Our ideal candidate:

Goal-orientated, not afraid to get their hands dirty and love to close deals constantly. They turn challenges into opportunities and quickly solve problems. When things are tough, take perspective, step back and remain objective to ensure the desired outcome is achieved. In this way, we stay flexible, seek to pinpoint what really matters and find workable actions, quickly. Our people are eager to stay up-to-date by reading, attending training and take ownership of personal development.

Job Summary:

Driven to deliver commercial success, this role is responsible for acquiring the best freight rates and service solution options that will propel sales growth in a highly competitive, dynamic trading environment.

Focused on FCL (40’HC) shipments to or from Europe and regional haulage within Europe, you must have an extensive network and proven experience working successfully with freight forwarders, carriers and hauliers. Vast knowledge of the 2PL & 3PL industries.

Hungry and determined to make an impact, you will act as a partner to the commercial teams to make profitable deals happen every day in a fast-paced commodity trading business with tight deadlines. A skilled negotiator, seeking solutions that are found when they are needed.

Analytical in your approach, you must balance the pressure of achieving results in the day-to-day trading business with the need to seek out and develop solutions for the future.

A key part of the role is to deliver service excellence to suppliers and customers. You must seek feedback, evaluate service successes and failures, establish and refine delivery processes, streamline communications, and create efficient internal workflows to ensure all clients receive the same great service experience from pick up through to delivery.

Working closely with Vanden logistics teams around the world, you will have a highly collaborative approach, pooling resources, sharing information and coordinating efforts to obtain the best results.

Being part of a growing organisation, in a fast growing industry, you must possess an entrepreneurial spirit and have a proven track record in a forwarding, trading or commodity business that operates in multiple countries, serving both SME’s & corporates.

An excellent communicator, you will demonstrate an optimistic and persistent approach, always open to giving and receiving feedback on performance. Not willing to settle for second best, challenges are seen as an opportunity to learn.

This role is suited to an ambitious individual who is adaptable to change, driven, resilient, energetic, loves challenges and with strong connections across the shipping supply chain.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

- Build the logistics and service capability to deliver key outcomes
- Develop relationships with multiple providers to ensure a range of options on all trade routes
- Work with commercial teams to develop unique logistics solutions to overcome common objections and/or to create new strategies to secure long-term contracts
- Obtain the most competitive spot rates for all requests from commercial team
- Containers (40’HC) to/from Europe, inter-Europe trailers and containers
- Be proactive to seek opportunities to reduce logistics costs and enhance performance and image of organisation
- Collect and analyse data to identify freight trends, potential threats, and opportunities
- Monitor vessel routes for efficiency and/or alterations
- Manage records of carrier pricing, contract rates and freight payments (budget vs actual)
- Analyse overall freight processes, conduct audits, and make recommendations to management for improvements, upgrades, discontinuation, etc.
- Prepare progress reports of scheduled freights, and monthly reports for management to assess overall effectiveness of current freight systems.
- Develop a freight rate platform or portal to enable commercial team to access accurate indication pricing to s