WHAT DOES AN EXPORT SPECIALIST DO?

Updated: Jun 12, 2025 - The Export Specialist oversees the entire process of receiving and invoicing orders for international clients, ensuring compliance with hygiene and sanitary regulations. This position coordinates the implementation and documentation of foreign orders, including customer support, complaint resolution, and delivery supervision. This role collaborates with the Sales Department to develop business strategies, open new markets, and achieve annual sales targets, under the guidance of management.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Export Specialist

1. Export Specialist Duties

  • Quoting and Shipment Handling: Quoting services to clients and handling shipments.
  • Vendor Management: Gather vendor rates and communicate terms, conditions, and pricing of shipments to the client, while ensuring a reasonable profit/competitive rate balance for Falcon.
  • Logistics Coordination: Organize, and book services with all carriers related to the shipments, and complete all necessary documentation.
  • Regulatory Compliance and Client Communication: Analyze and communicate all shipment requirements to the client based on origin and destination regulations and keep the client updated with shipment status at each step.
  • Billing and Accounting Approval: Bill the client and gather all vendor invoices related to the file, approve them, and submit to accounting.
  • Market Analysis: Evaluate market potential and sales status.
  • Sales Operations Planning: Plan, organize, and coordinate sales operations of the company or organization.
  • Sales Program Development: Plan and organize sales programs, including sales methodologies, incentives, special campaigns, and professional training for personnel.
  • Industry and Market Knowledge: Gain in-depth general industry as well as deep local market knowledge.
  • Sales Execution and Deployment: Supervise the day-to-day sales operations activities, executing and deploying the sales plans, vision, and goals.
  • Team Leadership and Talent Management: Lead and develop a team, exhibiting authority for talent management decisions related to hiring, performance, and disciplinary actions.

2. Export Specialist Details

  • Shipment Handling: Handle all ocean and air import shipments, including customs clearance (7501), ISF filings, HTS classification, and documentation.
  • Customs Compliance Auditing: Audit customs broker activity and ensure timely approval of invoices for payment.
  • Recordkeeping: Maintain electronic copies of 7501 for recordkeeping.
  • Shipment Tracking: Trace shipments and provide status updates to internal customers.
  • Logistics Coordination: Work with various customs brokers, forwarders, truckers, steamship lines, agents, and both internal and external customers.
  • Freight Claims Assistance: Assist with freight claims.
  • Duty Drawback Processing: Assist with Duty Drawback claims and documentation.
  • C-TPAT Compliance: Maintain knowledge of the C-TPAT program and facilitate program compliance.
  • Logistics Project Support: Support logistics projects.
  • Freight Cost Consolidation: Consolidate monthly invoicing attachments for freight costs per study.
  • Invoice Processing: Process month-end invoice preparation bookings.
  • Shipping Order Management: Create, coordinate, and monitor shipping orders.
  • Logistics Reporting: Prepare logistical statistics.
  • Inventory Management: Perform inventory checks and generate reports.

3. Export Specialist Responsibilities

  • Logistics Cost Analysis: Calculate logistics cost and forecast.
  • Scheduling Coordination: Coordinate scheduling with production, warehouse, and other departments.
  • Shipment Management: Coordinate shipments and returns on a daily basis.
  • Shipment Tracking: Track and report shipment tracking information.
  • Equipment Return Processing: Monitor, coordinate, and process outstanding equipment for return.
  • Spare Parts and Supplies Coordination: Coordinate shipments of spares and supplies to be used in studies.
  • Data Entry and Documentation: Perform routine data entry and process related paperwork according to established guidelines.
  • Compliance Monitoring: Check compliance with promised shipping/receiving dates and all needed documents.
  • Logistics Support: Provide support to internal and external customers for all logistics-related issues.
  • Employee Training and Mentorship: Train new employees and mentor trainees and apprentices.
  • Global Shipment Processing: Create, organize, and process outbound and inbound shipments globally.
  • Repairs and Insurance Management: Monitor repairs, insurance cases, and service orders.
  • Import/Export Documentation: Provide country-specific documentation for the importation and exportation of medical devices used in studies.

4. Export Specialist Job Summary

  • Delivery Service Management: Ensure outstanding delivery service on Import and Export Operations, managing day-to-day Foreign Trade activities in a compliant manner.
  • Import-Export Operations: Responsible for import-export activities (import, export, re-export, etc.) for all materials subject to customs clearance to ensure compliant and on-time operations.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Monitor local import and export legislation and ensure good collaboration with Local Governmental institutions (Custom Authorities, Health and Sanitary Agencies, Laboratories, Foreign Ministry).
  • Customs and Trade Regulations: Control changes in Custom Tariff Systems, Trade Agreements, and Subsidies.
  • International Shipment Monitoring: Monitor international shipments as per agreed Incoterms and prices.
  • Documentation Compliance: Ensure documentation compliance regarding accuracy and timing of delivery/receipt to receiving markets or from producing markets and/or third-party suppliers.
  • Customs Documentation Management: Ensure the required documents for customs procedures (licenses, authorizations, certificates).
  • Inbound and Outbound Logistics: Manage inbound and outbound processes, securing timely and cost-effective flow of goods.
  • Vendor and Partner Relations: Maintain partnership relations with service providers (Custom Brokers, International Freight Forwarders, and other third-party companies).
  • Performance Monitoring: Monitor Key Performance Indicators on a defined periodic basis.
  • SAP System Utilization: Utilize the SAP system for logistics and trade operations.

5. Export Specialist Accountabilities

  • Freight Forwarding: Work with freight forwarders, U.S. Customs brokers, and government agencies to facilitate clearance procedures and resolve any problems that may arise.
  • Shipment Coordination: Effectively coordinate the process with suppliers, foreign staff members, and government agencies on the movement of products imported into the U.S. as well as exported from the U.S.
  • Import/Export Documentation: Prepare all required import and export documentation.
  • Shipping Information Coordination: Coordinate and transmit shipping information to foreign offices.
  • Domestic Shipment Concerns: Coordinate resolution of domestic concerns related to international shipments.
  • Classification Analysis: Analyze new items for proper import and export classification.
  • Tariff Code Assignment: Assign the appropriate Harmonized Tariff Code classifications to a wide variety of products.
  • Routing Instructions: Supply appropriate routing instructions to new vendors based on departmental criteria for domestic and imported goods.
  • International License Management: Manage all international licenses for the importation, exportation of products and maintain all NAFTA certificates and requirements.
  • ERP System Maintenance: Maintain good data and system integrity within the ERP system.
  • Project Support: Provide support to special projects.

6. Export Specialist Functions

  • Document Preparation: Import and export document preparation.
  • Customs Clearance Coordination: Work with customs clearance agents to ensure the customs clearance process goes smoothly.
  • Duty Exemption and Certification: Apply for a duty exemption, temporary importation, and certification (3C, energy efficiency, etc.).
  • Goods Status Follow-up: Follow up on the goods status and solve the problem during the clearance process.
  • Expense Payment Requests: Payment requests for clearance-related expenses.
  • Customs Training: Provide customs clearance and compliance training.
  • Tax Exemption Reporting: Provide tax exemption annual report to customs.
  • Clearance Agent Management: Manage clearance agents.
  • Corporate Compliance Assessment: Complete corporate compliance assessment.
  • PowerBI Reporting: Use PowerBI to make grief and tracking reports.
  • Application System Maintenance: Maintenance and improvement of import and export application system.
  • Vendor Code Management: Use the Sia system to create and remove vendor codes.

7. Export Specialist Job Description

  • Shipment Coordination: Organizing, coordinating, and overviewing temperature-controlled national and international shipments, air and road, and freight transportation.
  • Logistics Coordination: Coordinating internal and external logistics & distribution teams, planners, and external couriers.
  • Shipping Documentation: Generating relevant shipping documents (Proforma Invoice, Pick lists, dangerous goods Certificates).
  • Customer Contact: Acting as primary contact for the assigned customers in regard to export/import inquiries, and resolving stakeholder issues.
  • Complaint Investigation Support: Supporting clinical complaint investigations, as well as corrective action plans.
  • SOP Review: Contributing and reviewing local and global Standard Operating Procedures (SOP's).
  • Compliance Adherence: Ensuring 100% compliance adherence (Export/Import Licenses, Global Trade Compliance, GMP, GDP).
  • Import Support: Supporting the Import Group for import activities (cross-trained).
  • Project Participation: Participating in internal and external projects or process improvements.
  • Liaison Management: Act as a liaison between Internal and External customers.
  • Transportation Regulation Application: Accurate application of transportation regulations, and inbound and outbound freight forwarding requirements.
  • Coordination with Sites: Effective coordination with plants both domestic and international sites.
  • Stock Invoice Monitoring: Monitor inter-company stock invoices for replenishments at appropriate transfer pricing.
  • Duty and Tariff Assessment: Assesses duty and tariff amounts for shipments.

8. Export Specialist Overview

  • Operational Process Implementation: Implementation of operational processes and controls and relevant systems and standard work instructions around import and export activities, including import/export controls, license management, HS-code classification, and all deemed export compliance, import/export documentation, etc., to ensure corrective action and import/export processes are in place to meet local regulations.
  • Export Control Classification: Advise and update on Export Control classifications of goods.
  • HS Code Review: Review and support with HS Code for current and newly created items.
  • Classification Consistency Review: Reviews of classifications for consistency and provide transactional data to customs brokers to facilitate efficient imports of products.
  • Export License Handling: Handling export licenses.
  • Regulatory Guidance: Provide guidance with respect to regulatory questions or business inquiries to functional teams.
  • Export Control Compliance: Responsible for export control compliance according to the process and measurement to identify areas of export control compliance risks.
  • Internal Department Liaison: Liaise and work closely with internal departments.
  • Business Process Integration: Ensure related standard business process requirements are integrated into business strategies, processes, products, and new business opportunities.
  • Order to Cash Process: Design, implement and run the full order-to-cash process for export countries, including documentation to support exportation out of the Swiss entity.
  • Shipment Execution Collaboration: Collaborate with the rest of the organization for the execution of shipments.
  • Compliance with Export Regulations: Ensuring compliance with all applicable export control regulations in order to guarantee on-time deliveries.
  • Export-Controlled Item Planning: Support planning and sourcing of export-controlled items in line with the production plan and customer services.
  • Sanctions Screening: Executing sanctioned party screenings and/or embargo & sanctions verifications.

9. Export Specialist Details and Accountabilities

  • Order Receiving and Invoicing: Receiving and invoicing orders from foreign customers.
  • Foreign Order Implementation: Supervised the implementation of foreign orders.
  • Documentation Provision: Providing customers with the necessary documentation related to orders.
  • Delivery Supervision: Supervision over the process of deliveries to customers.
  • Complaint Management: Supervision over customer's complaints.
  • Order Estimation Creation: Creating order estimations with customers.
  • Customer Needs Resolution: Effectively prioritizing and resolving customer needs.
  • Sales Department Cooperation: Cooperating with the Sales Department to meet customer expectations.
  • Hygiene Compliance: Absolute compliance with the hygiene and sanitary regimes regulated by the Company Hygiene Program.
  • Additional Tasks: Performing other works not covered by this scope of responsibilities and ordered by a manager.
  • Customer Search: Searching and finding customers abroad.
  • Market Expansion: Responsible for opening new markets and achieving company goals.
  • Business Plan Coordination: Coordinate with the Manager to determine an efficient business plan to achieve all annual sales goals.

10. Export Specialist Tasks

  • Document Compliance: Receives documents and initiates logging process, confirms data received is in compliance with all US Customs requirements.
  • Document Processing: Processes all documents in accordance with US Customs requirements, coordinates cargo availability and arranges pick-ups and finalizes billing and document distribution.
  • Export Declaration Preparation: Prepares export declarations and related Bills of Lading in Ocean Export.
  • Shipment Coordination: Coordinates the outbound movement of international shipments.
  • Rate and Service Establishment: Establishes rates and services with third-party carriers.
  • Ship Point Coordination: Provides expertise and resources to coordinate “ship points.”
  • Stakeholder Communication: Maintains considerable dialogue within many organizations and outside customers (vendors, carriers), including participation meetings.
  • Team Operation: Operation within a team environment includes joint decision-making, problem-solving, and accountability.
  • Measurement Monitoring: Review and daily monitoring, ensures all measurement standards are met.
  • Problem Solving: Displays quick thinking and problem-solving skills to provide the most efficient solution to clients and customers.
  • Shipment Review and Routing: Review individual shipment P&L and identify correct and proper arrangements and cost-effective routing.
  • Market Analysis and Reporting: Prepare all reports for new markets and analyze all competitor activities and submit same to manager.
  • Resource Planning and Compliance: Analyze all market coverage and plan all required resources for the same and ensure compliance to all time frames.
  • Customer Issue Resolution: Evaluate all customer issues and provide optimal solutions to resolve the.
  • Export Sales Management: Manage all export sales and ensure compliance with all procedures of the organization.