International Relocation Counselor Job Opening at SIRVA in Westmont, IL

Are you ready to be a part of one of the largest trucking companies in the US. With over $1.7B in revenue in 2010, SIRVA is the 13^th largest For-Hire Carrier in the United States where you can use your passion for customer service while being challenged, inspired and pushed to constantly be your best? If so, SIRVA Inc. has an amazing opportunity for you!

The International Relocation Counselor (IRC) will be responsible for managing many aspects of the international household goods shipments including managing the relationship with the overseas booking agent and acting as a single source contact for the customer in North America on behalf of the overseas booking agent. The IRC will communicate with agents, vendors and customers, manage the profitability of the shipments, educate customers as needed and agents regarding process and procedures for international shipping and resolve transportation issues. Additional responsibilities include invoice dispute resolution, providing coverage for absent colleagues, vendor management and selection, all the while focusing on ensuring customer satisfaction.

The successful individual will leverage their knowledge and experience in (function or business) to...

• Communicate Proactively and Build Relationships
  
  • Agent: understand and set move expectations. Handle customer issues with a sense of urgency and empathy.
  • Superb customer service skills
  • Process oriented: follows pre-defined move management process which includes at least 4 phone calls with the transferee
  • Phone and e-mail agent contact with U.S. and overseas agents
  • Phone and e-mail contact with third party vendors in the US/Canada (steamship lines, port brokers, truckers)
  • Agent/supplier: coordinate and communicate the logistics, pricing, move details and any problem resolution
  • Agent support: communicate and report back to agents as required
  • Support: coordination with various departments such as accounts payable, accounts receivable, billing, claims and account management to ensure proper completion of all aspects of a move
  • Agent satisfaction: manage and monitor the expectations, requests and issues timely and effectively. Provide guidance relative to Customs Requirements in over 151 different countries.
  • Shared accountability for the success and failure of each move with the overseas booking agent
  • Responsible for a targeted annual workload of 400-500 shipments

• Logistics Management
  
  • Anticipate, plan and ensure the most efficient and cost effective shipment routing based on customer requirements
  • Prompt management: utilize the operating system (SCAN) to take actions identified by the system to ensure timeliness of the move process
  • Organization: ability to work in a paperless environment utilizing the SISTRS imaging system
  • Metrics management: adhere to set goals to ensure the KPI's are met
  • Communication: communicate and coordinate with agents, vendors & customers on all aspects of the move including negotiation of rates where applicable
  • Problem resolution: mitigate adverse financial impact of problematic situations through use of technical knowledge, established business contacts and persistence

• Pricing
  
  • Generate competitive, one-off rate quotes by obtaining and building Door-to-Door, Port-to-Door or Door-to-Port pricing for all aspects of the international move, inclusive of origin, trucking, freight, customs clearance and destination services through the use of internal systems (MoveManager) and external resources (3rd party vendors, agents, steamship lines, network offices, US Customs)
  • Accountability for margin, vendor selection, transportation expense and final routing of the shipment
  • Margin management: evaluate all aspects of a move to ensure the most profitable route is taken by using tools such as MoveManager, tariff documents and vendor negotiations where tariffs don't exist
  • Accountable for ensuring agents and vendor rate proposals are within fair market value. Ability to negotiate when needed

• Exception Resolution
  
  • Settle invoice exceptions via cost research, comparing quoted rates to invoice and tariff rates
  • Negotiate with vendors, agent partners and network offices to settle discrepancies
  • Document root causes to aid in reducing future occurrences
  • Abide by formal dispute process when resolving inter-company exceptions

The accomplished individual will possess...

• Bachelors degree (required or equivalent work experience)
• Industry experience (freight forwarding, import/export) preferred
• Minimum 2 years customer service experience required
• Strong communication skills: both oral and written with proper business etiquette
• Strong negotiation skills
• Strong analytical skills: understanding of a basic P&L (Profit & Loss) statement
• Effective problem solving skills
• Basic world geography
• Organization: time management, setting priorities, multi-tasking, deadline oriented
• Teamwork and ability to work with different cultures
• Results-oriented
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Applications (Excel, Word, Outlook)
• Ability to speak multiple languages a plus

*LI-RM1