Shipping Associate

Sotheby's; Greater London; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

Sotheby’s, based in London, seeks a Shipping Associate to provide essential administrative support to the Shipping Departments across EMEA and APAC. You will manage procurement workflow, record-keeping, and contribute to process refinement, while maintaining vendor accounts in line with contractual terms.

During peak periods you will assist with Traveling Exhibitions and Expertise shipping, and collaborate with Finance to reconcile billing and system variances.

Qualifications

• BA degree with 1–2 years administrative or procurement experience.
• Prior ERP/SAP experience is highly desirable.
• Strong organizational, analytical and time-management skills.
• Excellent confidentiality, discretion and professional ethics.
• Customer-service mindset with active listening and patience.

Responsibilities

• Respond to shipping payment inquiries promptly and professionally.
• Reconcile differences with shipping agents and meet payment deadlines.
• Serve as AP contact for Shipping Vendors and queries.
• Prepare regular and ad hoc management reports.
• Reconcile shippers' accounts; ensure invoices are received and processed.
• Investigate discrepancies between vendor quotes, POs in SAP and invoices.
• Oversee procurement for Travelling Exhibitions including vendor parking costs.
• Collaborate with Finance to reconcile billing variances and shipping quotes.
• Assist with TravEx and Expertise shipments during high peak seasons.
• Support customs declarations and licence applications.
• Assist with packing requests, pre-alerts, air freight invoices and tracking.
• Maintain general records for Shipping; take on ad hoc projects.

Skills

Administrative

Procurement

SAP

Organization

Microsoft Office

Education

BA degree

Tools

SAP

Google Workspace

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Established in 1744, Sotheby’s promotes access and ownership of exceptional art and luxury objects through auctions, private sales and retail. Our deep expertise across 70 selling categories is supported by a leading technology platform and a global network of specialists spanning 40 countries. Selling categories include Contemporary Art, Modern and Impressionist Art, Old Masters, Chinese Works of Art, Jewelry, Watches, Wine and Spirits and Design, as well as collectible cars and real estate through RM Sotheby’s and Concierge. Sotheby’s Financial Services is a leading art lender and provides capital solutions for collectors around the world, having originated more than $12 billion in loans since its inception. Sotheby’s new global headquarters is now open at the iconic Breuer building at 945 Madison Avenue in New York City.

THE ROLE

This role provides essential administrative support to Sotheby’s Shipping Departments. This role will manage procurement workflow, record keeping, and contribute to Shipping process refinement. The Shipping Associate is responsible for maintaining all vendor accounts in accordance with contractual terms and agreements, for EMEA and APAC regions. During peak season, the Shipping Associate will also provide support on the organization of Traveling Exhibitions and Expertise shipping.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Responsible for responding to inquiries regarding shipping payment in a timely and professional manner
• Reconcile differences with the shipping agents and/or Shipping Coordinators and meet payment deadlines
• Act as a point of contact for Shipping Vendors with queries related to Accounts Payable
• Prepare regular and ad hoc management reporting as requested
• Reconcile all shippers accounts ensuring that all invoices have been received and have been processed
• Investigate discrepancies between vendor quotes, parked POs in SAP and the vendor invoices received
• Oversee procurement process for Travelling Exhibitions including parking costs for vendors and logging regional spend
• Partner with Finance to reconcile billing discrepancies and system variances related to shipping quotes and Customs.
• During semi-annual high pic season:
• Support maintenance of TravEx and Expertise shipments
• Support creation of customs declarations and licence applications
• Support shipping coordination, including the preparation of internal packing requests, pre-alerts, air freight invoices, and tracking of international shipments
• General record keeping for the Shipping department
• Additional ad hoc projects as directed by manager

IDEAL EXPERIENCE & COMPETENCIES

• BA degree and 1-2 years administrative or procurement experience with basic knowledge of international & domestic shipping logistics
• A degree or relevant experience in Finance, Business, Operations & Logistics, IT, and/or Engineering is highly desirable.
• A high command and prior experience of ERP/CRM SYSTEMS (SAP particularly)
• Excellent organization, with the ability to proactively set priorities and meet deadlines
• Excellent analytical skills
• Highest standard of confidentiality, discretion, and work ethic
• Excellent client service skills, with a demonstrated capability in active listening, empathy, service orientation and patience
• The ability to work under pressure and maintain a welcoming disposition, to work both independently and to partner with colleagues
• Proficient in Google Workplace, Microsoft Office Suite and capable of learning internal systems quickly

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The Company is an equal opportunity employer and considers all applicants for employment without regard to race (including, without limitation, traits historically associated with race, such as natural hair, hair texture, and protective and treated or untreated hairstyles), color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership/union status, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, genetic predisposition, genetic information, reproductive health decision, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, alienage or citizenship status, domestic violence victim status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state/province or local law. The Company complies with applicable state and local laws prohibiting discrimination in employment in every jurisdiction in which it operates.