The International Move Coordinator– Overseas Booked will be responsible for managing many aspects of international household shipments including managing the relationship with the overseas booking agent and acting as a single source contact for the customer in North America on behalf of the overseas booking agent. To be successful the International Move Coordinator will communicate with agents, vendors and customers, manage the profitability of the shipments, educate customers as needed and agents regarding process and procedures for international shipping and resolve transportation issues. Additional responsibilities include invoice dispute resolution, providing coverage for absent colleagues, vendor management and selection, all the while focusing on ensuring customer satisfaction.
Responsibilities
40% Logistics Management
Anticipate, plan and ensure the most efficient and cost effective shipment routing based on customer requirements
Prompt management: utilize the operating system (SCAN) to take actions identified by the system to ensure timeliness of the move process
Organization: ability to work in a paperless environment utilizing the SISTRS imaging system
Metrics management: adhere to set goals to ensure the KPI’s are met
Communication: communicate and coordinate with agents, vendors & customers on all aspects of the move including negotiation of rates where applicable
Problem resolution: mitigate adverse financial impact of problematic situations through use of technical knowledge, established business contacts and persistence
30% Communicate Proactively and Build Relationships
Agent: understand and set move expectations. Handle customer issues with a sense of urgency and empathy.
Superb customer service skills
Process oriented: follows pre-defined move management process which includes at least 4 phone calls with the transferee
Phone and e-mail agent contact with U.S. and overseas agents
Phone and e-mail contact with third party vendors in the US/Canada (steamship lines, port brokers, truckers)
Agent/supplier: coordinate and communicate the logistics, pricing, move details and any problem resolution
Agent support: communicate and report back to agents as required
Support: coordination with various departments such as accounts payable, accounts receivable, billing, claims and account management to ensure proper completion of all aspects of a move
Agent satisfaction: manage and monitor the expectations, requests and issues timely and effectively. Provide guidance relative to Customs Requirements in over 151 different countries.
Shared accountability for the success and failure of each move with the overseas booking agent
Responsible for a targeted annual workload of 400-500 shipments
20% Pricing
Generate competitive, one-off rate quotes by obtaining and building Door-to-Door, Port-to-Door or Door-to-Port pricing for all aspects of the international move, inclusive of origin, trucking, freight, customs clearance and destination services through the use of internal systems (MoveManager) and external resources (3rd party vendors, agents, steamship lines, network offices, US Customs)
Accountability for margin, vendor selection, transportation expense and final routing of the shipment
Margin management: evaluate all aspects of a move to ensure the most profitable route is taken by using tools such as MoveManager, tariff documents and vendor negotiations where tariffs don’t exist
Accountable for ensuring agents and vendor rate proposals are within fair market value. Ability to negotiate when needed.
10% Exception Resolution
Settle invoice exceptions via cost research, comparing quoted rates to invoice and tariff rates
Negotiate with vendors, agent partners and network offices to settle discrepancies
Document root causes to aid in reducing future occurrences
Abide by formal dispute process when resolving inter-company exceptions
Qualifications
Industry experience (freight forwarding, import/export) preferred
Minimum 2 years customer service experience required
Strong communication skills: both oral and written with proper business etiquette
Strong negotiation skills
Strong analytical skills: understanding of a basic P&L (Profit & Loss) statement
Effective problem solving skills
Basic world geography
Organization: time management, setting priorities, multi-tasking, deadline oriented
Teamwork and ability to work with different cultures
Results-oriented
Proficient in Microsoft Office Applications (Excel, Word, Outlook)
Multi-lingual a plus
Bachelors degree required or equivalent work experience