Account Manager

About Shippabo

Shippabo is a tech-enabled ocean freight forwarder. Founded in 2016, we have raised $22 million from Wonder Ventures, TenOneTen Ventures, Double M Partners, and Slow Ventures. Our platform gives importers one place to book, track, and manage ocean shipments, with their internal teams and their overseas suppliers working from the same data. Behind the platform sits a real forwarding operation: a dedicated ocean contracts and pricing team that negotiates carrier rates, and a team in China that works directly with shippers at origin. We’re about 40 people across the US, Canada, Vietnam, Philippines, and China. Our engineering team builds the software that makes the operation faster and more transparent than a traditional forwarder can be.

About the role

This is an account management role built around retention, service quality, and problem solving. It’s not a quota-carrying sales job. There’s no cross-sell or upsell target, and no cold outbound. The one exception is re-engaging importers who have gone quiet or moved volume elsewhere, where the goal is to understand what went wrong and win the volume back. What we actually need is someone who can look at an account and a shipment and figure out what is really going on, then drive it to resolution without needing to hand it off. 

What you’ll do

Own a portfolio of importer accounts. You are the primary relationship owner for a book of existing importers. You are accountable for retention, satisfaction, and the health of the relationship over time. 

Diagnose before you escalate. When a client raises an issue, your first job is to determine what kind of issue it is. Is it a rate problem, a service failure, an expectation that was set wrong, or a process that broke internally? The answer determines who needs to be involved and what the fix is. We want you to make that call, not pass it off to someone else.

Review shipments and catch problems early. You should be able to look at a booking and know when something is off before the customer tells you. Rolled bookings, a vessel schedule change that will miss a delivery window, drayage constraints at the port of discharge, a document mismatch that will hold a container at customs. You’ll know when to dig into carrier schedules, customs entry, drayage, or documentation, and when it is normal activity not worth alarming a customer over.

Balance the client and the business. Understand what each importer is optimizing for, whether that’s landed cost, transit reliability, or predictability, and weigh that against what makes commercial sense for Shippabo. Advocate hard for the client, and be honest internally about what we got wrong.

Drive quote acceptance and forecast accuracy. Make sure forecasted volume actually books, quotes are accepted or the reason they were not is understood, and that feedback goes back to the supply/pricing team so our rates stay competitive on the lanes that matter.

Own outcomes across teams. Many customer requests require Product, Operations, Finance, or the origin team in China. You’re the owner of the outcome. You map the steps, set the timeline, follow up, and close the loop with the customer.

Monitor and report on your portfolio. Track operational and revenue metrics across your accounts. Surface trends, at-risk accounts, and volume shifts before they become surprises.

Serve as an advisor, not an order taker. Educate importers on supply chain practices and on what Shippabo's platform and network can do for them. Communicate market conditions, rate trends, surcharges, and capacity shifts in terms of what they mean for that specific customer’s business.

Handle inbound small and new importer leads. Own inbound marketing leads from smaller importers, qualify them, and get them onboarded and running. 

Re-engage churned and dormant accounts. Work through importers who have reduced or stopped shipping with us, understand why, and rebuild the relationship where the fit is still there.

What we’re looking for

• Direct experience in ocean freight forwarding, NVOCC, or as an importer managing ocean freight. You understand the mechanics of an ocean shipment end to end, from booking and origin cargo receipt through customs clearance and final delivery.
• The ability to troubleshoot independently. You form a hypothesis about what went wrong, check it against the data, and act. You don’t need a manager to tell you where to look.
• Strong commercial judgment. You know the difference between a concession that’s worth making and one that sets a bad precedent.
• Structured thinking. You can take a messy situation with many moving parts, prioritize it, map out next steps, and communicate clearly what happens next and by when.
• Clear written communication. Much of this job is explaining a complicated logistics situation to a customer in plain language, quickly.
• Comfort in a small company. About 40 people, no large support layer, a lot of ownership.

Helpful but not required

• Experience with a freight forwarding TMS or a modern digital forwarder platform.
• Familiarity with customs documentation and entry requirements
• Working knowledge of demurrage, detention, and how to keep clients out of accessorial charges.

Compensation 

Base salary is $90,000 to $100,000. An annual performance bonus brings expected Year 1 total cash compensation to $100,000 to $120,000. Actual compensation is dependent upon many factors, such as training, transferable skills, work experience, business needs, location, and market demands. This range is subject to change and may be modified in the future.

Benefits for our Shipmates
At Shippabo, our benefits are a reflection of our core values and our commitment to making healthy living affordable and accessible to everyone on board. Our team members enjoy ample Vacation and Sick time, allowing you to take the breaks you need to recharge and ensuring your well-being remains a priority as you grow with us. We also cover Health Coverage premiums for you and your dependents, offer a 401(k) Plan with matching contributions, and other perks as well!

Equal Opportunity Statement

Shippabo is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, citizenship, marital status, sex/gender, sexual preference/ orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, national origin, or any other status protected by law or regulation. If you require accommodations during the interview process, please contact careers@shippabo.com.