Senior Import/ Export Specialist

Austal USA•Mobile, AL

About The Position

This role is responsible for ensuring and maintaining Austal USA’s compliance with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) requirements. The Senior Import/Export Specialist will serve as the primary subject-matter expert for U.S. import/export regulations, customs compliance, and Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) operations. This position acts as the central point of contact with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), customs brokers, freight forwarders, carriers, and internal stakeholders. The role also involves working with the Manager Security & Export Control Administration to ensure compliance with ITAR, EAR, DFARS, FAR, and applicable trade regulations. Additionally, the specialist will manage FTZ admissions, removals, weekly entries, annual reconciliation, and reporting, oversee duty-free exemptions, tariff mitigation strategies, and country-of-origin determinations. The position requires coordinating timely and cost-efficient shipment of spare parts, vendor returns, and other outbound shipments, while specifying and enforcing packaging, labeling, and documentation requirements for regulatory and contractual compliance. Collaboration with buyers, suppliers, production control, and production personnel is key for timely material delivery and inventory balance management. The role includes managing freight purchase orders, validating charges, coordinating payment, and preparing annual requests for quote for freight and logistics services. Analysis of bids and recommendations for service provider selection are also part of the responsibilities. Ensuring carrier accounts remain current through weekly monitoring of freight invoices is crucial. The specialist will provide a centralized control point for all freight requirements, including scheduling, routing, optimization, consolidation, and leveraging volume for cost and service improvements. Developing and continuously improving logistics, transportation, and trade compliance processes, along with managing and evaluating the performance of freight carriers, brokers, and third-party logistics (3PL) providers, are essential. Maintaining freight metrics and cost controls, identifying continuous improvement opportunities, and supporting internal and external audits, compliance reviews, and corrective actions are also key duties. Finally, the role involves providing landed cost data for estimating and finance.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Logistics, Supply Chain Management, or a related field
Eight (8)+ years of progressive experience in import/export compliance and logistics operations
Demonstrated experience in managing freight carrier relationships and logistics coordination in a global supply chain, including ocean, air, and ground transportation modes (LTL, TL, parcel)
Demonstrated experience with U.S. import/export customs clearance
Working knowledge of commercial and DOD packaging and shipping requirements
Proven team player with strong negotiating and influencing skills
Professional, motivated and ability to work proactively & autonomously
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to work effectively with others
Strategic, analytical and innovative abilities with solid problem solving skills
Proficient in Microsoft Excel and Outlook
ERP experience desirable
Able to provide proof of US Person Status
Willing to submit to a drug screen
Willing to submit to a background check

Nice To Haves

Experience with Department of Defense duty free certificate programs and FTZ operations strongly preferred
Familiarity with shipboard components and machinery preferred
Microsoft Access helpful

Responsibilities

Ensuring and maintaining Austal USA’s compliance with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) requirements.
Serving as the primary subject-matter expert for U.S. import/export regulations, customs compliance, and Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) operations.
Acting as the central point of contact with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), customs brokers, freight forwarders, carriers, and internal stakeholders.
Working with the Manager Security & Export Control Administration to ensure compliance with ITAR, EAR, DFARS, FAR, and applicable trade regulations.
Managing FTZ admissions, removals, weekly entries, annual reconciliation, and reporting.
Overseeing duty-free exemptions, tariff mitigation strategies, and country-of-origin determinations.
Coordinating timely and cost-efficient shipment of spare parts, vendor returns and other outbound shipments.
Specifying and enforcing packaging, labeling and documentation requirements to ensure regulatory and contractual compliance for all inbound and outbound freight.
Working closely with buyers, suppliers, production control, and production personnel to coordinate timely delivery of material to production while managing inventory balance.
Managing freight purchase orders, validating charges, and coordinating proper charging and timely payment of freight costs.
Annually preparing requests for quote for freight and logistics services.
Analyzing bids and making recommendation for service provider selection.
Ensuring carrier accounts remain current through the weekly monitoring of freight invoices.
Providing a centralized control point for all freight requirements, including scheduling, routing, optimization, consolidation, and leverage of volume for cost and service improvements.
Coordinating timely and cost-effective shipment of production-critical material.
Specifying and enforcing regulatory-compliant packaging, labeling, and documentation requirements.
Developing and continuously improving logistics, transportation, and trade compliance processes.
Managing and evaluating performance of freight carriers, brokers, and third-party logistics (3PL) providers.
Maintaining freight metrics and cost controls; identify continuous improvement opportunities.
Supporting internal and external audits, compliance reviews, and corrective actions.
Providing landed cost data for estimating and finance.