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Team Lead, Import-Export (Ocean Freight)
Career Function: Operations Job Family: Ocean Freight Career Stream / Level: Management / Team Leader
Job Purpose As the Team Lead, Import-Export, you'll be instrumental in coordinating the implementation of our Ocean Freight Operations and Customer Service strategy. Your primary goal is to ensure the seamless flow of goods and information across our customers' global supply chains using ocean transportation. You'll achieve this by maximizing profitability and optimizing the utilization of both business and human assets, all while aligning with our business strategy, objectives, corporate guidelines, and policies. A crucial aspect of this role is to proactively adapt to evolving business landscapes, including embracing and leveraging emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance efficiency and service delivery.
Key Responsibilities As the Team Lead, you'll be a critical business process owner within our ocean freight operations, driving efficiency and continuous improvement. - Strategic Coordination & Ownership: Coordinate the implementation of Ocean Freight Operations/Customer Service strategy and plans, ensuring full alignment with business strategy, requirements, corporate guidelines, and policies. Take ownership of defined business processes, ensuring they are documented, understood, and adhered to by your team and stakeholders.
- Operational Oversight & Team Leadership: Monitor day-to-day operations of the team, strategically prioritizing and assigning tasks to effectively utilize team resources. Set clear goals and objectives for team members, driving the achievement of operational results and ensuring work schedules and targets are met to deliver exceptional ocean freight services.
- Performance Optimization & Analytical Review:
- Contribute to developing, maintaining, and achieving ocean freight productivity targets.
- Employ a strong analytical thought process to continuously review all financial file profitability on a weekly basis, identifying discrepancies and areas for improvement.
- Proactively analyze accounts receivable and diligently review vendor-customer invoices and disputes, driving timely resolution and maintaining financial KPIs at target levels.
- Detect issues and opportunities within Import/Export processes and implement improved practices focusing on increasing effectiveness and efficiency. Use data-driven insights to propose and implement solutions.
- Business Development & Customer Relationship Management:
- Seek opportunities to expand business with new clients and continuously improve in-house customer services.
- Develop close business relationships with existing clients, aiming for a high level of customer retention.
- Establish and develop business relationships with customers through regular visits.
- Keep track of account performances, prepare and provide insightful monthly reports to management.
- Documentation & Compliance: Implement all facets of inbound and outbound documentation for all services, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
- Process Improvement & Innovation: Contribute to the development of processes and design systems that enhance service quality and align with the company’s direction and long-term goals. Leverage an analytical mindset to identify bottlenecks and propose innovative solutions, including exploring and integrating AI-driven tools where applicable to streamline operations.
- Pricing & Tender Management: Promptly respond to pricing inquiries in an efficient and competitive manner, and accurately update local tariffs in a timely fashion. Contribute to the development of shipping tenders and ensure on-time submission of relevant documents.
- Supplier & Internal Stakeholder Management:
- Create and/or confirm transport orders, perform, and optimize bookings.
- Identify performance issues of suppliers and propose data-backed solutions to improve performance.
- Update Customs shipment information and physical status, and resolve customer issues and incidents.
- Develop and build strong relationships with key suppliers and other internal functions such as capacity management, OCC, sales, and customer service.
Differentiator You'll be a key driver in ensuring our policies, practices, and procedures are not just understood, but actively followed by your direct reports, customers, and stakeholders. While problems faced may be difficult, your analytical thought process will enable you to break them down and derive effective, logical solutions. Your adaptability and forward-thinking approach will be crucial in navigating industry changes, including the integration of new technologies like AI, ensuring our operations remain cutting-edge and competitive.
Management Responsibility You will supervise professional-level employees (typically entry or experienced level) and may also supervise some non-professional employees, guiding their development and performance.
Skills & Qualifications - Business Acumen: Deep understanding of Routing, Shipping, Carrier Management, Third-Party Logistics (3PL), Ports, Ground Transportation (FCL, LCL), Cold Chain logistics, Bill of Lading, Tracking, Regulations (Import, Export, Customs), and DHL Business Knowledge.
- Analytical Prowess: Demonstrated analytical thought process with the ability to review complex data, identify trends, detect issues, and propose data-driven solutions for process improvement and efficiency gains.
- Process Ownership: Proven experience in business process ownership, including documenting, optimizing, and ensuring adherence to operational procedures.
- Financial Acuity: Experience with Budgets, Accounts Receivable, and reviewing vendor-customer invoices/disputes, coupled with the ability to maintain financial KPIs.
- Computer Literacy & Data Skills: Strong computer literacy, including proficiency with business software and enterprise systems. Demonstrated ability to work with and interpret data, utilizing various tools for reporting and analysis.
- Technical Proficiency: Proficient in Microsoft Excel; familiarity with Technology Trends relevant to logistics.
- Adaptability & Innovation: Highly adaptive to change, with a proactive approach to understanding and integrating new technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), into business processes to drive innovation and efficiency.
- Leadership & Communication: Strong skills in Influencing, Feedback, Presentation & Storytelling, Facilitation, Negotiation, People Management, and Resourcing.
- Education: Bachelor's Degree.
- Experience: 5 years of relevant experience.
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