Import Export Controller

Azelis; Durban; On-site; ZAR 350,000 - 520,000; Full time

Job summary

Azelis Durban is seeking an experienced freight forwarding professional to manage import/export operations across sea and air. The role covers documentation, liaison with shipping lines and customs, and end-to-end processes from filing to invoicing.

You will oversee warehouse operations, packaging considerations, and data management while supervising junior staff as needed. Strong communication and organisational skills are essential.

Qualifications

• University Degree required or equivalent experience.
• Experience enabling handling most situations and advising others.
• Experience supervising junior colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Manage the transportation of goods and supplies and ensure on-time delivery.
• Oversee medium-sized warehouse operations and storekeeping.
• Understand packaging needs and monitor industry changes relevant to packaging.
• Collect and analyze cost drivers and supplier options for informed decisions.
• Resolve queries from internal/external customers or suppliers with policy guidance.
• Prepare and organize complex documents using MS Office; gather data for reports.
• Support data management efforts and assist others with systems.
• Receive and check shipping documents for imports; register shipments; liaise with shipping lines and customs.
• Coordinate export shipments, letters of credit, and filing documents; balance and close shipment files.

Skills

Good communication skills

Supervision experience

Problem solving

Education

University Degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Mission

This job function requires the suitable candidate to have a minimum 10 years sea / air import and export experience within a customs clearing and freight forwarding company.

Competent in all aspects of international freight forwarding and customs clearing –

Able to handle all tasks A – Z (From File opening (registration) to closing

(invoicing).

Customer liaisons must possess good communication skills, both verbally and written.

Main Accountabilities

Transport

• Manage the transportation of goods and supplies for a medium-sized organization using existing procedures; review and recommend improvements to procedures to ensure on-time delivery of goods and supplies.

Incoming Goods

• Manage a medium-size and medium-complexity warehouse and stores using existing procedures and develop new procedures when required to ensure all goods and supplies are stored and recorded appropriately.

Outgoing goods

• Develop an understanding of packaging needs and ideas for prototypes to support the packaging process.Keep informed regarding pending industry changes, trends, and best practices and assess the potential impact of these changes on organizational processes

Sourcing

• Collect and analyze the key cost drivers, market dynamics and issues, areas of innovation, and alternative suppliers for a low-risk area with many alternatives/ minimum costs of changing, in consultation with relevant functions to provide solid market information for decision making.

Information and Business Advice

• Resolve queries from internal or external customers or suppliers by providing information on complex processes and the related policies, referring to others where necessary for interpretation of policy.

Document Preparation

• Organize and prepare complex documents using a variety of computer applications such as Microsoft Office. Also responsible for gathering and summarizing data for special reports.

Data Management

• Help others get the most out of data management systems by providing support and advice.

Imports

• Receiving and checking of shipping documents and confirming shipment details with the Shipping Lines.
• Preparing schedule to ensure that all incoming shipments are recorded and nothing is missed out.
• Registering of Import Shipments on Easy Clear System Track shipments and communicate with internal Framing Bills of Entry Declarations and preparing and setting up documents for processing at Customs Department and Port Authorities Office.
• Preparing “release” documents for presentation to the Shipping Lines and obtaining Final “release” to arrange and co-ordinate upliftment of container from the Port for delivery to the Warehouse.
• Invoicing of all shipment files. Checking, reconciling and capturing all Creditor invoices.
• Closing and balancing all shipment files.
• Invoicing all shipment files

Exports

• Receiving export shipment orders (instructions) and booking the shipments with the shipping lines.
• Working knowledge on Letters of Credit.
• Co-ordinating Quality Inspections (Bureau Veritas, Intertek, SGS, etc…).
• Arranging and placing of the EMPTY containers for loading at the Warehouse and movement of the FULL container to the Container Terminal (Export Stack). Framing Bills of Entry Declarations and preparing and setting up documents for processing at customs Department and Port Authorities Office.
• Framing Bills of lading for presentation, together with the “release” documents to the Shipping Lines.
• Collecting the Bills of Lading from the Shipping Lines and couriering same, together with all the Shipping Documents (Commercial Invoice, Packing List, etc…) to the customer.
• Checking, reconciling and capturing all Creditor invoices.
• Closing and balancing all shipment files.
• Invoicing of all shipment files.

Compliance

• Handling “cross-trade” shipments and ensuring compliance.
• Assisting in preparation of cost estimates and proposals.

Skills And Qualifications

• University Degree
• Experience enables job holder to deal with the majority of situations and to advise others
• Experience of general supervision of more junior colleagues

Reporting line and organizational level

• Reports to the Forwarding and Clearing Manager

Key Interfaces

• Internal: Managers, Employees
• External: Customs, SARS