Airfreight Export Operations Specialist

DHL Global Forwarding (Ireland) Ltd

Location: Cedar Drive, Airport Logistics Park, St Margarets Co.Dublin 

Scope of Role

• Processes, handles and distributes all required documents in accordance with DGF operational procedures
• Performs pickup/delivery arrangement
• Ensures customer requirements are met & documents are completed in a timely & efficient manner

• Proactively communicates with customers 
• Accountable for end to end job file ownership to include monitoring & commercial activities

Reports to Airfreight Operations team lead 

Days & Hours of Work Mon – Fri: 09.00 – 17.30, or such hours as are deemed necessary to fulfill the requirements of the role

Key Accountabilities

• Work with assigned customers to be open, honest & build long term, strong relationships. 
• Work closely with all overseas teams to ensure all expectations are met and escalate where necessary.
• Responsible for opening, invoicing & closing files in line with standard operational procedures, customer operational procedures & overseas regulatory/customer requirements
• Creates/confirms transport order in the system to ensure pickup or delivery of the shipment
• Manage customer bookings,   
• Prepares, controls and distributes all required Export/Import documents to counterparts (carrier, consignee, supplier, etc.)
• Checks printed documents and finalises validation against shipper & DGF warehouse documents to ensure all information contained is accurate, i.e., Contract rating, Weight, Shipper, Consignee, etc.,
• Manage exception reporting & liaise directly with relevant departments
• Responsible for closing own Export shipments, filing & sending DGF invoices to customers
• Ensures Known Shipper declaration (original) is received at time of collection. 
• Capture performance issues through the raising of Operations Irregularities and work with the relevant department/supplier and proposes solutions to improve/correct performance 
• Raise customer exceptions where necessary & ensure customer updates are entered every 24 hours. Ensure resolution is recorded within 96 hours (also applicable for Finance Disputes Log)
• Respond to received Network Requests within 24 hours
• Supports Customer Service in incident reporting and exception Management resolution 
• Monitor shipments up to POD & ensure any issues are communicated to the customer by phone & followed up by email in a timely manner
• Monitor DAP & DDP shipments in order to cross check billings from overseas station and if require issue supplementary invoices to cover costs
• Ensure all written correspondence with the customer is made using professional, positive & respectful language (following the DGF email guidelines)
• Responsible for compliance with CDZ regulations as part of Export / Import process
• Ensure full compliance re: managing & achieving local & regional KPIs
• Credit Notes, Time Stamps / POD’s
• Operational Irregularities / Network Requests
• Unbilled Files
• MAWB/HAWB Management
• Customer Complaints. Ensure strict adherence to regulatory & DGF processes.
• Air Cargo Security requirements as outlined in DGF Security manual
• IATA DG documentation & check requirements
• DGF Operational processes
• LifeConEx & ThermoNet SOP’s 
• Customer SOP’s / CRR’s
• Ensure all assigned customer data is recorded, controlled & validated on a regular basis (6 month reviews with manager)
• Review SFAR report with line manager on a weekly basis to identify any accrual / billing issues
• Ensure accurate accruals at MAWB & HAWB level
• Proper use of service codes at HAWB & MAWB level
• Accrual of non-standard costs updated in COSS
• Ensure accurate customer rating of import & export HAWB
• Manage customer specific bulk & EDI invoicing processes
• Manage 3^rd party billing
• Ensure +90 day invoices are addressed for resolution or escalate to line manager if required
• Monitor COD collections/deliveries to ensure all monies are received prior to shipment departure/delivery in line with the COD process
• Monitor Envirotainer/C-Safe leases & ensure all additional lease days are billed out to the customer
• Ensure all CASS, MART queries are responded to within 7 days of receiving the relevant report/notification from Air Product 
• Ensure clean month end close out for your accounts & support your line manager in line with the DGF month end process
• Participate in department PD’s
• Supports line manager on cross training initiatives 
• Ensure training records are maintained & filed in correct location with all required supporting documentation
• Maintains excellent relationships with suppliers (internal & external) as appropriate
• Participate in the implementation of operational processes and perform work to the standards of Good Distribution Practice (GDP) for Life Science business, as required.

Relationships with others

• Communicates in an open and honest manner. 
• Treats others with respect, develops trust and values diversity. 
• Demonstrates sensitivity to diversity, i.e., culture, gender, age, religion, race disability. 
• Develops effective relationships with employees, peers and managers. 
• Confidence in dealing with all levels in the business over the telephone and also on a face-to-face basis. 
• Ability to remain calm when dealing with difficult people. 
• Good listening skills and ability to respond in a clear, respectful manner.

Teamwork

• Commitment to fulfilling their role in a team. 
• Supportive approach to other team members. 
• Shares information, knowledge, ideas and experience freely with others. 
• Commits to team decisions and contributes to building a team spirit
• Works collaboratively with others to achieve team or business objectives.
• Establishes acceptable levels of quality and quantity of work; reviews, recognises and supports achievement
• Encourages and motivates team members and work colleagues

Customer Orientation

• Basis decisions on how his/her actions impact on customers and DHL. 
• Builds and maintains effective relationships with customers, suppliers and other departments. 
• Focuses on the needs of customer and seeks to meet and exceed expectations. 
• Quickly and practically solves problems, seeking advice where necessary.  
• Appreciates what customers want and continuously strives to meet customer expectations.

Problem Solving 

• Identifies issues, problems and opportunities. 
• Deep dives to identify root causes of issues
• Applies formal problem solving techniques
• Evaluates risk
• Gathers information and analyses cause and effect
• Quickly and practically solves problems 
• Establishes effective work processes and measures 
• Documents and communicates awareness of the problem, solution and action taken

Commitment to Excel

• Achieves work targets and is willing to take on additional roles/responsibilities
• Continuously reviews current processes
• Seeks and is open to feedback from others 
• Always behaves in a manner consistent with DHL's values
• Demonstrates a positive attitude to change
• Flexible approach to work
• Looks for opportunities in a changing situation
• Provides detailed advice to others
• Takes initiative to keep skills up to date

Procedural Skills

• Ability to organize own workload across a range of responsibilities & meet deadlines
• Ability to select appropriate procedures
• Ability to follow procedures
• Ability to meet procedural deadlines
• Ability to improve an existing procedure

Attention to Detail

• Ability to work with lots of data to high level of accuracy 
• Ability to apply high attention to detail to written (text) documents 
• Ability to follow through on procedures and ensure completion

Skills / Qualifications 

• Extensive knowledge of Airfreight Export Operations
• Strong administrative skills
• Results driven with excellent attention to detail
• DG certification an advantage
• Envirotainer training an advantage
• Logistics related qualification desirable

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by people assigned to this role. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties performed.  The Company reserves the right to revise or amend duties at any time.