Trade Development Assistant

  • MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company (UK)
  • Ipswich, Suffolk
  • Nov 06, 2025
Full time Marketing

Job Description

Trade Development Assistant - Short Sea

Full time, permanent

The successful applicant will support the team in all aspects of the Short Sea trade for both Import and Exports, this will include regular communication with Geneva Liners and other MSC European offices, providing operational, regulatory, and commercial support as well as statistical analysis as and when required.

A major part of the role will be obtaining and updating data for use by Geneva and European agents in the control of bookings within allocations, managing bookings with customer services to ensure, where required agreed allocations are not exceeded.

There will also be close communication with customer service and operational teams to direct and manage cargo feeding to European and global ports to ensure customers are kept fully informed as well as handling of daily, weekly, and monthly reports.

Initially this will be a data, reporting and process driven role with the opportunity to develop and improve processes both within the team as well as potentially the wider organisation and will give someone the opportunity to achieve an in-depth understanding of the business for someone who wants to help develop, strengthen, influence, and grow a trade in line with HQ strategies.

How you will help us and what you can expect

  • Gather data, schedule information and rate agreement details, to combine and produce data for use in allocation system using in house systems such as Flint, Avery, TMS
  • Produce and issue daily vessel reports as part of allocation reporting
  • Produce vessel and revenue reports for analysis within the UK and Geneva
  • Establish and maintain good client relationships
  • Maintain specials, contracts, and tariffs
  • Client & Geneva visit preparation
  • Review competition schedules online and produce report for review to Geneva and agents
  • Assist with day-to-day quotations and tenders
  • Query handling as received in shared e-mail
  • Support the Trade Development Manager as required on an ongoing basis
  • Any other support as is required on the job from time to time

Skills and experience you'll bring to us

  • Strong IT skills especially Excel pivot tables and equations, PowerPoint, PowerBI and Word
  • Organised and methodical approach to work to ensure accuracy of reporting along with ensuring that all strict deadlines are met
  • Strong analytical skills and be able to present data / information to inform and help form strategies and or market understanding
  • Be able to work on own initiative and problem solve
  • A balanced understanding of operational and commercial demands
  • Confidence to make sound fact-based decisions, be professional, ready willing and able to communicate, internally and externally
  • A balanced, results driven approach
  • Be a team player with a flexible can-do approach to work

What we offer

  • Competitive salary
  • Private Health Care for everyone from day 1
  • Generous pension scheme
  • Life Assurance - 4x salary
  • 22 days + a day to take on Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve
  • Free parking
  • On-site artisan restaurant
  • Discounted gym membership
  • Cycle to work scheme
  • Flu vaccines and eye care vouchers
  • Buy or sell holiday scheme
  • Christmas club saving
  • MSC Cruises friends and family discount
  • Full induction day and training provided
  • Learning and development opportunities
  • Dress for the day policy/modern office environment