Ocean Freight Operations Executive

About this role

Shipping, Freight & Customs moves the goods: carrier relationships, bookings, documentation, customs clearance, chartering and vessel operations.

Run bookings end to end: space, containers, cut-offs, gate-in, and chasing the shipping line when the booking confirmation still has not come through and the cut-off is tomorrow.

This is the part of trade that happens in the physical world and refuses to be tidy. Vessels get omitted, containers get held for examination, a wrong container number on a bill of lading stops a consignment at the gate, and demurrage accrues while somebody argues. The work is judged on landed cost and on how few surprises reach the buyer.

Primary responsibilities

• Book and manage ocean shipments end to end
• Work to the cut-offs that actually govern a shipment — gate-in, documentation, VGM and the sailing itself
• Prepare and check the bill of lading, where a wrong container number stops a consignment at the gate
• Track shipments and tell the customer the truth about where it is and when it will arrive
• Manage detention and demurrage, and act before it accrues rather than explaining it afterwards
• Handle the exceptions: rolled cargo, vessel omission, transhipment delay and equipment shortage

Skills required

Day to day this role works with Coordination, Documentation, Booking and Ocean Freight.

• Two or more years in ocean freight operations
• Calm on the phone with a shipping line that is not calling you back
• Booking and managing shipments end to end
• Working to the cut-offs that govern a shipment — gate-in, documentation, VGM and sailing