Airfreight Import Operator

Deutsche Post; Bristol; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Generous holiday entitlement

Employee Incentive Bonus Scheme

Pension with life assurance

Wellbeing programme

Retail & lifestyle discounts

Training and internal promotion

Job summary

Deutsche Post is seeking an Airfreight Operations Specialist to join a team of around 170 colleagues across the UK. You will administer processes to deliver goods via air transport, maximize profitability, and align activities with business strategy.

You will develop relationships with customers and overseas offices, process orders, arrange pickups, manage HMRC requirements, and ensure compliance with DP DHL Code of Conduct while driving continuous improvement and strong client service.

Qualifications

• Commercial awareness and strong communication skills are required.
• Ability to follow standardized processes and support continuous improvement.
• Experience in freight forwarding and HMRC procedures is essential.
• Two+ years in the Freight Forwarding Industry with a focus on imports.
• GCSEs including Maths and English at grade C or above or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Develop relationships with allocated customers and overseas offices.
• Process orders and create transport orders to arrange pickup.
• Manage arrivals with carriers and HMRC documentation.
• Ensure compliance with country regulations and DP DHL Code of Conduct.
• Provide proactive shipment updates and handle inquiries (Track & Trace).
• Support sales via up-selling and pass leads to Sales.

Skills

Commercial awareness

Communication

Process adherence

Continuous improvement

Relationship management

Freight forwarding knowledge

HMRC procedures

Two+ years experience

GCSEs Maths & English

Education

5 GCSEs including Maths & English

Job description

Role Overview

As an Airfreight Operations Specialist you will work alongside around 170 colleagues based throughout the UK to support the administration of processes and activities to deliver goods across the customers’ global supply chain; utilizing air transportation, maximizing profitability and optimizing business and human assets in line with business strategy and objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop relationships with allocated customers and overseas offices
• Accepts all orders (from customer or overseas office) and processes such.
• Creates and confirms transport order to ensure pickup of the shipment at origin.
• Process all arrivals with carriers, gateway and follow HAWB instructions.
• Completes all Import HMRC Requirements.
• Fully ensures compliance with varying countries security.
• Prepares, controls and distributes all required Import documents to counterparts (carriers, consignee, supplier) complying with regulations and internal procedures.
• Checks responses from counterparts and finalizes validation of required documents.
• Proactively informs customers on shipment status, exceptions and provides intermediate updates on incident solution.
• Provides spot quotations and closes contract.
• Performs up and cross-selling (inbound calls) for existing customers and passes on leads to Sales.
• Takes and handles customer inquiries, e.g. Track and Trace.
• Takes customer requests regarding Go Green topics and informs Country Go Green Head.
• Reviews reports (generated by the Performance Reporting & Exception Specialist) and sends them to the customer.
• Takes and registers all customer complaints and drives solutions of customer complaints by solving it directly or assigning tasks to other functions.
• Acts as first contact point for customer claims
• Participate in joint Sales visits if necessary.
• Completes all financial input relating to job files (billing/cost provisions/printing of billing, invoice to customers and posting/distribution of same with required back up).
• Manages and controls Workflow on daily basis.
• Take ownership of all account queries both customer and carrier and their conclusion.
• Ensure that all customer enquiries are responded to promptly and professionally.
• Escalate issues if required.
• Ensures that all interactions are compliant with DPDHL Code of Conduct and other compliance requirements e.g. anti-corruption
• Contribute to the First-Choice continuous improvement program

Skills and Experience

• Commercial awareness is essential.
• Clear and concise communication skills (written and spoken)
• Ability to follow processes
• Ability to support a culture of continuous improvement
• Inter-personal skills - Influencing, communication, relationship management, cultural awareness and ability to work across teams
• Knowledge of Freight Forwarding industry: Imports and related processes is desirable
• Experience of HMRC procedures essential.
• Two or more years’ experience within the Freight Forwarding Industry.
• 5 GCSEs including Maths and English at Grade C or above – or equivalent desirable

Benefits

• A competitive salary
• Generous holiday entitlement
• Eligibility to participate in the Employee Incentive Bonus Scheme
• Pension scheme which includes life assurance
• Access to professional employee assistance and wellbeing programme
• A competitive package of voluntary benefits including retail, entertainment, gym membership, cycle to work scheme, contribution to eye care costs, and many more discounts
• Training and Development opportunities with a strong focus on internal promotion

HOURS/SHIFT PATTERN

37.5 hours per week (Mon-Fri)

REPORTS TO

Air Import Manager