Reporting to the Senior Transportation Manager, the Inbound Freight Manager will lead the teams responsible for transportation and customs compliance of inbound shipments to NewAge, 3PLs, and retailer distribution centres. This role sits at the heart of our global supply chain and carries a mandate to embed AI and automation tools at every stage of the inbound process – from overseas procurement and ocean forecasting through to customs clearance, cost accruals, and vendor performance reporting. POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES Cross-Functional Partnership & Operations Partner with Supply Planning, Quality Control, and Warehouse teams using AI-generated exception reports and shared dashboards to surface inbound issues before they reach the DC floor. Use AI‑assisted communication tools to coordinate proactively with internal and external partners, reducing escalation response time and improving first‑contact resolution. Deploy AI summarization tools to synthesize daily operational updates from multiple carriers, brokers, and warehouses into a single actionable briefing for the team each morning. Network Development & Optimization Develop, expand, and optimize the network of third‑party providers using AI‑driven vendor scoring models that weigh cost, reliability, capacity, and risk across multiple data sources. Use AI‑powered lane analysis to identify consolidation opportunities, alternative routing, and mode shifts that reduce cost without sacrificing service levels. Continuously benchmark the carrier network against market rates using automated rate‑intelligence tools, flagging out‑of‑market contracts for renegotiation in real time. Lead inbound freight projects including Spot/Market/Contract rate RFQs, contract negotiations, and technology integrations, accelerated by AI tools that automate bid compilation, scoring, and side‑by‑side comparison. Use AI to detect and flag accessorial charge anomalies at invoice receipt, reducing erroneous charges and manual audit time by up to 60%. Generate AI‑drafted negotiation briefs that surface historical rate trends, carrier performance data, and market benchmarks to strengthen procurement outcomes. Lead CI initiatives using AI‑driven root‑cause analysis to identify patterns in reliability failures, quality issues, and cost overruns faster than traditional methods. Automate vendor performance reporting with live dashboards and AI‑generated commentary so scorecards are always current and corrective actions are triggered automatically. Apply AI scenario‑modelling to evaluate the cost and service impact of network changes before committing resources. Support weekly operational status and cost reporting using AI‑assisted variance analysis that auto‑generates written explanations of freight spend deviations. Report monthly Inbound Freight Charges to upper management through AI‑formatted executive dashboards highlighting trends, risks, and savings opportunities. Ensure Freight and Duties accruals are accurate using AI‑flagged reconciliation alerts that surface discrepancies between accruals and actuals in real time. Ensure freight and customs invoices are approved and paid on time through automated workflow routing and AI‑assisted invoice‑matching. Team Leadership & AI Capability Building Build, manage, and coach small teams of freight coordinators in India and China, embedding AI proficiency as a core performance expectation. Provide on‑site training to India staff with an AI adoption curriculum covering prompt engineering, tool selection, and workflow automation. Establish team productivity metrics that explicitly track time saved and errors reduced through AI‑driven process improvements. Transportation Oversee inbound shipments to distribution centres using AI‑powered visibility platforms to track ETAs, predict delays, and auto‑alert downstream stakeholders before disruptions occur. Ensure shipping plans are issued to shippers on time with AI‑generated compliance checks verifying adherence to booking windows, documentation requirements, and packing standards. Provide AI‑assisted shipping forecasts to ocean carriers using demand signal data and historical booking patterns to improve forecast accuracy and secure capacity proactively. Oversee Direct Import container operations with AI‑assisted load‑planning tools to maximize container utilization and reduce cost‑per‑unit. Procure and negotiate freight with new carriers and truckers, supported by AI rate benchmarking and market‑intelligence tools. Customs Compliance Ensure shipping documents are submitted to brokers for customs clearance on time with AI‑powered document‑completeness checks that catch missing or incorrect fields before submission. Oversee all Canadian and US customs‑related activities, leveraging AI tools to monitor regulatory updates and auto‑flag impacted shipments. Maintain the HS/customs duty database using AI‑assisted HS code classification tools that improve accuracy and reduce manual classification time. Maintain ETAs in SAP using AI‑assisted update automation that pulls live carrier data and pushes revisions without manual re‑entry. Submit duty drawback claims using AI‑assisted document compilation that identifies eligible shipments, gathers supporting documentation, and drafts claim submissions. WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE (12 MONTHS) Automate 70%+ of routine reporting tasks through AI‑generated outputs. Reduce freight invoice processing and audit time by 50%+ using AI‑powered invoice‑matching and anomaly‑detection tools. Achieve measurable inbound freight cost savings of 1‑3% of spend attributable to AI‑assisted rate benchmarking and contract renegotiation. Upskill all direct reports to actively use at least two AI tools in their daily workflows. Deliver a documented AI adoption roadmap with phased milestones tied to cost, quality, and productivity targets. EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS Post‑secondary education in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business, or a related field. AI, data analytics, or automation coursework or certifications are a strong asset. 5‑8 years of Supply Chain / Offshore Logistics experience required. Minimum 3 years in a leadership or management role with demonstrated team development results. Proven track record deploying AI or automation tools to generate measurable cost savings or productivity improvements in a logistics context. Hands‑on experience with AI tools (ChatGPT/GPT‑4o, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini, or purpose‑built logistics AI) applied to real supply‑chain problems – required. Ability to build and prompt AI workflows for freight analysis, document review, invoice audit, carrier communication, and reporting automation. Proficiency in Microsoft Excel (advanced), PowerPoint, and Power BI including AI/Copilot extensions. Experience with SAP including ETAs and logistics modules (SAP Business One or similar). Familiarity with supply chain visibility platforms (project44, FourKites, or similar) and their AI features. Familiarity with international shipping documents and terms (ISF, packing list, commercial invoice, bill of lading, Incoterms, etc.). Experience with RPA or low‑code automation tools (Power Automate, UiPath) is an asset. SQL or Python knowledge for data extraction and automation scripting is an asset. NEWAGE OFFERS Salary and bonus is based on experience and highly competitive for the right candidate. Base salary range for this position is $90,000 to $120,000 annually (CAD). Benefits Package. Opportunity within a growing, fast‑paced company, well established in its industry. Fun! We celebrate successes and hold special events to build strong teams. Teams work under a remote‑first Hybrid model, with North York office available for collaboration and/or quiet workspace. 18‑90 Days and 18‑90 Days  – IEA. Some placeholder text to show that is fine. #J-18808-Ljbffr