Import/Export Coordinator III

An Import/Export Coordinator III is the operational expert on the team. They handle the transactions that others can't — the shipment with an antidumping order scope ambiguity, the FDA-detained cargo where every day in port costs money, the L/C with three discrepancies that need to be negotiated with the issuing bank before the expiry date. They also function as the informal standard-bearer for the team: their entry review catches what entry-level staff miss, their broker relationship gets calls returned faster, and their institutional knowledge of special trade lanes and commodity types is the safety net when something unusual arrives.

The Coordinator III role carries a supervisory dimension that lower coordinator levels typically don't. While not necessarily managing people formally, Coordinator IIIs train new hires, review work for accuracy, write the SOPs that define team procedures, and run the post-mortem when a shipment incident occurs. This knowledge-transfer role is essential at organizations with high coordinator turnover or expanding international programs.

At companies with in-house trade compliance programs, the Coordinator III is typically the bridge between the operations team and the compliance function. When a broker calls to say CBP is requesting additional documentation on an entry, the Coordinator III gathers the records and works with compliance to formulate the response. When a new product line creates new HTS classification questions, the Coordinator III pulls together the product information that compliance needs to make the classification decision.

Process improvement is another distinguishing characteristic. A Coordinator III who has processed thousands of shipments sees patterns — documentation errors that keep recurring, broker procedures that aren't being followed, carrier billing practices that consistently result in disputes. Acting on those patterns, through updated SOPs, broker corrective action plans, or technology changes, reduces the team's ongoing error rate.

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in international business, logistics, supply chain, or a related field preferred
• Associate degree with 6+ years of directly relevant experience considered

Experience:

• 4–7 years of import/export coordination experience, including 1–2 years at the Coordinator II level or equivalent
• Demonstrated experience managing complex freight types and resolving CBP, FDA, or other regulatory holds
• Track record of training junior staff or leading process improvement efforts

Certifications:

• Licensed Customs Broker (strongly preferred; required at some companies for this level)
• NCBFAA Certified Customs Specialist (CCS) (expected at this level)
• IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations
• Forklift operator certification for coordinators at facilities with physical cargo management

Documentation mastery:

• Full import cycle: ISF, arrival notice, entry, exam response, liquidation review, protest
• Full export cycle: SLI, AES/EEI, shipper's declaration, certificate of origin, L/C presentation
• Antidumping/CVD: order research, deposit rate determination, scope ruling requests
• Specialized commodity: FDA prior notice, USDA permits, CITES, ATA Carnet, TSCA certification

Systems:

• Advanced user of a freight management system (CargoWise, Magaya, or equivalent)
• ACE portal: entry status monitoring, ISF filing, protest submission
• Excel: freight cost reconciliation, entry audit workpapers, shipment metrics dashboards

The Coordinator III level is the natural ceiling of the coordinator track and the launch point for trade compliance, brokerage, and logistics management careers. It is the right level to hold while earning a Customs Broker License or accumulating the experience that makes the jump to specialist or analyst roles a clear promotion rather than a lateral move.

At this level, salary growth within the coordinator title is approaching its limit at most companies. The next salary step typically requires a title change: to Trade Compliance Specialist, Import Operations Supervisor, or Customs Broker. Professionals who want to continue growing compensation and responsibility need to make that transition, either through credential attainment or by moving to a company that has an explicit analyst or specialist track open to experienced coordinators.

Freight forwarder environments offer a different path: Coordinator IIIs at forwarders can advance into account management, operations management, or regional trade lane leadership roles that pay well and leverage coordination experience in a client-facing capacity. The account manager path particularly rewards people with deep commodity or trade lane expertise — clients stay with forwarders whose coordinators understand their specific business.

For professionals who want to stay in operations rather than shift to compliance, operations supervisor and station manager paths at freight forwarders and logistics companies are realistic targets from the Coordinator III level, particularly for those with people management experience.

The long-term demand picture is stable. International trade volumes are not going to zero, and the documentation complexity of major trade programs — antidumping, FTAs, export controls — is increasing, not decreasing. Companies will continue to need people who can manage that complexity on a transaction basis.

Dear Hiring Manager,

I'm applying for the Import/Export Coordinator III position at [Company]. I have six years of international trade coordination experience, including the last two years as a Coordinator II at [Company] managing ocean imports across our Asia-Pacific supplier base — approximately 300 container shipments per year covering electronics components and finished consumer goods.

In my current role I independently manage the full import cycle for our two highest-volume trade lanes, handle all antidumping scope reviews for our Chapter 85 product categories (where we have active AD exposure from two countries), and serve as the team's ISF compliance lead. I've built and maintain the team's ISF submission checklist and conduct monthly audits of the prior month's submissions. We've had 100% on-time filing rates for 18 consecutive months.

I recently led a project to overhaul our customs broker invoice reconciliation process. The previous approach was manual and was missing approximately $8,000 per month in overcharged accessorial fees. I built a reconciliation workbook that compares contracted rates against invoiced amounts automatically and escalates discrepancies. In the first year of using it we recovered $94,000 in billing adjustments.

I passed the Customs Broker License exam in March and am awaiting my license. I'm pursuing the III level at a company where I can continue building toward a compliance specialist or trade compliance manager role, and [Company's] combination of in-house brokerage and compliance team looks like exactly that environment.

I'd welcome the opportunity to discuss this role.

[Your Name]