Key Account Co-ordinator - Seafreight Import

The Key Account Coordinator / Key Account Specialist is a hands on, detail-focused role that requires close co-ordination with customers, suppliers, shipping lines, hauliers, warehouses, internal teams and regulatory authorities, providing back-office support for a major retail import account including customs, compliance, reporting, billing.

The role also offers supervisory responsibility during absence periods and other business requirements. 

Duties Include:-

• Create and maintain freight jobs using pro-forma invoices, purchase order information and supplier documentation
• Chase suppliers and shippers for booking confirmations, shipping instructions, documentation and outstanding information
• Maintain shipment trackers, schedules and customer visibility reports, ensuring milestones and outstanding actions remain current
• Complete and control UK import customs declarations, including the review of commercial invoices, packing lists, bills of lading, commodity information, origin data and customs valuation information
• Check declaration accuracy, manage duty and deferment requirements and escalate discrepancies before submission
• Support HMRC or customer audits through accurate document collation and record retention.
• Support European movements and the associated customs or regulatory requirements where required.
• Prepare weekly shipment schedules and operational status reports for the customer
• Produce monthly management reports covering delivery activity, insurance, quay rent, container or shipping line information and related account measures
• Prepare dummy costings and estimated landed cost information using complete commercial and shipment data
• Provide operational cover for the Account Supervisor during annual leave or other absence
• Monitor vessel schedules, shipment progress and ETA changes, providing timely updates to the customer and internal teams
• Liaise with shipping lines regarding releases, bills of lading, charges and operational exceptions
• Coordinate hauliers, delivery bookings, warehouses, cold stores and delivery previews
• Use CargoWise to maintain accurate operational, customs, costing and billing records
• Use SharePoint, Web Tracker or equivalent platforms to maintain document control and customer visibility
• Provide account-specific presentations, process support and ad hoc reporting when required.

Experience and Skills Required:-

• Customs and Regulatory Compliance – Essential
• Deep-sea import freight forwarding - Essential
• A high level of accuracy and attention to detail - Essential
• Confident and professional customer communication - Essential
• Ability to multitask and meet deadlines - Essential
• Competent spreadsheet and reporting skills - Essential
• CargoWise experience - Desirable
• Food import experience - Desirable
• Experience of IPAFFS, CHEDs and Port Health requirements - Desirable
• Experience of SharePoint, Web Tracker or comparable document management and customer visibility systems - Desirable
• Previous experience supporting a major key account - Desirable