Import Operations Clerk – Sea Freight

Import Operations Clerk – Sea Freight

Location: Basildon, Essex

Salary: £32,000 – £35,000

Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm

Contract: Permanent, Full-Time

The Opportunity

An established freight and logistics business is looking for an experienced Import Operations Clerk to join its Import department.

Working as part of a close-knit team of four, you will take responsibility for sea freight import shipments from start to finish, coordinating with overseas partners, customers, customs, and delivery providers to ensure shipments are handled accurately and efficiently.

This is an office-based position and requires someone with previous sea/ocean freight operations experience who is comfortable managing their own workload and delivering excellent customer service throughout the import process.

The Role

You will manage the day-to-day administration and coordination of sea freight imports, taking ownership of shipments from receipt of the initial pre-alert through to final delivery and invoicing.

You'll regularly communicate with overseas partners and customers, obtain the documentation required for clearance, update internal systems, and coordinate deliveries.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage sea freight import shipments from start to finish
• Receive and process pre-alerts from overseas partners
• Book shipments and maintain accurate information within internal systems
• Liaise directly with customers to obtain documentation and shipment information
• Prepare documentation required for customs clearance
• Coordinate deliveries and keep customers informed of progress
• Complete invoicing accurately and within required timescales
• Manage multiple shipments and priorities while maintaining high levels of accuracy
• Provide professional and responsive customer service throughout the shipment lifecycle

About You

• Minimum 2 years' experience within sea/ocean freight operations – essential
• Previous experience managing import shipments from start to finish
• Strong understanding of freight documentation and import processes
• Excellent customer service and communication skills
• Highly organised with strong attention to detail
• Comfortable working independently while contributing to a small operational team
• Able to manage multiple shipments and deadlines within a busy freight environment
• Knowledge of the Customs Declaration Service (CDS) and experience processing customs entries would be advantageous

Please note: Candidates whose freight experience is predominantly road or air freight without relevant sea/ocean freight experience will not meet the requirements of this position.

What's On Offer

The role offers a salary of £32,000 – £35,000, working Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm, alongside 20 days' annual leave plus bank holidays. The business is actively interviewing and can accommodate both candidates available immediately and those working a standard one-month notice period.

Applications from experienced sea freight professionals are encouraged as the recruitment process is moving quickly.