Shipping Manager

Shipping Manager
Science and Technology Facilities Council
Salary: £36,650 – £39,032 per annum (dependent on skills and experience). 
A Specialist Allowance of up to 10% per annum is also available for this role, dependent on skills and experience. 
Contract Type: Open-ended (Permanent)
Hours: Full-time
Location: Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX
Closing date: 2nd June 2025

Together, our scientists, technologists, engineers and business support team explore the unknown and turn what they find into work that changes the world around us. Whether it’s sending probes into space or finding new ways to treat cancer, everyone here plays a vital role in making a positive difference to society. 

Come and discover how much you can achieve when you’re surrounded by world-leading experts, encouraged to constantly learn and empowered to explore your curiosity.

As part of the Logistics Management Team, this senior role provides for managing the shipping and customs function, discharging services and activities that are legally compliant and to a high standard to STFC’s scientific departments, project managers and collaborators.

The post holder will have responsibility and oversight for the courier supplier contracts and freight agent management, as well as overseeing all shipping and customs formalities arising from STFC shipping activity. 

Providing shipping and customs expertise, the post holder will engage and respond to changes and requirements so that STFC can deliver its front-line science programme and maintain and develop commercial arrangements.

The post holder will:

• Foster and maintain internal senior relationships with stakeholders within STFC and UKRI, as well as external bodies, in relation to the safe shipping/receiving dangerous goods to ensure good practice and continuously improving the standards and processes of this function.
• Provide deputising support for the Senior Shipping Manager, and wider supervision across the team when required.
• Keep up to date with new legislation and best practice in all areas of shipping.
• Manage and investigate technical details relating to UK and overseas transportation, including customs, regulations and necessary documentation, as well as troubleshooting issues that may arise in international transportation.
• Interact with the Logistics Supervisor to ensure effective communication and co-ordination of the movement of goods and despatch of domestic goods.
• Ensure that the daily activities in key areas such as people, plant and equipment are compliant with STFC Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) codes and industry standards.

Role Responsibilities
General

• Supervise shipping and logistics staff responsible for shipping and despatch activity.
• Ensure that daily and weekly shipping activities and duties are discharged efficiently and timely through organisation of people and allocation of tasks, including but not limited to:
• All courier functions carried out on a daily basis.
• Despatch and receipting of Dangerous goods and RAM.
• Ensuring that all databases are up to date for reporting on MI and financial.
• Bulk shipping of crates, pallets and other equipment using suppliers.
• Customs clearance and goods in transit monitoring.
• Provide specialist training and support to the team to ensure service continuity and resilience. 
• Responsible for processing and despatching all Hazardous materials, correct packing and preparation of Dangerous Goods paperwork and Proformas for Outward consignments both for air and road movement in consultation with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) Directories for air and road.
• Develop and manage workflow standard operating processes and activities.
• Manage resilience and deployment of the team to cover requirements and unplanned absence.
• Ensure the environment and space is tidy, organised and safe for staff, suppliers and customers.
• Ensure the team’s professional qualifications are kept up to date as well as keeping aligned to industry / customs regulatory changes relating to shipping processes. 
• Provide escalation route for customer queries and provide resolution, support to get goods to destination. 
• Keep a log of issues where common themes occur so that Logistics Management can take a view to addressing with the team. 
• Provide reporting and management information in relation to all aspects of operation.
• Assist other STFC sites with more complex shipping and customs issues.
• Ensure that agreed Shipping Service Level Agreements are supported and met, and that customer feedback is recorded and fed back to management and the team.
• Lead and participate with SHE Code review and audits and adopt actions.
• Discharge role of Radioactive Substance Dispatcher in relation to SHE Code 27.
• Develop Standard Operating Processes for tasks and functions to ensure consistent practice.
• Provide recommendations of process and practice to support continuous improvement.
• Maintain web content on shipping, customs and dangerous goods area of the Logistics website and disseminate relevant updates on good practice.
• Undertake additional duties at the request of the Senior Shipping Manager, or Estates Senior Managers, that are considered reasonable and commensurate with your post. 

Financial and Administration

• Retain records and data efficiently and implement rigorous electronic document management approaches.
• Timely management and clearing of STFC’s deferment account.
• Arrange for specialist procurement activity.
• Contribute to the budget development and management process, ensuring that costs are managed and income recovered.
• Ensure agency invoices for all import and export consignments are processed daily, record relevant details and pass to UKSBS.
• Logging imports and labeling for internal delivery.
• Requisitions, procurement and goods receipting activity regularly management and up to date.

Line management 

• Provide consistent line management, oversight and supervision to direct reports and other staff as required.
• Retain oversight of flexi and leave requests and time worked, ensuring service consistency and continuity at all times.
• Provide regular feedback to staff and undertake one to ones and conduct appraisals.
• Hold team meetings and provide operational updates to line manager and colleagues.

Corporate Responsibilities

• Provide a professional and effective service and respond to corporate requirements as requested, helping to maintain the excellent reputation held by STFC. 
• Acting as professional lead with wider STFC sites and UKRI councils. 

PERSON SPECIFICATION 
Qualifications
Essential

• Level 3 (HNC / equivalent) qualifications, or other equivalent qualifications.

Desirable

• Dangerous goods qualification. 
• H&S qualification e.g. IOSH.
• First aider.
• Custom Certification/qualification.

Knowledge and Experience
Essential

• High level of literacy and numeracy.
• Presenting and reporting information. 
• Recent shipping and logistics experience at management level.
• Dangerous goods handling. 
• Industry knowledge of despatch and courier systems and suppliers and freight agents for bulk. 
• Ability to simplify complex customs/shipping situations and translate in simple terms to customers.
• Coaching and line management experience. 
• Confident user of Microsoft Office (Excel, Access, Word, Outlook).
• Equality and diversity workplace awareness. 
• Relevant Health and Safety knowledge and awareness. 

Desirable

• Financial management systems e.g. Oracle, SAP.

Personal Skills and Qualities
Essential

• Excellent people skills and team working.
• Provide a positive role model to secure high levels of team conduct and performance. 
• Communicate effectively and professionally at all levels.
• Provide a customer focus and approach. 
• Personally effective and able to deliver results.
• Trouble shooting and problem solving approach. 
• Able to positively engage with change and encourage others. 
• Able to work safely, individually and ensuring those around you comply with H&S. 

Special Requirements
Essential

• Occasional working outside of normal office hours.
• Some travel to other sites.

STFC values their employees by offering a benefits package designed to provide an excellent work/life balance including 30 days’ annual leave, 10.5 public and privilege holidays, flexible working hours, a workplace nursery, exceptional average salary pension scheme, social and sporting activities and societies and a subsidised restaurant.

As one of Europe’s largest research organisations, this is a place where there’s always something new to learn about the world around us, about your career, but most of all, about yourself.

Join us and discover what’s possible by submitting your CV and covering letter which outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified, along with your motivation for STFC and the role.

We reserve the right to close the role early due to high volume of applicants.

As this job does not fulfil the UK Government minimum criterion for obtaining sponsored migrant worker status we will be unable to apply for sponsorship for anyone not eligible to work in the UK. At interview, all shortlisted candidates are required to bring with them identification documents and original documents that prove they hold or can obtain the right to work in the UK. You can check your eligibility here: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa/y