Assistant Customer Service Manager

ATA Freight; Pune District; On-site; INR 1,800,000 - 2,800,000; Full time

Job summary

ATA Freight in Pune is seeking an experienced Assistant Manager Customer Service to lead end-to-end CS for Ocean/Air Freight, Customs clearance, Transportation and Warehousing. You will be the primary contact for key customers, coordinating with operations, overseas offices, carriers and vendors to ensure timely shipments and proactive communication.

The role requires 10–13 years in CS within logistics, with 4–6 years in leadership, strong freight knowledge, and ability to drive process

Qualifications

• 10-13 years of experience in Customer Service within Freight Forwarding, Logistics, or Supply Chain.
• 4-6 years in a team handling or leadership role.
• Strong expertise in Ocean & Air Freight CS operations.
• Experience in handling key customer accounts and cross-functional coordination.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary CS lead for key customers; manage shipment status and service queries.
• Coordinate with Ocean/Air Ops, Customs, Transportation, Warehousing, and overseas teams.
• Ensure SLA adherence, documentation accuracy, and compliance with regulations.
• Lead, mentor, and develop the CS team; drive improvements and KPI tracking.
• Collaborate with Sales, Finance, Ops, and vendors; onboard new accounts.
• Identify process improvements and optimize ERP/TMS usage.
• Prepare regular CS reports and present performance improvements.

Skills

Freight Forwarding CS

Ocean Freight

Air Freight

Customs Clearance

Shipment Tracking

Customer Relationship

Key Account Mgmt

Documentation

Incoterms

ERP / TMS

MS Excel & MIS

Leadership

Team Management

Stakeholder Mgmt

Problem Solving

Communication

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Commerce / Business Administration

MBA / PGDM in Logistics / SCM

Tools

ERP / TMS Systems

MS Excel

Job description

Job Description Assistant Manager Customer Service

Department: Sales & CR

Location: Pune

Job Role

The Assistant Manager Customer Service will be responsible for managing end-to-end customer service activities for freight forwarding and logistics services, ensuring exceptional customer experience across Ocean Freight, Air Freight, Customs Clearance, Transportation, and Warehousing. The role involves acting as the primary point of contact for key customers, coordinating with internal operations teams, overseas offices, shipping lines, and vendors to ensure timely shipment execution, proactive communication, and service excellence. The incumbent will also lead the customer service team, drive process improvements, monitor service performance, and ensure customer satisfaction while supporting the organization's business objectives.

Key Responsibilities

1. Customer Relationship Management

• Serve as the primary point of contact for key customers regarding shipment status, operational updates, and service-related queries.
• Build and maintain long-term relationships with key customers by ensuring proactive communication and exceptional service.
• Conduct regular customer review meetings to understand business requirements and improve service delivery.
• Resolve customer complaints and escalations within defined service timelines while ensuring customer satisfaction.
• Ensure adherence to customer SOPs and service level agreements (SLAs).

2. Shipment Coordination & Operations Support

• Coordinate with Ocean Operations, Air Operations, Customs Clearance, Transportation, Warehousing, and overseas offices for smooth shipment execution.
• Ensure timely execution of Import and Export shipments from booking to final delivery.
• Monitor shipment milestones and proactively communicate shipment status to customers.
• Coordinate with shipping lines, airlines, transporters, warehouses, customs brokers, and overseas agents to ensure seamless cargo movement.
• Escalate operational issues and ensure timely resolution.

3. Documentation & Compliance

• Verify shipping documentation including Bills of Lading, Delivery Orders, Commercial Invoices, Packing Lists, and other shipment-related documents.
• Ensure compliance with Customs regulations, DGFT guidelines, international trade requirements, and company policies.
• Maintain accurate operational records and ensure audit readiness.
• Ensure documentation accuracy to minimize shipment delays and operational risks.

4. Team Leadership & Performance Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop the Customer Service team.
• Allocate work, monitor team productivity, and ensure timely completion of operational activities.
• Conduct performance reviews, coaching sessions, and identify training needs.
• Promote a customer-focused culture with emphasis on operational excellence and continuous improvement.

5. Stakeholder & Vendor Coordination

• Collaborate with Sales, Pricing, Operations, Finance, overseas offices, shipping lines, transporters, and logistics partners.
• Support implementation and onboarding of new customer accounts.
• Ensure smooth coordination between internal and external stakeholders for timely shipment execution.
• Build strong relationships with carriers, vendors, and business partners.

6. Process Improvement & Service Excellence

• Identify opportunities to improve customer service processes and operational efficiency.
• Drive standardization, automation, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Monitor customer feedback and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Ensure effective utilization of ERP/TMS systems for operational excellence.

7. Reporting & MIS

• Prepare daily, weekly, and monthly customer service reports.
• Track KPIs including customer satisfaction, shipment visibility, response time, SLA compliance, documentation accuracy, and operational efficiency.
• Present service performance reports and improvement initiatives to management.
• Analyze operational trends and recommend improvement actions.

Required Skills & Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Commerce, Business Administration, Logistics, Supply Chain Management, or a related discipline.
• MBA / PGDM in Logistics, Supply Chain Management, or Marketing will be preferred. Experience:

Experience

• 10 - 13 years of experience in Customer Service within the Freight Forwarding, Logistics, or Supply Chain industry.
• Minimum 4 - 6 years of experience in a team handling or leadership role.
• Strong expertise in managing Ocean Freight (Import & Export) and Air Freight customer service operations.
• Experience in handling key customer accounts, operational escalations, service delivery, and cross functional coordination.

Skills Required

• Freight Forwarding Customer Service
• Ocean Freight (Import & Export)
• Air Freight Operations
• Customs Clearance Coordination
• Shipment Tracking & Visibility
• Customer Relationship Management
• Key Account Management
• Shipping Documentation
• Incoterms
• ERP / TMS Systems
• Advanced MS Excel & MIS Reporting
• Leadership & Team Management
• Stakeholder Management
• Problem Solving & Decision Making
• Excellent Communication & Presentation Skills