Assistant Manager Freight Forwarding Customer Service

• Position Title
• Assistant Manager – Customer Service & CHA Exports
• Business Vertical / Department
• Freight Forwarding – Pricing & Customer Service / CHA Exports
• Reporting Line
• Manager – Freight Forwarding Pricing & Manager CHA
• Location
• Abhyansh Shipping office / operational location as assigned, with coordination for Nhava Sheva / JNPT export operations
• Key Functional Interfaces
• Customers / exporters; Manager – Freight Forwarding Pricing; Freight Forwarding Operations; CHA / Customs Documentation and Dock Representatives; shipping lines; airlines; overseas agents; transporters; port / CFS operators; Billing & Accounts; Sales & Business Development; Finance / Credit Control; and internal MIS / system support

· Receive export shipment requirements and cargo details from customers; validate key information including commodity, packages, gross / net weight, dimensions, origin, destination, cargo readiness and required shipment date.

· Submit bookings with the appropriate shipping lines or airlines in accordance with customer requirements, approved rates and service commitments.

· Follow up with carriers for booking confirmations, vessel / flight schedules, routing, container availability, cut-off dates, SI cut-off, VGM cut-off and other operational milestones.

· Coordinate timely vehicle and container arrangements with transporters and operations teams, ensuring bookings and equipment align with cargo readiness and port / CFS timelines.

· Maintain accurate booking records and communicate changes in schedules, equipment availability or cut-off times to customers and internal stakeholders.

· Obtain BL instructions / draft details from customers and verify them against booking records, commercial documents and carrier requirements.

· Prepare and submit Shipping Instructions (SI) to the relevant shipping line within the stipulated cut-off and follow up for the first BL draft / print.

· Check the first BL print carefully for shipper, consignee, notify party, vessel / voyage, container and seal details, cargo description, package count, weight, ports, freight terms and other applicable particulars.

· Coordinate discrepancies and amendments with customers and shipping lines, maintain an approval trail and submit the approved draft for final BL issuance.

· Track final BL issuance and dispatch / release instructions, ensuring that customer requirements and carrier procedures are followed and that amendments are handled within applicable timelines and charges.

· Coordinate with overseas agents to obtain destination charges, customs clearance requirements, transit details, documentation needs and any local restrictions for DAP / DDP shipments.

· Share accurate shipment particulars and documents with agents, track responses and align the customer, operations and destination teams on delivery requirements.

· Monitor destination-side exceptions and additional charges; seek approval for material variations before committing to non-standard costs wherever practicable.

· Coordinate with Billing / Accounts to ensure all agreed sell charges, carrier costs, agent costs, local charges, surcharges and other approved shipment expenses are captured accurately.

· Verify billing details against approved quotations, buy / sell rates, booking terms, carrier invoices and supporting records; resolve discrepancies before invoice finalization.

· Update shipment charges in the designated system, prepare the draft invoice where required and obtain customer approval in accordance with company procedures.

· Ensure invoices are raised within the prescribed timeline and coordinate with Accounts on missing documents, cost accruals, vendor invoices and billing exceptions.

· Reconcile the job file / shipment folder, ensure required documents and charge details are complete, finalize the file in the system and hand over records to Accounts for further processing.

· Flag unbilled charges, margin leakage, rate mismatches, unapproved expenses and customer disputes to the reporting manager for timely resolution.

· Track all booked shipments from booking through gate-in, sailing / departure, transshipment where applicable, arrival milestones and final document issuance.

· Maintain and update the Daily Status Report (DSR) and shipment trackers with accurate booking, documentation, customs clearance, container movement and sailing information.

· Provide proactive and accurate updates to customers and internal teams regarding booking confirmation, cut-offs, customs status, port-in, vessel / flight changes, delays and other exceptions.

· Respond to customer enquiries and complaints promptly; coordinate with carriers, overseas agents, transporters and internal teams to resolve issues and communicate the agreed action plan.

· Maintain a clear record of customer instructions, approvals, shipment milestones and significant changes to reduce errors and ensure service continuity.

· Follow approved SOPs, pricing approval limits, document-control requirements, customer credit procedures and escalation protocols.

· Protect customer, rate and shipment information; maintain organized digital / physical records and support internal reviews or audits when requested.

· Identify recurring documentation errors, late submissions, missed cut-offs, billing gaps and avoidable charges; recommend and track practical corrective actions.

· Perform other role-related duties assigned by the reporting manager that are consistent with the position's purpose and authority.