Freight Settlement Specialist

Company:

INEOS Oligomers USA LLC

Organizational Context and Job Purpose

Organizational Context:

INEOS is a global manufacturer of petrochemicals, specialty chemicals and oil products. It comprises 34 businesses each with a major chemical company heritage. Its production network spans 181 sites in 24 countries throughout the world.

INEOS products make a significant contribution to saving life, improving health and enhancing standards of living for people around the world. Our businesses produce the raw materials that are essential in the manufacture of a wide variety of goods: from paints to plastics, textiles to technology, medicines to mobile phones - chemicals manufactured by INEOS enhance almost every aspect of modern life.

Purpose of the job:

The role is responsible for implementing efficient and cost effective freight settlement processes and systems to ensure timely and accurate freight payments are made to 3rd Party Logistics providers (3PLs). Investigate and implement freight payment process design improvements within SAP.  Assist in developing 3rd party freight payment and post audit vendor relationships to achieve cost effective and efficient operations.  The position holder works closely with the Logistics Specialists and Customer Account Specialists in support of identifying and addressing key business needs to achieve business unit objectives.

Environment/Context:

• New customer locations.
• Changes in vendor A/R systems & platforms.
• Upgrades/modifications to internal SAP platform.
• Carrier additions and changes.
• Changes to NAFTA regulations.

Responsibilities and Accountabilities

Specific Tasks include:

• Review and correct as needed current and past freight accruals (freight accrual clean-ups).
• Work with 3rd party freight carriers to ensure timely and accurate freight payments.
• Interact directly with rail, marine, trucking and packaging contractors to resolve billing issues to assure timely cash application on vendor side and manage arrears accounting.
• Monitor system-generated freight payments for accuracy. 
• Manage freight payment exceptions including investigate, monitor and remedy freight payment exceptions and supplier refunds.  Monitor and work with Logistics operations personnel to resolve discrepancies between invoices and rate/route data to correct issues regarding open or unpaid invoices.
• Identify and implement freight payment processes and improvements working with the Information Technology (IT) group, SAP Team, 3PLs and Logistics operations personnel.
• Act as Freight Settlement Super User to test system enhancements.
• Train others within Logistics and Customer Service on how to effectively utilize SAP to minimize freight settlement issues.
• Assist 3PL Post-audit companies to ensure timely collection of recoverable funds.
• Manage process of Trucking Freight Settlement with LMR.
• Support relationship with 3PLs including freight payment and post-audit vendors, and small package shipment suppliers.
• Prepare and monitor freight payment metrics.
• Assist in the management of key 3rd Parties freight settlement suppliers including support contractors, freight bill auditors and freight bill processing suppliers
• Develop training materials to support training efforts.  Develop refresher training as needed.
• Maintain adequate back-up plan with Oligomers CSL&T Coordinator.
• Support EDI partnering for plant sites within SAP and promptly respond to requests from Plant Logistics personnel.
• Develop and analyze reports to assist in generating cost-to-serve models.
• Maintain Superuser status for SQVI reporting function.
• Monitor EDI file transmission between INEOS and LMR & Transcore.
• Maintain rate/routes for Truck and Rail within SAP.
• Monitor rail web sites for arrears invoice status.
• Trouble shoot data transfer issues between SAP and 3PLs.
• Develop and maintain metrics for freight settlement.
• Serve as ad-hoc Purchasing support for PO set-up.

Skills & Knowledge Required

Education/Experience

• HS Diploma Required; BA/BS preferred.
• SAP (SD module, with some FI module) experience required.  SAP 4.6 or later.
• 3-5 years freight payment-processing experience preferred.
• Knowledge of logistics operations preferred.
• Strong PC skills – MS Excel & MSWord.
• Working knowledge of transportation systems and order-to-cash (OTC) processes and systems.
• Contractor management experience is a plus

Skills/Competencies

Technical Skills

• Strong computer skills including the suite of MS Office programs
• Strong SAP knowledge
• Basic knowledge of accounting
• Good writing skills
• Understanding of business basics
• Basic knowledge of chemistry a plus

Behavioral Skills

• Performance Bias.
• Works autonomously with little direction.
• Strong service orientation towards internal and external clients.
• Strong team player.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Strong communication skills.
• Strong listening skills.
• Strong deadline management skills.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Communicates with skill both verbally and in writing with Sales, Business, Operations and other Technology personnel as required.
• Ability to work under pressure with competing demands

ADA Physical requirements, visual acuity requirements and environmental conditions

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and perform tasks requiring repetitive use of hands.  The employee must occasionally walk, stand and travel by car, airplane or other means.   Exert up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.

Employee must have the ability to see written documents, computer screens and to adjust focus.

Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication and to make discriminations in sound.

Work Environment:  This job is performed mainly in a temperature controlled office environment.

Our culture is one of honesty and integrity with an emphasis on safety, health and environmental performance.On our team, people are acknowledged for embracing new practices that help create real value for customers.