Route Development Manager

Job Title: Route Development Manager Reports to: Head of Air Freight Commercial Center Location: YYZ DHL Global Forwarding (DGF) is a leader in managing the flow of goods and information across global supply chains, utilizing air, ocean, and ground transportation, customs brokerage services, and dedicated warehousing and distribution centers. As part of Deutsche Post DHL, the world’s leading logistics provider with operations in over 220 countries, we are committed to excellence and growth. Join our team as a Route Development Manager at DHL Group! In this pivotal role, you will Lead and execute Air Freight Route Development strategies, plans, and initiatives to drive profitable growth, optimize trade lane performance, and enhance network competitiveness across country, regional, or global scope. The role combines strategic route portfolio leadership with deep analytical expertise in trade lane development, route economics, market intelligence, and commercial-operational alignment. The position acts as the primary focal point for identifying, evaluating, prioritizing, and implementing route opportunities while ensuring alignment between Sales, Pricing, Carrier Management, Gateway Operations, Product, and Customer Operations teams. The role is responsible for governing route development activities, driving execution of strategic initiatives, and enabling data-driven decision making that supports revenue growth, service excellence, and margin protection. Key Responsibilities: Route Development Strategy & Governance * Lead the Route Development Management (RDM) agenda for assigned regions, countries, or trade lanes. * Define trade lane priorities, route opportunity roadmaps, and route portfolio strategies aligned with business objectives. * Translate regional and global route development priorities into actionable execution plans with clear ownership, governance, milestones, and performance metrics. * Support regional and global route governance forums through data-based recommendations and decision-ready business cases. * Benchmark route development performance and implement scalable best practices across countries and teams. Trade Lane Analysis & Route Economics * Conduct advanced trade lane analysis utilizing market intelligence, customer demand trends, route economics, carrier capacity, gateway capabilities, and competitive benchmarks. * Analyze route performance indicators including: + Conversion rates + Gross Profit per file + Capacity utilization + Paid-out quality + Consolidation ratios + Transit time reliability + Service performance + Exception trends * Identify opportunities for network optimization, route redesign, consolidation improvement, and margin enhancement. * Develop and maintain route development dashboards, databases, scorecards, and performance reporting tools. Commercial & RFQ Support * Lead route development support for strategic RFQs, tenders, sector opportunities, and major customer pursuits. * Prepare comprehensive lane opportunity assessments, including: + Market demand analysis + Route options + Carrier and gateway dependencies + Historical performance + Gross profit analysis + Consolidation opportunities + Service feasibility reviews * Partner with Pricing teams to develop competitive and executable routing solutions that protect profitability and operational integrity. * Provide route development expertise supporting customer value propositions and growth strategies. Cross-Functional Collaboration * Coordinate closely with: + Sales and Growth teams + Pricing and RFQ teams + Supplier & Carrier Management + Gateway and Station Operations + Product & Services teams + Sector organizations + Customer Operations and Control Towers + Business Intelligence and Finance teams + Implementation and Project Management teams * Ensure route opportunities are operationally executable and aligned with network strategy and carrier capabilities. * Drive resolution of recurring route issues where commercial commitments, capacity, pricing, operational readiness, or customer requirements are misaligned. Performance Improvement & Capability Building * Identify recurring lane challenges, including: + Low conversion performance + Margin erosion + Capacity constraints + Routing instability + Transit time failures + Poor service performance + Data quality issues * Escalate structural issues affecting route performance, such as system gaps, network bottlenecks, capacity shortages, or conflicting customer commitments. * Support capability development across Route Development Management teams through coaching, analytical standards, governance processes, and digital-first working methods. * Provide technical guidance and mentorship to route development specialists and cross-functional stakeholders. Stakeholder Management Build and maintain strong partnerships with internal and external stakeholders while influencing decisions through fact-based analysis and business recommendations. Key stakeholders include: * Regional and Country Air Freight Leadership * Sales and Commercial Leadership * Pricing Leadership * Supplier & Carrier Management * Gateway and Station Leadership * Product & Services Teams * Sector Management * Customer Operations and Control Towers * Finance and Business Intelligence Teams * Implementation Teams * Approved external partners and service providers Skills / Requirements: Education * Bachelor's Degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Business Administration, Economics, Transportation, or related field. * Advanced professional qualifications are an advantage. Experience * 6+ years of experience in Air Freight, Network Design, Route Development, Trade Lane Management, Pricing, Carrier Management, or related logistics functions. * Demonstrated experience managing complex route development initiatives and cross-functional projects. * Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders across commercial and operational organizations. * Excellent written and verbal communication skills. * Well-developed interpersonal skills including conflict management and negotiation. * Cross-cultural competence and cultural sensitivity. * Self-starter with excellent planning and organizing skills who is willing to share knowledge and expertise. * Understanding of continuous improvement methodologies. * Knowledge of Word, Excel, and Power Point * Fluent in English; knowledge of other languages is a definite plus. Pay Transparency: Salary Range: CAD $90-110k base salary + Bonus + full benefits. Equal Opportunity Employer: DHL Global Forwarding is committed to equal employment opportunities, evaluating all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. Use of Artificial Intelligence: Artificial intelligence (AI) is not used in the screening, evaluation, or selection of candidates for this position. DHL Global Forwarding on LinkedIn #DHLJobs #BusinessDevelopment #DHLForwarding #CareerOpportunities