer matching

• Life Insurance

• Health, Dental, Vision Insurance

• Short- & Long-Term Disability

• Paid Time Off (PTO)

• Employee Assistance Program

• Paid Parental Leave

• Employee Wellness Program

• Paid Holidays

• Employee Recognition Programs

• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

• Tuition Reimbursement

• Health Savings Account (HSA)

• Overtime, Differential & Bonus Pay