Operations Agent

Description

The role of Operations Agent is client facing to provide the highest-level customer experience through the processing of shipments. This involves commercial cargo with some contractor cargo. The role will rate quotes, make decisions regarding vendors, invoice amount and profit margin. The role will create SOPs, provide day-to-day coordination, execution and tracking of shipments, which could be domestic and/or international.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Prioritize, schedule, and route shipments for transportation throughout the U.S.
• cargo requirements including spot bidding and GFM knowledge for Government clients, if applicable 
• Oversee shipment lifecycle management, ensuring accuracy of operational data while focusing on exception handling, issue resolution, and decision-making
• Schedule and arrange pickups and deliveries
• Book space with carriers 
• Negotiate rates with trucking companies, carriers, and cartage agents at the file level
• Coordinate and complete documentation between clients, vendors, forwarders, and brokers 
• Prepare shipments for turnover to tracking team members
• Prepare quotations for ICAT clients at the file level
• Track and trace freight, as well as provide estimated times of arrival and verify piece counts
• Gather proof of deliveries and enter them into the operating system
• Request and enter vendor costs into each shipment and prepare to invoice within the time frame of ICAT policy
• Keep the information in the TMS (operating platform) updated and accurate, Including tracking notes, service issues, and vendor issues 
• Ensure that all industry and ICAT compliance requirements are met
• Exercise independent judgment in selecting vendors, establish pricing, and determining shipment execution strategy, including authority to deviate from standard options to optimize customer outcomes and profitability at the file level.
• Independently evaluates multiple operational and financial variables (e.g., cost, service level, transit time, customer requirements) to make non-routine decisions that materially impact business outcomes.
• Design, implement, and continuously refine standard operating procedures and workflows to improve efficiency, scalability, and margin performance at the file level.
• Accountable for shipment-level financial performance, including cost control, pricing accuracy, and margin optimization at the file level which impacts company growth.
• Collaborate with management and the team to establish plans for meeting short- & long-term goals
• Assist the Key Account Managers and station leadership to help build and maintain strong relationships with customers and vendors
• Join sales calls with key accounts to cultivate relationships 
• Work with vendors to negotiate rates and/or handle discrepancies, and service issues 
• Work with station management to actively participate in team meetings and provide ideas for continued team growth and development
• Be a leader through actions, communication, and mentoring
• May be required to work after hours on call as determined by management
• Perform other duties as assigned

Requirements

Qualifications & Skill Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• 2+ Years of transportation and/or freight forwarding experience
• Working knowledge of asking for spot quotes, creating and routing LTL, TL, and expedited ground services
• Knowledge of the NMFC and density rating
• Hands-on ability with rating and routing freight
• Understanding of major carriers, including those who serve Canada and Mexico
• Proven track record of building relationships and gaining credibility with customers and vendors
• Experience asking for spot rates with trucking companies, carriers, and overseas partners, etc. at the file level. 
• Knowledge of international and domestic geography, including countries & major cities
• Intermediate skills with Microsoft Office products

Key Competencies

• Excels in meeting deadlines and demonstrates superior time management skills
• Natural ability to multi-task in a fast-paced work setting, strong attention to detail 
• Proven analytical, problem-solving skills in a logistics environment
• Ability to work in a time-sensitive environment
• Desire and drive to learn and grow
• Highly motivated team player with an outgoing and positive work attitude
• Well organized, able to plan and effectively set priorities for implementation
• Ability to be flexible as priorities shift 
• Demonstrated ability to work in a client centric environment
• Ability to relate to and successfully interact across a variety of settings and work well with a broad and diverse workforce throughout the organization
• Outstanding communication skills - Excellent verbal and written with an emphasis on listening
• Understanding and responsive to situations that require a sense of urgency
• Consistent in follow-up and follow-through
• Credible with a high level of personal integrity
• Adaptive to ICAT’s core values

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

• Most work is performed indoors in an office setting 
• Flexible approach to work, due to clients’ needs and project support requirements
• Regularly use hands to type, handle, or feel
• Required to use close, distance, color, and peripheral vision, depth perception and can focus
• Must have clear, easy to understand oral communication ability
• Ability to push, pull, lift, carry, or maneuver weights up to 20 pounds 
• Ability to sit for prolonged periods. May occasionally need to stoop, climb, or squat

Supervisory Responsibilities: No