Operations Coordinator

Kevin Theobald Employment Agency; Reading; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

Kevin Theobald Employment Agency is seeking an Operations Coordinator for Reading to lead a freight-forwarding service across air, sea and road. You will apply strong customs knowledge to instruct brokers, identify required paperwork such as ATA Carnets, NATO Form 302 and Postponed VAT Accounting, and ensure end-to-end control from instruction through booking, movement, customs clearance and invoicing.

This is a Mon to Fri, full-time in the office role, with the Reading area as the main locale.

Qualifications

• Strong freight-forwarding knowledge and practical customs know-how.
• Ability to instruct and manage customs brokers effectively.
• Experience with ATA Carnets, NATO Form 302 and Postponed VAT Accounting.
• Familiarity with import/export licensing and dangerous goods.

Responsibilities

• Build a commercially effective in-house international freight-forwarding service across air, sea and road.
• Win new forwarding work by responding quickly to enquiries with accurate quotations.
• Process jobs end to end from instruction through booking, movement, customs clearance, delivery, costing and invoicing handover.
• Develop and manage a network of airlines, shipping lines, hauliers, handling agents, customs brokers and overseas partners.
• Establish practical procedures, systems, controls and trained internal cover for resilience and scalability.
• Identify customs, licensing, tax, dangerous goods and documentation requirements before work is moved.
• Open and maintain forwarding jobs in systems, recording instructions, milestones, costs and communications.
• Arrange air, sea and road transport, exports, imports, delivery and storage as required.
• Prepare and check Air Waybills, Bills of Lading, CMRs, invoices and packing lists.
• Coordinate cut-off times, cargo acceptance and proof of delivery.
• Track movements, provide updates and resolve delays.
• Complete accruals, supplier-cost checks, job costing and archiving without delay.

Skills

Freight-forwarding knowledge

Customs knowledge

Instruct brokers

Supply chain coordination

Tools

BoxTop

Job description

The Operations Coordinator role requires strong practical knowledge of freight-forwarding processes and sufficient customs knowledge to instruct, challenge and manage customs brokers effectively. The candidate will structure the service, develop internal competence and ensure that specialist requirements such as ATA Carnets, NATO Form 302, Postponed VAT Accounting, import and export licensing, dangerous goods and applicable BIFA and IATA requirements are identified and controlled.

This is a Mon to Fri role, full time in the office, Salary up to £40k Client located in the Reading area

Duties Include:

• Build a commercially effective in-house international freight-forwarding service across air, sea and road.
• Win new forwarding work by responding quickly to enquiries and producing accurate, competitive and deliverable quotations.
• Process jobs end to end, maintaining ownership from initial instruction through booking, movement, customs clearance, delivery, costing and invoicing handover.
• Develop and manage a reliable network of airlines, shipping lines, hauliers, handling agents, customs brokers and overseas partners.
• Establish practical procedures, systems, controls and trained internal cover so the capability is resilient and scalable.
• Protect the company and its customers by identifying customs, licensing, tax, dangerous-goods and documentation requirements before work is accepted or moved.
• Open and maintain complete forwarding jobs in BoxTop or the nominated system, recording instructions, milestones, costs, documents and communications.
• Arrange air, sea and road transport, collections, export handling, import handling, delivery and any required storage or specialist services.
• Prepare and check Air Waybills, Bills of Lading, CMRs, manifests, commercial invoices, packing lists, transit documents and shipment instructions.
• Coordinate cut-off times, cargo acceptance, screening, security status, airline or vessel confirmation, customs release and proof of delivery.
• Track each movement, provide meaningful customer updates and resolve delays, discrepancies, rollovers, holds or missed connections.
• Complete accruals, supplier-cost checks, job costing, invoicing instructions and document archiving without avoidable delay