Sea Freight Forwarder

Sea Freight Forwarder

Full Time / Permanent / 08.30

17.30 Mon-Fri

Salary up to £35k negotiable depending on experience

Generous Company Pension scheme

Company Benefits (Health Cash Plan, Access to Employee Assistance Programme offering 24 / 7 support across a wide range of areas, team building events and much more!)

Member of Employee Ownership Trust (EOT)

Training & Development Opportunities

Hybrid contract upon successful completion of 6-month probation

3 days in the office and 2 days working from home.

Join the dynamic team at Espace, the UK's first ever 100% employee-owned freight forwarder, as our Sea Freight Forwarder, and play a valuable role in the growth of our Sea Freight offering. As we set our sights on further developing this mode alongside our other multimodal services, we are in search of an individual who has dedicated a minimum of five years to this specialism.

The perfect candidate will boast demonstrable experience in Sea Freight forwarding, coupled with extensive business acumen and an energetic pace of work. If you have the dedication, expertise, and the passion to elevate our offering, Espace is eager to welcome your application.

We are offering a great opportunity to grow within a modern, forward-thinking business. Hence, we would like an upbeat, motivated, tenacious character looking for a career in freight.

A little bit about the company ... we are a non-asset owning freight forwarder with agency representation worldwide. Our people are our most valuable asset and we win business with our can
-do approach, exceptional levels of customer service and trusted agency network.

We specialise in general forwarding by road to within the UK, and all over Europe. Worldwide destinations by air and sea. In addition to this, we offer a UK customs brokerage service.

To drive the growth and success of our sea freight services by managing end-to-end operations, delivering exceptional customer service, and supporting commercial expansion. Youll strengthen relationships with clients and suppliers, re-engage lapsed accounts, and convert new opportunities into long-term partnerships.

The role combines operational ownership with commercial acumen. You'll be measured against KPIs including service quality, client retention, shipment volume, and revenue growth

with a strong emphasis on efficiency, responsiveness, and professionalism.

For clarity, this is a true

we do not raise our own documentation in-house. However, a strong understanding and experience of completing such documentation is essential, as you will be required to review documents prepared by third parties, liaise directly with clients, and, where necessary, guide or educate them on documentation requirements to ensure compliance and smooth operations.

Manage full-cycle import / export shipments (FCL and LCL) from booking to final delivery.

Coordinate all documentation, customs clearance, and domestic transport in collaboration with internal teams.

Quote accurately and chase feedback to maximise conversion into live jobs.

Negotiating competitive rates with carriers and suppliers to maintain margin and service quality.

Track and monitor shipments using carrier portals and TMS, proactively resolving issues.

Maintain accurate records and handle invoicing, costing, and query resolution in line with procedures.

Ensure exceptional customer service that builds trust and encourages repeat business.

Support the sales team with quotes and identify upselling / cross-selling opportunities during customer interactions.

Participate in client and supplier meetings to build rapport and identify growth opportunities.

Build and maintain strong relationships with carriers, suppliers, and agents.

Contribute to the preferred carrier list by trade lane based on service performance and commercial value.

Identify and help onboard new carriers and suppliers to expand capacity and reach.

Collaborate with marketing on targeted campaigns to promote sea freight services.

Cross-sell additional services (e.g. European Road, Express, UK Transport & 3PL, Customs) where appropriate.

Attend client visits to strengthen engagement and explore future sea freight needs.

Communicate clearly and professionally with customers, suppliers, and internal teams.

Work closely with our customs and domestic transport teams to ensure seamless service delivery.

Keep the Sea and Air Freight Supervisor and Operations Director informed of key developments, issues, or risks.

Largely self-initiated role with support and guidance from the Sea and Air Freight Supervisor and Operations Director.

Ensure adherence to departmental systems and procedures.

Min 5 years experience in sea freight import / export within freight forwarding.

Airfreight knowledge is required

secondary to sea freight.

Solid knowledge of Incoterms, shipping lines, trade lanes, and documentation.

IMDG trained is…