Account Operations Coordinator - Shift A at Crane Solutions in Houston, TX

Job description

• Mon - Fri 06:00 - 15:00 OR 10:00 - 19:00
• The Operational Account Coordinator, Ground is the operational point of contact for an assigned customer account and the entry point of the ground shipment process. The role converts customer demand — received by email or held as an order in the customer platform — into a validated booking in e2open TMF, and is the first control point for consolidation: reviewing open loads before a new booking is created so the network does not build duplicate freight. Once shipments are in motion, the Operational Account Coordinator monitors the operational boards for exceptions and owns all customer-facing communication, including inbound escalations, appointment confirmations, and changes to committed dates. The role protects the execution teams from ambiguity by ensuring every booking is complete and correct at first release, and protects the customer relationship by being the single, consistent voice back to the account.

Responsibilities

• Booking Intake & Order Build
• Receive and interpret customer booking requests, confirming service requirements, asset detail, addresses, references, and required pickup and delivery dates before anything is created in a system.
• Build the order in the customer order platform from the originating request where the asset detail is held there, ensuring what is booked matches what the customer expects to ship.
• Create the booking in TMF using the booking tool.
• Validate the booking for completeness at first release so the Outbound Specialist is not reworking data — missing assets, incorrect references, and unclear dates are resolved before handoff, not after.
• Where a system pre-alert is not available, forward the originating email chain that initiated the shipment, including all bills of lading, so downstream teams have full context.
• When a shipment must be rebuilt or materially changed, coordinate the refreshed TMF template, new BOL, and corresponding Aljex and Open Dock updates with the Outbound Specialist and Capacity Planning Specialist.
• Consolidation — First Control Point
• Review current open loads on the board before creating any new booking to determine whether the shipment can be consolidated with freight already committed.
• Apply the consolidation decision tree consistently, and document the rationale when a shipment is or is not consolidated.
• When consolidation is required, communicate immediately with the Operations Supervisor and Capacity Manager via Teams so capacity and appointments are adjusted before duplicate coverage is committed.
• Prevent the downstream rework consolidation avoids — duplicate TMF and Aljex files, redundant BOLs, and unnecessary appointment churn.
• Customer Communication & Appointment Confirmation
• Own all communication with the assigned customer account, including inbound escalations, status requests, and exception notifications.
• Work with the customer to confirm pickup and delivery appointments proposed by the Capacity Planning Specialist.
• When the customer moves a pickup or delivery date, ensure the Capacity Planning Specialist updates Aljex and the appointment, and the Outbound Specialist updates the corresponding TMF fields — the change is not complete until both systems agree.
• Communicate with origin and destination warehouse teams on asset readiness, pickup timing, and empty equipment returns.
• Serve as the sole role that commits dates or service outcomes to the customer, so the account receives one consistent answer.
• Provide proactive notification of at-risk shipments rather than waiting for the customer to ask.
• Exception Monitoring & Escalation
• Monitor the operational boards — Aljex, Open Dock, and site boards — for exceptions across the assigned account and act on them before they become service failures.
• Escalate operational exceptions into the operations chain (Operations Supervisor and Capacity Manager) with the facts, the impact, and the decision required.
• Escalate systemic and tooling gaps to the Program Manager rather than absorbing them as recurring manual work — including manual booking builds, absent booking tooling, assets or empty equipment missing from the customer platform, data-quality gaps in inbound requests, and cross-border document requirements.
• Escalate security concerns involving cargo integrity, chain of custody, or program compliance to the GSOC Security Team and management immediately.
• Track recurring exceptions for the account and feed the pattern into process and tooling improvement, so the same manual workaround is not repeated indefinitely.

Requirements

• Experience supporting a high-value or security-sensitive customer program with prescriptive SOPs and defined escalation paths.
• Experience working from a customer order platform or portal and reconciling it against an internal TMS.
• Familiarity with appointment scheduling and dock management tools.
• Understanding of cross-border documentation requirements and specialized handling.
• Comfort distinguishing a one-off exception from a systemic gap, and the judgment to route each to the right place.
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational ability across a high-volume request queue.
• High school diploma or equivalent; associate’s or bachelor’s degree in logistics, supply chain, business, or a related field preferred.
• 2–4 years of experience in freight or 3PL account coordination, customer service, or transportation operations.
• Demonstrated ability to own a customer relationship operationally — responsive, accurate, and calm under escalation.
• Ability to read a load or shipment board and make sound consolidation judgments against a defined decision tree.
• Hands-on experience with transportation management systems; familiarity with e2open TMF and Descartes Aljex preferred.
• Working knowledge of US domestic ground freight modes (FTL, LTL, intermodal) and the shipment lifecycle from booking to invoice.
• Excellent written communication — able to summarize an exception clearly for both a customer and an internal escalation.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Outlook) and Microsoft Teams.

Skills

Required

• Detail-oriented
• Strong organizational ability
• Excellent written communication
• e2open TMF
• Descartes Aljex
• Microsoft Office (Excel, Outlook)
• Microsoft Teams
• Transportation management systems
• Customer order platform/portal

Benefits

• At Crane, we believe in providing our employees with excellent benefits at a Great Place to Work.
• Quarterly Incentive Plan
• 136 hours of Paid Time Off which equals 17 days for the year, that can be used for Sick Time or for Personal Use
• Excellent Medical, Dental and Vision benefits
• Tuition Reimbursement for education related to your job
• Employee Referral Bonuses
• Employee Recognition and Rewards Program
• Paid Volunteer Time to support a cause that is close to your heart and contributes to our communities
• Employee Discounts
• Wellness Incentives that can go up to $100 per year for completing challenges, in addition to a discount on contribution rates
• Come join the leader in logistics and take your career in the right direction.