Job Summary

The key areas of focus are: International logistics & compliance, product quality assurance & support of all Supply Chain areas. The Import Logistics & Quality Specialist’s goal is to coordinate & track shipments in a timely and cost effective manner while maintaining a high level of information accuracy and effective communication with internal and external customers. You will focus on cost savings by selecting appropriate freight forwarders, recommend HTS numbers that minimize tariff and duty, negotiate with vendors when appropriate & participate in logistic and warehousing decisions when required. You will be proactively leading product quality standards compliance in collaboration with vendors and internal team. You will participate in improvement projects in Supply Chain. This position may be required to travel internationally to work with our overseas vendors.

Key Accountabilities

Manage ocean and international freight

• Manage international logistics to ensure best service and best value/freight cost provided by our freight forwarders
• Work with vendors and forwarders to book freight in a timely and cost effective manner
• Create and distribute commercial documents
• Understand freight pricing, transit lead times, incoterms, etc.
• Arrange transloads and final dray to destination when required
• Track shipments using forwarder portals, email or other means of communication
• Review and approve ocean freight invoices

Information accuracy

• Maintain container, air shipment and product ETD, ETA and actual dates in ERP system
• Update ERP to show SKU in transit status with container numbers and commercial invoice numbers
• Maintain various spreadsheets documenting in transit shipments
• Send receiving documents to external customers or internal receiving team
• Track customer and vendor freight cost responsibilities
• Research and maintain accurate HTS numbers
• Maintain vendor open SKU/qty. lists

Compliance

• Knowledge of ocean freight compliance
• Knowledge of customs compliance
• Complete and provide necessary customs declarations and commercial documents for ocean freight forwarders or government agencies
• Packaging compliance
  • Participate in green packaging initiative to reduce landfill waste
  • Packaging reduction, reduce unnecessary bulk and cost

Product quality assurance

• Create quality expectation vision, document and on-board vendors
• Lead quality assurance by reviewing quality complaints regularly, identifying root clause and solutions in collaboration with vendors and internal team
• Ensure proper documentation by keeping track of final samples approved for production, and following up review of quality consistency
• Document quality assurance process
  • Log complaints, manage & distribute product quality information
  • Analyze product quality, create reports and present findings to management team
  • Communicate issues with internal and external customers
  • Work with vendors to identify root cause and resolve

Projects as assigned

• Provide help with sourcing
• Assist product development team
• Backup Supply Chain department as needed
• Travel as needed
• Identify areas of cost savings in freight, packaging, duty and take action to realize savings
• Other duties as assigned by supervisor

Required Education and Experience

• Post-secondary degree preferred
• 3-5 years of professional experience with emphasis on international import logistics and product quality assurance
• Air and Ocean Import customs compliance and documentation experience preferred
• Experience working with overseas manufacturing preferred
• Previous international vendor travel preferred
• Demonstrated experience interacting with external and internal customers to gather information and coordinate projects and/or shipments to satisfy the client’s needs

Competencies

• Microsoft office experience (Outlook, SharePoint, PowerPoint, Word, Excel)
• Proficiency in Excel
• Understand and have the ability to analyze data
• Strong math, verbal, written and customer service skills with ability to organize, prioritize and execute against established KPIs
• Excellent issue identification and problem solving skills
• Ability to analyze problems and actively seek resolutions, both independently and within a team framework
• Keyboarding accuracy and speed
• Customer Service focused with demonstrated ability to WOW customers
• Demonstrated ambition, adaptability, and accountability.
• Ability to effectively organize workload and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated knowledge of global freight forwarding or import and/or related industry such as distribution, supply chain logistics
• Ability to multitask and work independently
• Familiarity with ERP systems, Microsoft Dynamics Navision
• APICS or Six Sigma preferred