Accounts Receivable Specialist

About King Ocean Services

King Ocean Services is a family-owned ocean freight transportation company with over 40 years of proven expertise connecting the United States with ports throughout Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. Operating from Port Everglades, Florida, we provide weekly cargo services including Full Container Load (FCL), Less-than-Container Load (LCL), refrigerated cargo, vehicles, heavy machinery, and project cargo. Our modern fleet, C-TPAT, BASC, and ISO certifications, and deeply customer-centric culture have established us as a leader in intra-Americas maritime shipping.

Following our 2024 strategic acquisition of Seacor Island Lines, King Ocean continues to grow its regional footprint and invest in the people and systems that support our mission.

Position Summary

The Accounts Receivable Specialist is a key contributor to King Ocean's Credit & Collections team within Accounting & Finance, reporting to the Credit & Collections Manager. This role serves as the central coordinator for the accounts receivable inbox — triaging and routing the high volume of incoming email and phone traffic tied to shipment releases, payment confirmations, and customer collections, and ensuring each request reaches resolution quickly and through the correct channel.

Operating in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, the AR Specialist pairs this traffic-coordination function with direct ownership of a portfolio of stateside customer accounts — issuing statements, following up on past-due balances, applying payments, and authorizing cargo releases once payment is confirmed. This is an excellent opportunity for a detail-oriented receivables professional who thrives on customer interaction, organization, and keeping collections moving in an international freight and logistics environment.

Position Details

• Department: Credit & Collections
• FLSA Status: Non-Exempt
• Reports To: Credit & Collections Manager
• Direct Reports: None
• Location: HQ Sweetwater, FL (Hybrid)
• Compensation: Commensurate with experience

Key Responsibilities

AR Inbox & Traffic Coordination

• Serve as the first point of contact for the accounts receivable inbox, monitoring incoming email throughout the day and ensuring each message is acknowledged, actioned, or routed promptly.
• Triage release-related requests tied to vessel and shipment payments, confirming payment status before authorizing release and placing accounts on hold when payment terms are not met.
• Redirect inquiries that fall outside collections — such as rate, pricing, or contract questions — to the correct department, ensuring they are handed off cleanly and do not cycle back to the AR team.
• Track open items through to resolution so customer requests are not lost between departments, escalating delays to the Credit & Collections Manager as needed.

Customer Service & Payment Support

• Respond to customer calls and emails regarding invoices, statements, balances, and shipment-release requirements, delivering prompt and professional service.
• Process customer payments — including credit card and online payment requests — and coordinate with Accounting for proper application to customer accounts.
• Take payments over the phone and confirm receipt so that time-sensitive cargo releases can proceed without delay.
• Provide clear, accurate status updates to customers on outstanding balances, payment terms, and account standing.

Accounts Receivable & Collections

• Manage an assigned portfolio of stateside customer accounts, issuing weekly statements and proactively following up on balances that are approaching or past due.
• Review accounts receivable aging reports to identify overdue accounts, short payments, and discrepancies, and prioritize collection follow-up accordingly.
• Reconcile customer accounts to ensure payments are accurately applied and balances reflect activity at the source.
• Follow up on COD shipments to confirm payment and collect any balance on cargo released against commitment.
• Negotiate payment arrangements within established credit guidelines, escalating exceptions to the Credit & Collections Manager.

Coordination, Reporting & Process

• Partner with the Pricing and Rating departments to resolve invoice and rate discrepancies that delay payment, routing each issue to the responsible team rather than absorbing it.
• Support daily bank and deposit activity, including reviewing bank reports and assisting with the processing and documentation of incoming payments.
• Maintain accurate, well-documented records of collection activity, customer commitments, and account notes.
• Help identify and streamline manual or redundant steps in the receivables and release workflow to reduce rework and turnaround time.
• Support month-end close by ensuring payments are applied and assigned accounts are current and reconciled.

Education & Credentials

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Associate's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field preferred.
• Relevant coursework or certification in credit and collections is a plus.

Experience

• A minimum of 2–3 years of accounts receivable, collections, or customer-facing accounting experience, preferably in a high-volume environment.
• Demonstrated ability to manage a busy customer inbox and high email and phone volume while keeping items organized and on track.
• Hands-on experience applying payments, reconciling customer accounts, and following up on past-due balances.
• Experience with an ERP or receivables system; King Ocean currently operates in GDZ and will be transitioning to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations (D365FO) later this year, so exposure to an ERP migration is a meaningful plus.
• Familiarity with online and card payment platforms (e.g., PayCargo) and bank reporting portals (e.g., Fifth Third) is an advantage.
• Experience in transportation, shipping, logistics, freight forwarding, or the maritime industry is a meaningful advantage.
• Bilingual (English / Spanish) strongly preferred given our customer and agency base.

Skills & Competencies

Technical Skills

• AR collections & past-due follow-up
• Cash application & account reconciliation
• AR aging review & reporting
• Payment processing (card / ACH / online)
• Shipment release & hold management
• High-volume inbox coordination
• ERP systems — GDZ today, MS Dynamics 365 F&O coming
• Bank & payment platforms (e.g., Fifth Third, PayCargo)
• Microsoft Excel (filters, lookups)

Professional & Soft Skills

• Strong, professional customer communication
• Organization & priority management under deadlines
• Accuracy and attention to detail
• Sound judgment & problem-solving
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Discretion and confidentiality
• Ownership mindset and follow-through
• Calm and resourceful under pressure
• Bilingual (English / Spanish) strongly preferred

Why Join King Ocean Services?

King Ocean is more than a shipping company — we are a people company in the shipping business. Our team members are proud to serve communities across the Caribbean, Central America, and South America, and we take that responsibility seriously.

• Direct impact: Help keep cash flowing and customers served as part of the Credit & Collections team at a 40+ year industry leader.
• Growth trajectory: Step into a newly shaped role with a clear pathway to take on additional accounts and responsibility over time.
• Stability: A privately held, family-owned company with a compelling reputation and enduring customer relationships.
• Culture: A collaborative, values-driven environment that invests in its employees and the communities we serve.
• Flexibility: A hybrid schedule, plus a comprehensive benefits package.

How to Apply

Qualified candidates are invited to submit a resume and cover letter. Please reference "Accounts Receivable Specialist" in the subject line.