Sea Logistics Admin Intermodal Specialist

Kuehne + Nagel; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

Kuehne+Nagel in the United Kingdom is seeking a Sea Logistics Admin Intermodal Specialist on a 9-month contract. The role focuses on ensuring smooth container movements across ports, railheads, and depots, with close coordination among planners, carriers, suppliers, branches, and customers.

You will manage releases, documentation, PODs, and data updates, while maintaining top-notch service in a fast-paced intermodal environment.

Qualifications

• Previous experience in sea logistics.
• Strong administrative and organisational skills with excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to prioritise tasks and work in a fast-paced environment.
• Proactive approach to identify issues before they impact operations.
• Strong communication and relationship-building with carriers, suppliers and customers.
• Experience with logistics systems or similar platforms; knowledge of TOPS/TOPS Web is advantageous.
• Customer-service mindset with a focus on accuracy and timeliness.

Responsibilities

• Proactively manage daily communications with carriers and suppliers.
• Ensure containers planned within next 24 hours are released to maintain planning horizon.
• Coordinate releases (port PINs, badges, Destin8, depots, railheads) with suppliers.
• Identify and elevate release issues through QA processes with planners and branches.
• Monitor emails and provide timely responses to stakeholders.
• Support good customer service by addressing queries and operational issues.

Skills

Sea logistics

Administrative

Attention to detail

Communication

TOPS Web knowledge

Tools

TOPS Web

Transport management systems

Job description

It's more than a job As a member of the Freight Forwarding team Kuehne+Nagel, you will play a key role in transporting goods, optimising processes, and fulfilling our customers' promises. And by transporting medicines, toys and important machine parts, you are not only delivering goods, you are making small and big moments possible for people all around the world. At Kuehne+Nagel, our contribution counts in more ways than we imagine. Are you organised, proactive, and experienced in logistics administration? Do you enjoy working in a fast-paced environment where attention to detail and effective communication make a real difference? We are looking for a Sea Logistics Admin Intermodal Specialist to join our team on a 9-month contract. In this role, you will play an important part in ensuring the smooth and timely movement of containers across ports, railheads, storage depots, and other intermodal locations. Working closely with planners, carriers, suppliers, branches, and customers, you will help ensure that all necessary releases, documentation, and shipment information are in place to keep operations running efficiently and minimise the risk of delays.

How you create impact

• Proactively manage daily communications with carriers and suppliers who do not have access to TOPS Web, ensuring relevant information is shared accurately and on time.
• Ensure all containers planned within the next 24 hours are correctly released, with the aim of maintaining a minimum 48-hour planning horizon to mitigate potential delivery risks.
• Manage and coordinate the required releases, including port PINs, port badges/Destin8, storage depots, and railheads, ensuring suppliers have valid and available information.
• Identify and elevate release issues promptly through the appropriate QA processes, working closely with planners and branch teams to resolve potential shipment risks.
• Monitor incoming emails proactively, ensuring important information reaches the right colleagues and that internal and external stakeholders receive timely, professional responses.
• Support excellent customer service by responding to queries and following up on operational issues efficiently.
• Obtain and provide missing Proofs of Delivery (PODs) for customers and branches when required.
• Support the collection of missing Actual Time of Arrival (ATA) information and ensure TOPS is updated with accurate data.

What we would like you to bring

• Previous experience in sea logistics.
• Strong administrative and organisational skills, with excellent attention to detail.
• The ability to prioritise tasks effectively and work confidently in a fast-paced environment.
• A proactive approach, with the confidence to identify potential issues and take action before they impact operations.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to build effective working relationships with colleagues, carriers, suppliers, and customers.
• Good problem-solving skills and the ability to elevate issues appropriately when required.
• Experience working with logistics systems, transport management systems, or similar operational platforms; knowledge of TOPS/TOPS Web would be an advantage.
• A strong customer-service mindset and a commitment to maintaining accurate, timely, and high-quality information.

What's in it for you

This is an excellent opportunity to join a dynamic sea logistics environment and gain valuable experience across intermodal operations. You will have the opportunity to work closely with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders while developing your knowledge of container releases, ports, rail, storage, and transport operations. As part of a collaborative team, you will have the opportunity to make a visible contribution to operational performance and customer satisfaction while building your experience within the logistics industry.

Who we are

Logistics shapes everyday life - from the goods we consume to the healthcare we rely on. At Kuehne+Nagel, your work goes beyond logistics; it enables both ordinary and special moments in the lives of people around the world. As a global leader with a strong heritage and a vision to move the world forward, we offer a safe, stable environment where your career can make a real difference. Whether we help deliver life-saving medicines, develop sustainable transportation solutions or support our local communities, your career will contribute to more than you can imagine.