Head of Clearing and Forwarding
Posted Updated
Job Summary
Responsible for business development and operational coordination for clearing and
forwarding services. The role focuses on recruiting customers, managing client relationships,
coordinating clearances and ensuring timely compliant movement of consignments.
Responsibilities
- Identify and approach potential clients needing clearing services importers, exporters and
agents.
- Prepare and present service proposals, quotations and follow up to close sales.
- Maintain customer database and update CRM with leads, opportunities and client
communications.
- Serve as primary client contact for clearing operations; ensure expectations are met.
- Coordinate documentation for customs clearance commercial invoices, packing lists, bills of
lading, permits, certificates.
- Liaise with shipping agents, freight forwarders, customs brokers, and port authorities to
expedite clearances.
- Track shipments and provide timely status updates to clients.
- Ensure compliance with customs regulations and company procedures; flag and escalate
non-compliance issues.
- Raise invoices, follow up on payments and coordinate with finance on billing discrepancies.
- Resolve client queries, claims or disputes professionally and promptly.
- Support operational teams on shipment planning, warehouse handover, and delivery
arrangements.
- Produce regular sales and operations reports daily status, weekly pipeline, monthly
performance.
Key Performance Indicators (KPI)
- Number of new client accounts (importers/exporters/agents) signed for clearing services.
- Total potential value of qualified opportunities in the pipeline.
- proposals/quotations that convert into confirmed jobs.
- Shipments cleared within agreed SLA (e.g., within X working days of arrival).
- Client updates delivered within agreed times (e.g., initial update within 24 hours of
arrival/change).
- Declarations/documents (invoices, packing lists, BLs, permits) submitted without
amendments or rejection by customs/agents.
- Average days to collect payment for invoiced clearing services.
- Client satisfaction score or Net Promoter Score collected after job completion.
- Average time to resolve client queries, claims or disputes.
Requirements
Knowledge and Experience
- Bachelor’s Degree in Logistics & Supply Chain Management, International Trade, Business Administration, or a related field
- Minimum 5–8 years’ experience in clearing and forwarding, freight forwarding, or logistics operations
- Strong knowledge of import/export documentation (Bills of Lading, Commercial Invoices, Packing Lists, permits, etc.)
- Good understanding of customs clearance procedures and regulatory compliance
- Proven experience in business development and client relationship management within logistics or clearing services
- Ability to coordinate with shipping lines, customs authorities, freight forwarders, and port stakeholders
- Strong communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills
- Experience using CRM systems and preparing sales/operations reports
Added Advantage:
• Experience working with customs systems and port operations in Tanzania