Sea Freight Coordinator

Confidential; Shepperton; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Office-based role with occasional work

Annual leave 21 days + bank holidays

Holiday entitlement up to 25 days

Incremental holidays up to 28 days

Job summary

Confidential is seeking an experienced Sea Freight Coordinator in Shepperton to manage end-to-end sea freight imports and exports, coordinating with shipping lines, customers, hauliers and agents to ensure smooth cargo movement and compliant documentation.

The ideal candidate has a minimum of 4 years in freight forwarding, strong sea freight operations knowledge, and a solid understanding of CDS and customs procedures. Multimodal experience is a plus.

Qualifications

• Minimum 4 years' experience within freight forwarding.
• Solid Sea Freight experience in imports/exports.
• Experience managing shipments from start to finish.
• Good working knowledge of CDS and customs procedures.
• Experience across additional freight modes such as Road Freight and Air Freight is a plus.
• Experience handling multimodal imports and exports.

Responsibilities

• Manage Sea Freight import and export shipments from start to finish.
• Coordinate bookings with shipping lines, carriers, hauliers and overseas agents.
• Manage the full shipment lifecycle from initial booking through to final delivery.
• Liaise with customers to provide shipment updates and resolve operational queries.
• Prepare and manage all relevant Sea Freight documentation.
• Coordinate collection, shipping and delivery arrangements.
• Monitor shipment progress and proactively manage any delays or exceptions.
• Liaise with overseas agents and international partners to ensure smooth shipment movements.
• Manage customs requirements and ensure shipments comply with current procedures.
• Complete and manage customs declarations using CDS.
• Ensure all customs and shipping documentation is accurate and completed within required timescales.
• Maintain accurate shipment records and update internal systems throughout the shipment lifecycle.
• Deal with customer queries and provide a high level of service throughout the shipment process.
• Manage multiple shipments and competing priorities while maintaining accuracy.

Skills

Sea Freight operations

Shipment coordination

Documentation handling

CDS knowledge

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Tools

CDS

Job description

Job title: Sea Freight Coordinator

Location: Shepperton, TW17

Salary: 35,000 - 40,000 DOE

Working Hours: Monday - Friday, 09:00 - 17:30

Sea Freight Coordinator Overview

I am currently recruiting for an experienced Sea Freight Coordinator to join an established freight forwarding and logistics business. This is a hands‑on operational role suited to an experienced freight forwarding professional with a strong background in Sea Freight imports and exports. The successful candidate will be responsible for managing shipments from start to finish, coordinating with customers, shipping lines, hauliers, overseas agents and internal teams to ensure cargo moves efficiently and all documentation and customs requirements are completed correctly. Experience across other modes such as Road Freight or Air Freight would be advantageous, but the key requirement is solid Sea Freight experience. The role would suit someone who is confident taking ownership of their shipments, has strong attention to detail and understands the operational and customs requirements involved in international Sea Freight.

Sea Freight Coordinator Responsibilities

• Manage Sea Freight import and export shipments from start to finish.
• Coordinate bookings with shipping lines, carriers, hauliers and overseas agents.
• Manage the full shipment lifecycle from initial booking through to final delivery.
• Liaise with customers to provide shipment updates and resolve operational queries.
• Prepare and manage all relevant Sea Freight documentation.
• Coordinate collection, shipping and delivery arrangements.
• Monitor shipment progress and proactively manage any delays or exceptions.
• Liaise with overseas agents and international partners to ensure smooth shipment movements.
• Manage customs requirements and ensure shipments comply with current procedures.
• Complete and manage customs declarations using CDS.
• Ensure all customs and shipping documentation is accurate and completed within required timescales.
• Maintain accurate shipment records and update internal systems throughout the shipment lifecycle.
• Deal with customer queries and provide a high level of service throughout the shipment process.
• Manage multiple shipments and competing priorities while maintaining accuracy.

Sea Freight Coordinator Requirements

• Minimum 4 years' experience within freight forwarding.
• Strong practical experience in Sea Freight operations.
• Experience managing Sea Freight imports and/or exports.
• Proven ability to manage shipments from start to finish.
• Good working knowledge of CDS and customs procedures.
• Strong understanding of international Sea Freight processes and documentation.
• Excellent organisational and time-management skills.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple shipments and competing priorities.
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of your workload.
• Experience across additional freight modes such as Road Freight and Air Freight.
• Experience handling multimodal imports and exports.

Benefits

• Primarily office-based (Occasional work‑from‑home days can be approved where required)
• 21 days' annual leave + bank holidays.
• Holiday entitlement increases annually with length of service up to 25 days.
• Following this, holiday entitlement increases by 1 additional day every 3 years, up to a maximum of 28 days.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate will be an experienced Sea Freight Coordinator or Sea Freight Operator who is comfortable managing shipments independently from booking through to final delivery.

You will have a strong understanding of Sea Freight imports and exports, shipping documentation and customs procedures, alongside good practical knowledge of CDS.

Experience with Road, Air or other freight modes would be a valuable advantage, particularly for someone with a broader multimodal background, but Sea Freight will be the primary focus of the role.