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