Regional Transportation Manager

The role 

We are looking for an experienced Regional Transport Manager to build and lead our APAC transport operations from the ground up. This is a greenfield role — you will be responsible for establishing the regional transport function, including processes, carrier relationships, team structure, and operational playbooks, across a fast-growing network of data center sites.

The role covers air freight and road transport across the APAC region, with a primary focus on shipments from Taiwan to key APAC destinations including India, Malaysia, Japan, and additional markets to be announced. You will manage the movement of high-value IT hardware — including server racks, GPUs, and data center equipment — and work closely with global logistics, procurement, and data center operations teams to ensure on-time, damage-free delivery across all lanes.

This is a senior, hands-on leadership role for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, build-from-scratch environment and has the experience to make sound decisions independently while scaling a regional team around them.

Key Responsibilities

Regional Operations — Build & Run

• Establish and lead the APAC transport function from scratch, including defining processes, workflows, carrier networks, and operational standards across the region.
• Build and manage a regional transport team, defining roles, responsibilities, and hiring roadmap as the business scales.
• Manage end-to-end air freight and road transport of high-value IT hardware — including server racks, GPUs, servers, and data center equipment — across APAC lanes.
• Oversee shipments from Taiwan to APAC destinations including India, Malaysia, Japan, and other markets, as well as reverse flows where required.
• Coordinate inbound freight scheduling, carrier and freight forwarder selection, and delivery execution to ensure on-time, damage-free arrival at APAC data center sites.
• Handle all RMA and RMS shipments within the region, ensuring accurate and timely processing in coordination with vendors, carriers, and internal teams.
• Maintain full visibility over active shipments across all APAC lanes and proactively resolve transit issues, delays, or exceptions.
• Develop contingency plans and alternative routing strategies to ensure business continuity across the region.

Coordination & Documentation

• Coordinate closely with data center operations teams across APAC to support staging, buffering, and just-in-time hardware deployment.
• Maintain accurate in-transit inventory records and ensure proper chain-of-custody documentation for all shipments.
• Manage all shipment-related documentation in relevant systems (Jira, TMS, or equivalent), ensuring records are complete, accurate, and audit-ready.
• Manage customs documentation and clearance processes for all cross-border shipments within APAC, including imports into India, Malaysia, Japan, and other destinations.
• Process and reconcile logistics invoices and manage payments for transportation operations across the region.
• Work with the security team to establish and maintain secure shipment protocols for high-value hardware across APAC.

Compliance & Quality

• Ensure all shipments comply with applicable regulations across APAC jurisdictions, including country-specific import/export requirements, customs procedures, and trade compliance obligations.
• Manage duties, taxes, and customs declarations for inbound and outbound shipments across the region.
• Establish and enforce SLAs and KPIs with freight carriers, forwarders, and 3PL partners; drive accountability through regular performance reviews.
• Maintain audit-ready documentation for all logistics activities across the region.
• Identify and escalate compliance gaps or process deviations, implementing corrective actions as needed.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with hardware engineering, procurement, finance, and data center operations to align APAC logistics execution with deployment timelines and business priorities.
• Collaborate with OEM suppliers based in Taiwan to coordinate shipping windows, batch tracking, customs documentation, and inbound scheduling into APAC facilities.
• Work closely with the global transport leadership team to align regional operations with global standards, processes, and reporting requirements.
• Act as the primary escalation point for all transport-related issues across the APAC region.
• Drive continuous improvement through KPI tracking, root cause analysis, and process standardisation across the region.

Planning & Cost Management

• Forecast transportation demand for the APAC region based on data center expansion plans, hardware deployment schedules, and capacity needs.
• Build the regional carrier and forwarder network from the ground up, negotiating rates and service agreements across APAC lanes.
• Identify cost optimisation opportunities through carrier consolidation, routing improvements, and smarter scheduling.
• Track and report on regional logistics costs, flagging variances and recommending corrective actions.
• Support data-driven decision-making through regular reporting, dashboards, and operational analytics.

Team Leadership

• Recruit, onboard, and develop the APAC transport team as the regional operation scales.
• Define team structure, roles, and responsibilities to support operational growth across new markets.
• Mentor team members and foster a culture of accountability, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Provide clear direction and priorities to the team while maintaining hands-on involvement in day-to-day operations during the build phase.

Requirements

• 7+ years of experience in transportation, freight, or logistics management, with at least 3 years in a management or team leadership role.
• Proven experience building or significantly scaling a transport or logistics function — greenfield or high-growth environment experience is strongly preferred.
• Deep expertise in air freight and road transport across APAC, with strong knowledge of key lanes including Taiwan, India, Malaysia, and Japan.
• Hands-on experience managing high-value, time-critical IT hardware shipments — server racks, GPUs, data center equipment, or similar cargo.
• Strong understanding of customs regulations, import/export procedures, and trade compliance across multiple APAC jurisdictions.
• Experience managing and negotiating with carriers, freight forwarders, and 3PL partners across the APAC region.
• Hands-on experience with RMA/RMS shipment processes and reverse logistics flows.
• Familiarity with TMS platforms, Jira, or similar systems used for shipment tracking and documentation.
• Excellent organisational and documentation skills with a high standard for accuracy and completeness.
• Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills; able to work cross-functionally across technical and non-technical teams in a global environment.
• Comfortable operating independently in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment with limited established process — a builder mindset is essential.
• Based in the APAC region; Taiwan preferred given the primary shipping origin, though other APAC locations will be considered.
• Fluency in English required; Mandarin or other regional languages are a strong advantage.

Nice to Have

• Experience in a hyperscaler, cloud provider, or large-scale data center build-out environment.
• Familiarity with ATA Carnet processes and temporary import/export mechanisms for repair and return shipments.
• Background in supply chain analytics, reporting, or continuous improvement methodologies.
• Familiarity with physical security protocols for high-value hardware shipments.
• Experience expanding transport operations into new APAC markets such as Indonesia, South Korea, or Singapore.