Air Freight Business Development Executive
About Lobina Transport
Lobina Transport is a growing international logistics business providing global air freight, European road freight, customs clearance and time-critical logistics solutions.
Our air freight operation supports customers worldwide, from routine import and export movements through to urgent, complex and time-critical shipments. We have particular strength within the aviation and aerospace sector, supporting airlines, MROs, component suppliers and other businesses where speed, communication and reliability are critical.
As we continue to grow our air freight division, we are looking for an ambitious Air Freight Business Development Executive to help develop new customer relationships and generate sustainable air freight business.
The Role
This is a proactive, commercially focused role with responsibility for identifying, approaching and developing new air freight customers.
You will build your own pipeline while working closely with our operations and management teams to turn opportunities into long-term customer relationships.
We are not looking for someone who simply sends high volumes of generic sales emails. We want someone who understands how to identify genuine opportunities, speak confidently with logistics and procurement decision-makers, understand their requirements and demonstrate where Lobina can add value.
The role will have a particular focus on international air freight and aerospace/automotive logistics, including standard cargo, urgent shipments and time-critical/AOG movements.
Key Responsibilities
- Proactively identify and develop new air freight customers across the UK and international markets.
- Build and manage a strong pipeline of qualified air freight opportunities.
- Target relevant sectors including airlines, MROs, aerospace and aviation component businesses, freight agents and other regular users of international air freight.
- Contact prospective customers through telephone, email, LinkedIn, networking and face-to-face meetings.
- Identify key decision-makers and build relationships with logistics, supply chain, procurement and operational teams.
- Understand customers' existing air freight arrangements, challenges and upcoming requirements.
- Generate opportunities for Lobina to quote on import and export air freight movements.
- Promote Lobina's capabilities across general air freight, express services, time-critical logistics, AOG, OBC and charter solutions where appropriate.
- Work closely with the air freight operations team to ensure opportunities are quoted accurately and competitively.
- Follow up quotations professionally and understand the reasons behind wins and losses.
- Convert new opportunities into active trading accounts.
- Develop new accounts beyond the first shipment, building repeat and sustainable business.
- Maintain accurate records of prospecting activity, opportunities, quotations and pipeline progress within the company's CRM.
- Monitor market activity and identify new sectors, trade lanes and commercial opportunities.
- Represent Lobina professionally at customer meetings, networking events and relevant industry events.
- Provide regular updates on sales activity, pipeline value, conversions and new business performance.
What We're Looking For
Essential
- Existing experience selling air freight services
- Previous experience within air freight, freight forwarding or international logistics.
- A good working understanding of international air freight imports and exports.
- Strong commercial awareness and the ability to identify genuine business opportunities.
- Confidence speaking with new prospects by telephone and arranging meetings.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- A proactive approach to prospecting and developing your own pipeline.
- Ability to build relationships rather than relying on transactional selling.
- Organised approach to managing prospects, quotations and follow-ups.
- Comfortable working towards clear sales and revenue targets.
- Ability to work independently while collaborating closely with operational colleagues.
Desirable
- Experience within aviation, automotive, AOG or time-critical logistics.
- Understanding of air freight pricing, chargeable weight, airline routing and capacity.
- Knowledge of customs procedures relating to international air freight.
- Experience selling specialist solutions including OBC, next-flight-out, charter or other time-critical services.
What Success Looks Like
Success in this role is about more than the number of calls made.
We will be looking for someone who consistently creates quality commercial opportunities and turns them into lasting business.
Key measures will include:
- New qualified air freight opportunities generated
- Air freight quotation activity
- Quote-to-booking conversion
- New trading customers won
- Gross profit generated from new business
- Repeat business from newly acquired accounts
- Development of aviation and automotive customers
- Overall quality and value of the sales pipeline
The Person
You will be naturally proactive and comfortable opening doors.
You don't need to be an aggressive salesperson. You do need to be confident, persistent and commercially aware.
You'll understand that winning freight business takes time. A customer may already have established forwarders, so your job is to create the opportunity for Lobina to demonstrate what we can do - whether that's becoming an additional supplier, providing contingency capacity or being the team they call when something urgent or difficult needs moving.
You'll enjoy building relationships, finding opportunities and seeing an account develop from an initial conversation into regular business.
Most importantly, you'll take ownership. When an opportunity is there, you'll pursue it.
Why Lobina?
At Lobina, logistics is built around people.
We combine international capability with a responsive, hands-on approach. Our customers need to know that when they have a shipment, particularly an urgent or time-critical one, there is someone available who understands the requirement and will take responsibility for getting it moving.
For the right Business Development Executive, this is an opportunity to play an important role in the continued growth of our air freight division and build a customer portfolio you can genuinely call your own.
About Us
Customer Focus: The Lobina Way.
Our Vision: The first Company someone thinks of when they have a mission critical shipment across all industry sectors.
Our Mission: Achieving above and beyond our clients’ expectations to provide transport solutions. In every instance, we will work tirelessly at any hour to help clients who are reliant on us at a moment of greatest need.
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Our 5 key values -
Fun We always come to work with a smile, we celebrate when we have done a great job, if a colleague is down we help them up!
Integrity Our Employees and our customers come first. When things go wrong which they will from time to time, we hold our hands up and work around the clock to make it right.
Trust we listen to our customers and colleagues. We set clear goals between all of us and do our upmost to blow them out the park.
Creativity we rely on our huge depth of knowledge in our industry, we collaborate as one team to come up with the best options for our client’s needs.
Compassion We’re genuine and show support when people need it most. We take personal responsibility for all our actions.
Broadening international customers database Retaining current customers and seeking new markets and opportunities for profitable business.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £35,000.00-£45,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company events
- Company pension
- Free parking
- On-site parking
- Private medical insurance
- Work from home
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Ilkeston DE7 4BR
