Chief Operating Officer

Job Title: Operations Director – Railway and Multimodal Logistics (with Business Leadership Responsibilities)

Location: Kazakhstan (with responsibility for Azerbaijan, Turkey, China, and Europe)

Reporting to: Group CEO

We are looking for a dynamic and experienced Operations Director to lead and optimise our railway and multimodal logistics operations across Central Asia and beyond, while also stepping into broader business leadership responsibilities. This expanded role includes oversight of commercial performance, client relations, and cross-border growth strategy, in addition to operational excellence. The Director will coordinate rail, road (domestic and international), sea (Caspian and global), air freight, and project cargo, while also playing a critical role in business development, strategic planning, and leadership of regional operations.

Key Responsibilities:

Transport Operations Management

· Manage multimodal transport services: rail freight, road transport (FTL/LTL), maritime, air freight, and intermodal solutions.

· Ensure optimal planning, routing, scheduling, and utilization of assets and capacity.

· Oversee vessel planning, port coordination, and chartering in both the Caspian Sea and global routes.

· Ensure compliance with international maritime standards and optimize port turnaround time.

· Establish partnerships with air carriers to secure cargo capacity and cost-effective routing.

· Oversee handling efficiency and service levels at air terminals.

· Supervise fleet performance and cross-border trucking operations.

· Ensure compliance with customs and road regulations, including oversize and project cargo.

· Manage storage and consolidation hubs across the region.

· Ensure warehouse operations meet KPIs on efficiency, accuracy, and utilization.

· Lead execution of oversized cargo shipments including permitting, routing, and multimodal integration.

· Coordinate tender submissions with commercial teams.

· Conduct in-depth post-mortem analysis of unsuccessful bids to refine strategy and competitiveness.

· Supervise operations in Kazakhstan and China and coordinate cargo flow managed by Azerbaijan, Turkey, China, and Europe.

· Harmonize performance standards and compliance across countries.

· Drive implementation of TMS, WMS, BI, and other logistics tech platforms.

· Promote lean processes and data-driven decision making.

· Track operational KPIs across all logistics segments.

· Report on cost, service quality, utilization, and delivery performance.

· Ensure compliance with local laws, HSE standards, ESG requirements, and international trade regulations.

· Prepare mitigation plans for operational, legal, and geopolitical risks.

· Maintain strong relations with clients, vendors, authorities, and infrastructure partners.

· Build and manage a multicultural operations team.

· Promote accountability, collaboration, and continuous development.

· Oversee budgeting, forecasting, and cost optimization for regional operations.

· Ensure profitability targets and gross margin goals are met or exceeded.

· Collaborate with business development teams to pursue key partnerships, client retention strategies, and market penetration in new geographies.

· Lead cross-functional initiatives to improve pricing strategies, service design, and commercial offers.

· Act as a senior point of contact for key clients and ensure service delivery meets strategic expectations.

· Support negotiation of major contracts and framework agreements.

· Contribute to group-level strategic planning, investment prioritization, and expansion roadmaps.

· Identify and evaluate opportunities for new services, trade corridors, or strategic alliances.

· Serve as a regional ambassador for Azurite’s values, culture, and business direction.

· Foster interdepartmental alignment across commercial, legal, finance, and operational teams.

· Bachelor’s degree in Logistics, Supply Chain, Business, or related field. Master’s degree or MBA preferred.

· Minimum 10 years of international logistics and transport operations experience, including at least 5 years in senior management or director-level roles.

· Proven track record in P&L ownership, business growth, or regional general management.

· Deep knowledge of multimodal logistics, project cargo, tendering, and international compliance.

· Advanced understanding of TMS/WMS/ERP systems and business analytics tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau).

· Fluent in English and Russian; Turkish or Chinese is a strong advantage.

· Strong leadership, communication, and cross-cultural management skills.

· Willingness to travel regularly across regions and manage complex stakeholder networks.

· A strategic group-level leadership position with broad business ownership.

· Dynamic, international working environment in a fast-growing company.

· Opportunity to lead innovation, shape markets, and influence strategy.

· Competitive remuneration package.