Export Shipping Executive

Job title: Export Shipping Executive (6-months fixed term contract)

Location: North West London, NW2 7HF

Salary: Competitive

Hours: Core working hours are 9:30am to 5:00pm, 40 hours per week, worked over five days, Monday to Friday.

Hybrid: 3 days in office, 2 days working from home

Start date: Immediate

Our business…

At Vitabiotics, you'll find a diverse bunch of talented folk who come from a wide range of backgrounds and possess an extensive array of experience. What brings us all together is a culture that thrives on innovation, mutual respect, team work and a sense of commitment. Vitabiotics is truly a great place to work!

Vitabiotics has pioneered advances in nutritional healthcare products for 55 years and the range includes many of Britain’s leading supplement brands such as Perfectil, Pregnacare, Wellman, Wellwoman and Menopace.

As the UK’s No.1 vitamin company, exporting to over 100 countries, Vitabiotics is widely acknowledged as leaders in innovation and in 2018 became the first vitamin company to twice receive the Queen’s Award for Innovation, awarded for its ground breaking clinical research. 

As part of our commitment to innovation and development, we are looking for experienced Export Shipping Executive. You will manage assigned international export customer orders from order readiness through shipment, documentation and delivery follow-up, ensuring goods are dispatched on time and with complete, accurate and destination-compliant documentation.

Responsibilities will include…

• Own the end-to-end operational management of assigned export customer orders, from confirmed order and cargo readiness through dispatch, shipment documentation and delivery follow-up.

• Manage ocean export shipments, including groupage/LCL and FCL movements, using approved freight forwarders, shipping lines, NVOCCs/co-loaders and hauliers.

• Arrange bookings and transport in line with required delivery dates, cargo readiness, vessel schedules, port cut-offs and customer instructions; coordinate collections from warehouse/packing locations and resolve operational constraints.

• Monitor orders in SAP, including customer delivery dates, stock availability/allocation and backorders; work with Supply Chain and the customer to manage priorities, split shipments or revised shipment plans where required.

• Prepare, check and issue accurate export documentation, including commercial invoices, packing lists, shipping instructions, Bills of Lading/sea waybills, Certificates of Origin and other destination-specific documents or certificates as applicable.

• Apply approved customs, country-of-origin and preferential-origin instructions and coordinate export customs declarations and supporting evidence through the appropriate internal team, broker or freight forwarder; escalate any uncertainty before shipment.

• Work closely with Quality/Regulatory teams to confirm destination-country product, registration, certificate, labelling and minimum shelf life requirements before release of goods where applicable.

• Ensure all documents are consistent across product description, quantities, values, weights, commodity codes, origin, Incoterms, consignee/importer details and transport information before final issue.

• Review draft Bills of Lading and other carrier documents promptly, arrange amendments within deadlines, and ensure final documents are released to customers, banks, brokers or agents in accordance with the agreed shipment terms.

• Maintain proactive communication with customers/distributors, freight forwarders, customs brokers and internal stakeholders, providing accurate shipment status, ETD/ETA, documentation progress and early escalation of delays or risks.

• Track shipments and resolve operational exceptions, including vessel rollovers, missed cut-offs, customs queries, port congestion, documentation discrepancies and demurrage/detention risk.

• Support freight cost control by using approved rates, checking charges, challenging avoidable costs and supporting freight invoice queries.

• Maintain accurate shipment records and system data for traceability, audit and KPI reporting.

• Contribute to export process improvement, country shipping instructions and team cross-cover.

Requirements

Essential

• Experience within a freight forwarding environment, with strong hands-on ocean/sea/air freight export experience.

• Proven start-to-finish management of groupage/LCL and FCL export shipments, including bookings, collections, carrier/forwarder coordination, documentation and shipment tracking.

• Practical experience preparing and checking export shipping documentation and working with UK export customs procedures and freight/customs brokers.

• Working knowledge of Bills of Lading, shipping instructions, Incoterms, port/vessel cut-offs and the operational requirements of shipping lines, co-loaders and hauliers.

• Experience managing multiple international shipments/customer accounts simultaneously while meeting documentation and dispatch deadlines.

• Strong customer service experience and confidence communicating with customers, overseas agents and service providers to resolve shipment issues.

Desirable

• Experience on the exporter/manufacturer side within FMCG, food supplements, healthcare, pharmaceutical, cosmetics or another regulated consumer-goods environment.

• Experience shipping to the Middle East, Africa and Europe and handling destination-specific documentation, Chamber of Commerce/consular requirements or document legalisation.

• Knowledge of country-of-origin, preferential-origin and Rules of Origin concepts, including Certificates of Origin and preference documents where applicable.

• Experience with Letters of Credit, documentary collections or bank-controlled shipping documentation.

• Experience using SAP/S/4HANA or a comparable ERP system; freight forwarding systems such as CargoWise are also advantageous.

• BIFA, CILT, customs/trade compliance or other relevant logistics qualification but not essential.

Benefits

• 24 days annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Birthday day off.
• 2 Charity days a year.
• Bupa dental cover.
• Private medical insurance.
• 50% staff discount on all Vitabiotics products.
• Staff skills training.
• Health and wellbeing programme.
• Pension contributions.
• Sick pay support.
• Free onsite parking.
• Enhanced maternity or paternity leave.
• Company events.
• Fresh fruit and snacks.
• Free EV charging station.