Inland Product Owner

Job Title : Inland Product Owner (Local)

Location : Apapa, Lagos

Reports To : Regional Management

Position Overview

As the Inland Product Owner (Local), you will serve as the bridge between Area Sales and Operations to increase profitable inland volume and optimize the inland product portfolio. You will play a key role in developing the Area Inland strategy and defining the Area-level Inland ambition for the next budget year (volumes, profitability, inland share, etc.) in alignment with Sales, Operations, and Trade Management.

Key Responsibilities

Drive the identification and development of relevant Inland products (including premium services) in collaboration with Operations and Sales.

Gather and analyze market feedback on potential transport solutions across modes and integrate product needs into final offerings.

Identify Inland value propositions and support Sales with tangible product information.

Act as primary point of contact for Account Managers on product-related Inland questions.

Provide priorities and commercial ambitions to Procurement, supporting them in defining SLAs with transport providers.

Define the Inland network strategy through analysis of underserved / overserved locations, equipment levels, and demand.

Own capacity demand forecasting and actively manage capacity availability and utilization.

Develop sourcing options for fixed capacities ranging from contractual agreements to potential M&A.

Identify and evaluate potential vendors, supporting Procurement in negotiations to improve and expand the vendor base.

Plan and manage strategic vendor relationships.

Qualifications

Minimum of 5 years’ experience in shipping, container steering, or inland transport.

Strong background in trucking / forwarding (preferred).

Experience in product development for trucking corridors with hands-on operational exposure.

Strategic thinker with strong customer-centric mindset.

Assertive negotiator with attention to detail.

Experience working across Nigeria, Cameroon, Congo, and Angola is an advantage.

Knowledge of port-based applications (Navis, ICUMS, etc.) and documentation procedures.

Proficiency in Microsoft Office and ability to work with multiple systems simultaneously.

Strong analytical skills, problem-solving ability, and high initiative.

Excellent communication skills, with proven experience engaging management-level stakeholders.

Degree in Business, Commerce, Sales, Engineering, Logistics, or related field.

Fluency in written and spoken English (French is an added advantage).