Reefer Customer Service Supervisor
South Africa
DRIVING CONNECTIVITY
Chart your Course with PIL
With over 55 years of leadership in the global shipping industry, Pacific International Lines (PIL) is looking for proactive individuals to drive innovation and sustainable shipping solutions. If you’re fueled by pioneering ideas, enjoy challenging the status quo, and are determined to make a significant impact, PIL wants you as a part of our dynamic community of maritime professionals.
At PIL, we provide local experiences with a global reach. With our headquarters in Singapore, and services offered at over 500 locations in 90 countries, you will have ample opportunities to work with colleagues from different cultures and communities.
Get On Board for a Dynamic and Purposeful Career.
We’re seeking a highly motivated Reefer Customer Service Supervisor to lead our national reefer customer service operations, ensuring the seamless handling of temperature-controlled cargo while maintaining cold chain integrity, compliance, and exceptional service standards.
Key Responsibilities:
Team Leadership
- Lead, coach and develop the Reefer Customer Service team, fostering a high-performance culture focused on accountability, service excellence and continuous improvement.
- Manage team productivity, workload allocation and resource planning to ensure service levels, operational priorities and business objectives are consistently achieved.
- Provide leadership and guidance on complex operational, customer and reefer-related matters, ensuring timely and effective resolution of escalated issues.
- Drive employee development through performance management, succession planning, structured coaching and targeted training initiatives that build organisational capability and support long-term volume growth.
Customer Service Leadership and Customer Experience
- Own the delivery of a best in class reefer customer experience, ensuring service excellence, responsiveness and operational reliability across all customer touchpoints nationally.
- Provide strategic oversight of customer service performance, proactively communicating market developments, operationaltrends, service changes and customer impacts to strengthencustomer confidence and retention.
- Act as the senior escalation point for strategic accunts and critical customer issues, corrdingating teams to deliver effective solutions.
Customer Service Case Management and Continious Improvement
- Own the Reefer Customer Service Case Management platform and drive its adoption as the primary tool for managing customer interactions, escalations and service performance.
- Utilise case management data and analytics to improve service quality, monitor compliance, identify operational risks and drive corrective actions.
- Build a culture of accountability and customer excellence through the effective use of case management processes, workflows and performance metrics.
- Lead the ongoing development of case management capabilities, ensuring the platform supports growth, operational efficiency and solid customer experience.
- Identify and drive improvement initiatives across customer service processes, reefer operations and backhaul activities, leveraging system insights to enhance productivity, customer satisfaction, asset utilisation and cost efficiency.
Operational Excellence and Coordination
- Oversee reefer plug allocation process against client forecasts to ensure customer commitments are effectively managed and delivered.
- Supervise the coordination of Carrier Haulage and Value-Added Services, including Steri Shield treatments and telematics monitoring.
- Oversee and ensure optimal perishable cargo flows nationally, ensuring correct prioritisation and operational alignment across all service points nationally.
- Ensure all reefer-specific services are executed accurately and in compliance with cargo, customer, and regulatory requirements.
- Develop and maintain customer-specific SOPs to ensure alignment with PIL requirements, improve service consistency and efficiency, and strengthen customer retention and long-term partnership.
- Maintain strong working knowledge of reefer depot operations nationally, ensuring accurate coordination of equipment commensurate with demand.
- Monitor cargo readiness processes, maintaining close relationship with booked customers, ensuring adherence to stack opening and closing timelines.
Key Skills, Knowledge & Experience
- Bachelor’s Degree in Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Maritime Studies or a related field.
- Relevant certifications in shipping, logistics, or reefer/container operations will be advantageous.
- Minimum 5–7 years’ experience in shipping, logistics, or supply chain, with a strong focus on reefer (temperature-controlled) cargo.
- At least 2–3 years in a supervisory or team leadership role within customer service or operations.
WE VALUE:
- Proven experience leading customer service or operations functions in shipping, logistics or a complex service environment.
- Demonstrated ability to build or transform teams, standardise processes and manage change.
- Strong leadership presence with the ability to set standards, make decisions and hold teams accountable.
- Operationally credible, commercially aware and customer-focused.
Why Join Us:
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- Make an Impact: Take on a high-profile leadership role and play a pivotal part in driving PIL’s growth in South Africa and beyond.
- Innovate and Lead: Shape the future of logistics with autonomy, creativity, and the backing of a globally recognized shipping leader.
- Expand Your Legacy: Be at the forefront of transforming logistics solutions in one of the most dynamic regions on the continent.
Application Process:
To apply for this exciting opportunity, please submit your resume outlining your qualifications and experience on PIL Career Website.
Eligibility to Apply:
This position is open to South African Nationals or individuals who currently have the legal right to work in South Africa. Please note that applicants without this eligibility will not be considered.
About Us
Incorporated in 1967, Pacific International Lines (PIL) is ranked 12th among the world’s top container shipping lines and is also the largest home-grown carrier in Southeast Asia. Based in Singapore, PIL is a global carrier with a focus on Asia, China, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, Oceania, and the Pacific Islands.
Together with its affiliated companies Mariana Express Lines (MELL) and Malaysia Shipping Corporation, PIL serves customers at over 500 locations in more than 90 countries worldwide with a fleet of 100 container and multi-purpose vessels.
Apart from the core liner shipping business, PIL also has several other business units such as container manufacturing, depot, and logistics services.
PIL strives to meet the needs of its customers by providing value-adding services such as intermodal, breakbulk, and reefer services delivered on innovative technological platforms. With its focus on “Driving Connectivity” and commitment to achieving Net Zero by 2050, PIL aims to be an efficient, sustainable, and future-ready shipping line.
For more information, visit www.pilship.com
Pacific International Lines (PIL) is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.