Senior Sea Import Operations Specialis

Altius Talent | Freight Forwarding Recruitment; Hamburg; Vor Ort; EUR 42.000 - 70.000; Vollzeit

Benefits dieser Stelle

Ownership of customers

Autonomy in role

International freight forwarding env.

Fast recruitment process

Zusammenfassung

Altius Talent in Hamburg is seeking a Sea Freight (Senior) Operations Specialist – Import to own the complete import process from enquiry to delivery and invoicing. You will manage your own customers, coordinate customs, prepare quotations and liaise with shipping lines, carriers and overseas agents.

The ideal candidate will have strong Sea Freight Import experience, can handle shipments A–Z, and communicate fluently in German and English.

Qualifikationen

• Strong experience within Sea Freight Import.
• Experience handling shipments independently from A–Z.
• Good knowledge of customs processes and documentation.
• Experience preparing quotations and freight calculations.
• Confidence dealing directly with customers.
• Experience working with shipping lines, carriers and overseas agents.
• Strong understanding of the commercial and operational side of freight forwarding.
• Fluent German and good English communication skills.

Aufgaben

• Handle Sea Freight Import shipments from A–Z.
• Manage own portfolio of customers.
• Act as main point of contact for customers during shipment.
• Coordinate customs clearance and documentation.
• Prepare quotations, calculations and customer rates.
• Buy, negotiate and compare freight rates.
• Communicate with shipping lines, carriers and overseas agents.
• Prepare and check shipping documentation.
• Organise on-carriage and final delivery.
• Complete invoicing and monitor shipment profitability.
• Monitor shipments and proactively update customers.
• Identify and resolve operational issues.
• Take ownership of each shipment until completion.

Kenntnisse

Sea Freight Import

Client management

Quotations & freight calculations

Documentation handling

Customs clearance

Proactive problem solving

Relationship management

Jobbeschreibung

Sea Freight (Senior) Operations Specialist – Import

Location: Hamburg, Germany

Salary: Up to €70,000 per year

The Opportunity

We are working with an established and growing international freight forwarder in Hamburg that is looking to strengthen its Sea Freight team with an experienced Sea Freight (Senior) Operations Specialist – Import.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced freight forwarding professional who wants genuine ownership of their shipments and customers.

The business is looking for someone who understands the complete Sea Freight Import process from A–Z – not someone who has only been responsible for one small part of the forwarding process.

You will manage your own customers, communicate with them directly and take responsibility for their shipments from initial enquiry through to final delivery and invoicing.

Your Responsibilities

You will independently manage the complete Sea Freight Import process, including:

• Handling Sea Freight Import shipments from A–Z
• Managing your own portfolio of customers
• Acting as the main point of contact for customers throughout the shipment
• Coordinating customs clearance and relevant customs documentation
• Preparing quotations, calculations and customer rates
• Buying, negotiating and comparing freight rates
• Communicating with shipping lines, carriers and overseas agents
• Preparing and checking shipping documentation
• Organising on-carriage and final delivery
• Completing invoicing and checking shipment profitability
• Monitoring shipments and proactively updating customers
• Identifying and resolving operational issues when things don't go according to plan
• Taking full ownership of each shipment through to completion

Sea Freight Export experience would be beneficial but is not essential. The priority is finding someone with strong Import knowledge who can confidently manage the entire process.

What We're Looking For

We're looking for someone with:

• Strong experience within Sea Freight Import
• Experience handling shipments independently from A–Z
• Good knowledge of customs processes and documentation
• Experience preparing quotations and freight calculations
• Confidence dealing directly with customers
• Experience working with shipping lines, carriers and overseas agents
• A strong understanding of the commercial and operational side of freight forwarding
• Fluent German and good English communication skills
• Sea Freight Export experience would be advantageous but is not required

The Personality

For this position, personality and mentality are just as important as technical experience.

We are looking for someone who takes ownership.

When a problem occurs, the mentality should not be:

"That's not my responsibility."

Instead, we're looking for someone who thinks:

"This is my customer and my shipment. I'll take care of it."

You should be:

• Confident and comfortable making decisions
• Open and communicative
• Proactive and solutions-focused
• Commercially aware
• Comfortable taking responsibility
• Strong when communicating directly with customers
• Genuinely hands‑on in your approach

This is not a position for someone looking to move away from operations into a management title. You may operate at Senior level, but you should still enjoy being involved in the day‑to‑day forwarding process and taking responsibility for your own shipments.

What's On Offer

• Salary of up to €70,000
• Senior-level responsibility within Sea Freight Import
• Ownership of your own customers and shipments
• A hands‑on role with genuine autonomy
• Opportunity to join an established international freight forwarding environment
• A business that values personality, initiative and ownership alongside technical experience
• A quick and straightforward recruitment process for the right candidate

If you're an experienced Sea Freight Import professional in Hamburg who enjoys managing the complete forwarding process and taking real ownership of your customers and shipments, we'd be interested in speaking with you.