Import Operations Specialist I

ARGENTS AIR EXPRESS LTD•Elgin, IL

10d•$58,240 - $62,400•Onsite

About The Position

Argents Express Group is a Family-Owned, US Based, International and Domestic Freight Forwarder/Customs House Broker, Fulfillment and e-Commerce Provider established in 1977. We have operational offices located in Charleston, SC, Chicago, IL and Seattle, WA and our Corporate Office is located on Hilton Head Island SC. Argents has handling capabilities throughout the USA and worldwide. Our service to our partners & customers is second to none. The Import Operations Specialist is responsible for coordinating and executing the end-to-end import process, ensuring timely and compliant movement of international shipments. This role involves managing documentation, filing customs entries, tracking cargo across air, ocean, and ground modes, and communicating with global partners, vendors, and clients to facilitate seamless logistics operations. The specialist ensures adherence to U.S. regulatory requirements (TSA, Customs, DOT, FMC), maintains accurate data in systems like CargoWise, and supports the financial aspects of shipments through invoicing, auditing, and quoting. This position plays a key role in maintaining operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and high levels of customer service in a fast-paced freight forwarding environment.

Requirements

Previous experience working with Freight Forwarding Operating Systems
Proficient in Microsoft Office
High School or equivalent ( 2 years experience )
Associates Degree
Bachelor Degree
Entry Level
3-4 years of experience
Must pass and maintain TSA Security Threat Assessment (STA) for IAC eligibility.

Responsibilities

Customer Service, field phone calls and general office support
Creating/ Auditing an Organization in Cargowise
ISF filing with US Customs
File Opening / Data Entry in Cargowise
Cargo Tracking on carrier/ port websites for Air, LCL and FCL
Adhere to government regulations that monitor our business (TSA, FMC, DOT, US Customs)
Fundamental understanding of international shipping processes
Basic knowledge of Incoterms
Understanding of different types of bills of lading
Communication with customers, international agents, domestic vendors
Dispatching trucks for recovery / delivery
Issuing Arrival Notices
Paying arrival charges
Invoicing clients
Daily problem resolution
Ongoing Logistics and Regulatory Training
Vendor rate negotiations
Processing/ Auditing invoices for vendor charges
Quote clients
Setting up/ Coordinating Shipments with partners at origin
Handling Triangle Shipment Coordination
Look up products in the USHTS and on CROSS to check HTS codes
Review shipping documents to ensure all required customs data is on the paperwork
Communicate with customers and agents to get documentation corrected as needed
Process a Single Entry Bond when required
Process multi- line commercial invoices through Deep Cognition
Entry writing / prep in Cargowise
Know the flags for applicable PGA’s
Understand current Additional tariffs
Work with Sales and Senior Ops team members to document Client SOW’s