Freight Forwarding Operator

Lineage Logistics; Heywood; Hybrid; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A global logistics provider in Heywood is seeking a Freight Forwarding Operator. This full-time role involves managing import and export logistics for refrigerated cargo, handling customer inquiries, and coordinating with transport providers. Ideal candidates will have a background in freight forwarding, strong organizational skills, and be IT literate, with opportunities for career development within a supportive team environment.

Benefits

Paid time off

Skills training and development opportunities

Cycle-to-work scheme

24/7 employee assistance phone line

Qualifications

• Experience in import and export freight forwarding.
• Good understanding of refrigerated containers.
• Efficient and organised, able to adapt to changing priorities.

Responsibilities

• Handle container and trailer haulage.
• Liaise with shipping lines and transport providers.
• Negotiate rates with suppliers.

Skills

Freight forwarding experience

Customer service skills

IT literacy (Microsoft, CargoWise)

Ability to work under pressure

Understanding of refrigerated cargo

Job description

Freight Forwarding Operator

Location: Heywood – UK (Hybrid)

Lineage is the world’s largest and most innovative provider of temperature‑controlled logistics solutions – this means we help move food from farms to the dinner table, with more than 25,000 employees across over 480 locations and spanning 20 countries across North America, Europe, Asia‑Pacific, and South America.

The role

Lineage UK is currently looking for a Freight Forwarding Operator to join our team in Heywood. In this role you will focus on import, export and clearances within the domains Road and Sea.

Tasks include:

• Handling container and trailer haulage from collection to delivery.
• Liaising with shipping lines and transport providers.
• Booking in container collections and arranging deliveries to customer premises at agreed times.
• Negotiating rates with suppliers and taking into account all costs involved.
• Responding to customer requests and handling any queries or complaints.
• Liaising with cold‑stores regarding bookings.
• Able to identify potential problems/delays and taking the necessary action to prevent them.
• Building up the charge structure for each file and managing the commercial billing/purchasing administration.
• Supporting the ocean and Road freight department with their imports/exports operations as and when required.

Who we’re looking for:

Ideal candidates possess experience in freight forwarding (import, export and clearances) and have the eagerness to learn. This role would suit someone that enjoys working on changing priorities and building great relationships. For the right person there is a great opportunity to develop their career.

Qualifications:

• Previous experience in import and export freight forwarding including clearances.
• Good understanding of handling refrigerated containers/temperature controlled cargo.
• Understanding of Sea freight and European Road Freight logistics.
• Organised, efficient, sharp, works well under pressure and able to think on their own feet.
• Confident, enthusiastic, and able to quickly adapt to fast changing circumstances.
• Will need to be flexible and accommodate some out of hours issues, should they arise.
• IT literate – fully conversant in Microsoft package (Word/Excel) plus CargoWise and all HMRC System.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Desirable – Understanding of health certificates and VET procedures.

Lineage Team Members:

• Lead with our core values: Safe, Trust, Respect, Innovation, Bold, Servant Leadership.
• Continually meet internal and external customer expectations through collaborative teamwork and a willingness to help and support others.
• Commit to a culture of safety, promote a safe work environment through personal actions and identification of any safety concerns.
• Demonstrate a natural curiosity about the business and take initiative to continually improve performance and work processes through feedback, problem solving and innovation.

What's in it for me?

• Full‑time job, Monday to Friday (7.50 hours per day / 37.5 hours per week).
• The primary office location will be Heywood (at least three times a week) but we support working from home.
• You will get lots of autonomy to own your work; you will work with a supportive manager who will help to develop your professional skills, but you will spend every day using your subject‑matter expertise to solve business problems.
• We are a global company which is expanding quickly across Europe. You will feel the impact of your work as the ‘tip of the spear’, playing a critical role in realising our purpose of transforming the supply‑chain to eliminate waste and help feed the world.
• To support our growth, our leadership culture focuses us on developing talent internally and this is a great opportunity to nurture your career in a leading global company.

Job Reference: INDUK

Why Lineage?

We are a global company with more than 22,000 employees spanning 20 countries and more than 400 locations across North America, Europe, Asia‑Pacific, and South America.

At Lineage Logistics, we have a shared purpose; we are transforming the food supply chain to eliminate waste and help feed the world. This means working at Lineage is not just a job – it’s an opportunity to innovate and put your mark on how food moves from the farm to dinner tables around the world. As a member of our team, you will be a critical link in the food supply chain.

Our shared purpose drives everything we do in all parts of our organisation, from the warehouse floor to the office. Our team members are passionate about the impact they make every single day.

We are an equal opportunities employer and positively encourage applications from persons regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity. At Lineage we also recognise that Ex‑Military, veterans, and military families have great experience with transferable skills and core values that can add significant value to our organisation.

Benefits

As a Lineage team member, we aim to provide everything you and your family need to thrive. That’s why we offer competitive rates of pay, paid time off, skills training, and development opportunities to grow a long and fulfilling career with us – plus generous financial rewards when you successfully refer new employees. This is enhanced by recognition schemes (so that your hard work won’t go unnoticed), plus the chance to make your salary go even further with our cycle‑to‑work scheme and preferential rates for loans and savings courtesy of a leading credit union.

Your everyday wellbeing is also important to us, so we will provide you with all the protective equipment you need to be safe and comfortable at work, and you will have access to a free 24/7 employee assistance phone line, which offers confidential counselling and advice. With all of this offered against the backdrop of a fun and social environment in which you will be supported by a team who enjoy helping each other in achieving their goals, we are confident you will excel with us.