Job Description:

FCL Import Supervisor (Ocean Freight) 

Location: Basildon

We are looking for an experienced FCL Import Supervisor to join a busy Sea Freight Import department in Basildon.

This is a hands-on operational role for someone with strong FCL import experience who is ready to take greater responsibility for the department’s day-to-day performance and support the development of the wider team.

Alongside managing FCL shipments and key customer accounts, you will help coordinate workloads, maintain operational standards, support colleagues and ensure shipments are handled efficiently from origin through to final delivery.

The successful candidate will have a strong understanding of FCL import operations, shipping-line relationships and container management, together with the confidence to make decisions, resolve problems and provide guidance within a busy operational environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the day-to-day running of the FCL Import department, ensuring workloads are effectively managed and service standards are maintained.

• Manage FCL import shipments from origin through to final delivery in the UK.

• Provide operational support, guidance and knowledge to members of the FCL team.

• Monitor departmental workloads and priorities.

• Liaise closely with overseas offices and agents.

• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with shipping lines and key service providers.

• Monitor container allocations, commitments, availability and carrier performance.

• Coordinate customs clearance, transport, warehousing and final-delivery requirements.

• Proactively identify and resolve operational issues, including complex shipments and service exceptions.

• Act as an escalation point for operational and customer issues when appropriate.

• Maintain a strong understanding of key client requirements.

• Ensure operational delivery supports commitments made by the commercial team.

• Work closely with Sales and other internal teams to support the onboarding and ongoing servicing of key customer accounts.

• Maintain high standards of accuracy, productivity and customer service.

• Identify opportunities to improve processes, workflows and operational efficiency.

• Liaise with Accounts and other internal departments to ensure customer accounts and cargo releases are managed correctly.

• Maintain accurate shipment records and documentation, including Bills of Lading and associated import documentation.

Team Support and Development

An important part of this position will be helping to create a knowledgeable, collaborative and accountable FCL team.

The successful candidate will be expected to:

• Support and develop colleagues through day-to-day guidance and knowledge sharing.

• Help new and existing team members understand operational procedures and customer requirements.

• Encourage good communication, accountability and teamwork.

• Work with senior management to identify training and operational-development requirements.

• Help maintain a positive, solutions-focused working environment.

Experience and Knowledge

We are looking for someone with:

Strong previous experience in FCL import freight forwarding.

A thorough working knowledge of the end-to-end FCL import process.

Good knowledge of Bills of Lading, shipping documentation and import procedures.

An understanding of UK customs-clearance processes.

Experience dealing directly with shipping lines, hauliers, warehouses and overseas agents.

A good understanding of container allocations, carrier commitments and shipping-line performance.

Experience handling key or commercially important customer accounts.

Strong organisational and problem-solving skills.

The ability to prioritise workloads and remain effective in a busy operational environment.

Previous experience supporting, supervising or developing colleagues would be advantageous.

Personal Attributes

We are looking for someone who is:

Confident and approachable, with strong communication skills.

Comfortable taking responsibility and making operational decisions.

Commercially aware and able to understand the wider impact of operational performance.

Proactive rather than reactive when dealing with problems.

Calm and solutions-focused under pressure.

Comfortable communicating directly with customers, suppliers and colleagues.

Able to motivate and support others while remaining involved in day-to-day operations.

Focused on both customer service and operational performance.

Probation

Six months, with a review after three months.

Benefits

20 days’ paid holiday per year, excluding bank holidays.

An additional day’s holiday following each completed year of employment, capped at 25 days excluding bank holidays.

Contributory pension following successful completion of probation.

Health-support scheme following successful completion of probation.

Canteen.

Casual dress.

Free on-site parking.

Health and wellbeing programme.

On-site gym.

If you have strong FCL import experience and are looking for an opportunity to take greater ownership, support a team and play an important role in developing a growing import operation, we would like to hear from you.