Import Operations Specialist

iTi Tropicals, the leading supplier of tropical and exotic fruit juice concentrates and purees in North America, seeks an experienced, detail-oriented person to work with a well-established team of professionals to facilitate the import of liquid, perishable cargo in a timely and accurate manner.

The right candidate will have a well-rounded import / export background and 2-6 years of international ocean freight experience.

The role is responsible for all functions related to the import of product from all over the world. You will report to the Director of Trade Services who reports to the VP of Strategy & Operations.

You will be on the front line of negotiating ocean freight contracts, booking containers, track & trace for our customers / sales / supply side buyers, over the road and drayage carriers, third party warehouses and other logistics service providers.

The ability to efficiently problem-solve, reason logically, and make sound decisions is a must.

We are looking for a team player with a positive, professional demeanor, excellent communication skills and the ability to multi-task with a high attention to detail.

The right candidate will have a demonstrated proficiency in MS Office products and be able to manage a large volume of email traffic.

This is a full time, in-office position located at iTi headquarters in Lawrenceville, NJ.

Responsibilities :

• Coordination of import and export containers from and to various ports throughout the world including the strict and thorough tracking of each load from ISF filing to return of empty containers
• Sourcing of container drayage providers including rate negotiation, temperature-controlled (reefer) environment and determination of the most effective route
• Timely follow-up on shipment releases to ensure that all loads are on schedule
• Orchestrating deliveries and pickups with our warehousing partners’ facilities including temperature-controlled environments
• Requesting status updates and submitting documents to various ocean freight carriers and freight forwarders
• Handling various high-paced operational activities such as invoice approval, timely ocean freight payments, and order releases from our warehousing partners

Qualifications :

• BA / BS degree (plus if in business or supply chain)
• 2-6 years of international supply chain experience
• Experience with importing full ocean freight containers (ideally temp-controlled / reefer) and carrier interactions required (ideally have negotiated with global ocean freight carriers)
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office products
• Strong organizational and communication skills
• Can do attitude and calm under pressure; must be proficient on a windows PC managing multiple screens and hundreds of emails daily
• Prior experience with Microsoft Dynamics GP is a plus

iTi Tropicals, offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision and life insurance as well as a 401K matching program.

This is an individual contributor position but manager-track consideration for high achievers could be made after mastering the day-to-day job and exceeding operational expectations.

This is a full-time, on-site position. Standard operating business hours are Monday-Friday from 8 : 30am-5 : 30pm, but please note that this position may require flexibility in hours to accommodate work emergencies as they arise.