Import Manager

A typical week often involves carrier negotiations, broker coordination, customs documentation, and the steady cadence of supplier and inventory communication — working with origin offices on bookings, coordinating with brokers on customs clearance, fielding compliance questions on classifications and FTAs, prepping reports on landed cost. You're often the operational owner of how imported product reaches the company, with disruption surfacing across multiple time zones.

The friction tends to be the time-zone overhead and the consequence asymmetry of trade compliance — a misclassification can trigger penalties, a delayed shipment can stockout a key SKU. Variance across employers is wide: at large importers you have trade-compliance and procurement support; at smaller importers you're wearing several hats.

Folks who do well here often carry deep customs and trade-program knowledge plus comfort with global carriers. Licensed Customs Broker, CCS, and CSCP credentials anchor advancement. The trade-off is the always-on rhythm of global trade and the constant low-grade urgency of cargo in motion.