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