Accounts Receivable Specialist

King Ocean•Sweetwater, FL

9h•Hybrid

About The Position

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.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent required.
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.
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)
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

Nice To Haves

Associate’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field preferred.
Relevant coursework or certification in credit and collections is a plus.
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.

Responsibilities

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.
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.
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.
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.