Import Export Manager

About the Role: 

Line Manager : SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGER 

Location : Douala 

No of positions : 01 

Type of contract : Full Time 

The Import and Export Manager will be reporting to the Supply Chain Manager, collaborating with internal stakeholders notably (warehouse, production, QA, Finance and HR teams) and external stakeholders. The core purpose of the IMPEX Manager involves coordinating, planning and executing the export of Finished goods but also imported material ensuring smooth, compliant and cost-effective processes across international borders.  

He/she is the main player in the process of optimizing the company’s working capital related to finished product stock (between 2.5 kMT and 3 kMT), by maintaining the average stock within the target while delivering the expected monthly sales.  

He/She is the focal point in planning export and import operations by participating in regular meetings involving internal stakeholders. He/She drives adherence to volume and performance targets from our external partners by ensuring volume allocation and execution per forwarder and shipping line as driver for cost efficiency for export operations. 

As the interface with the client for the overall shipments executed, He/She is responsible for ensuring a good level of customer care and satisfaction (export and import documentation timeliness and accuracy; On Time and In Full Shipment). Through the monitoring and supervision of the Export Team, He/She drives export operations efficiency by defining and implementing continuous improvement initiatives, and He/she ensures compliance with internal operational standards and government requirements, updating working processes and procedures when it is needed. 

This role provides key experiences and opportunities such as global trade expertise, strategic supply chain management, leadership and people management, cross functional collaboration, industry exposure and career growth opportunities. 

Key responsibilities include: 

Export and Sales Planning 

• Coordinate finished product shipment planning to deliver the site stock and sales targets as defined by Management Team, 

• Contribute to the regular internal stakeholders’ decisions meetings (Central Planning; Downstream & Upstream; Factory Quality; Regional Supply Chain) and coordination meetings with external partners (shipping lines, forwarding companies) to validate and adjust Production, 

• Schedule and Shipment Plan, 

• Monitor the correct allocation during the planning process by the Export Team of the allocation of volume per Forwarder and shipping line as per agreed tender. Shipping Lines tender validated annually and communicated by Global Cocoa Logistics Team (Zurich) and Forwarder tender from competitive bidding (Procurement), 

• Validate the containers forecast per shipping line for monthly diffusion (Supply Chain services; Regional supply Chain; shipping lines;Forwarders) by the Export Team, as well as weekly update and communication to the requirement stakeholders . 

Export Shipment execution and Customer care 

• Address directly, or report and escalate, any issue impacting forecasted stock, planned sales, export operations cost, customer requirements, working with Central Planning (Zurich), Global Cocoa Logistics, Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management to identify, validate and implement solutions needed, 

• Monitor the adequate execution by the Export Team of the allocations of volume per Forwarder and shipping line as per agreed tender, as well as the required adjustments and corrections for any deviation from the targets as enabler of export cost efficiency, 

• Supervise and coordinate the resolution of client enquiries and reported issues, in collaboration with internal division (Supply Chain, Manufacturing Team, Quality Team and Finance Team) and external agents (Forwarders, Shipping Lines; Customs agents) to ensure export customer satisfaction, 

• Ensure the timely and accurate invoicing by the Export Team in compliance with Global Cocoa Logistics rules and local finance procedures, for each shipment (average of 50 orders per month), 

• Ensure timely transmission of documentation to client for customs clearing at destination by the Export Team to prevent demurrage costs, 

• Address as well any documentation claim from customers directly or Global Cocoa Logistics Team.  

Operational and regulatory compliance 

• Manage and ensure that all internal ERP systems implemented are properly and efficiently used (SAP; CARGOO…) to support the operations and create visibility for origin (Local Supply Chain and Finance division), for destination (Consignment Final customers) and for Barry Callebaut Head-office departments (Global Cocoa Logistics; Global Cocoa Finance), 

• Coordinate with System Administration Team (Supply Chain) and Finance Team the accurate update and appropriate use of external platforms for export operations (CNC platform; Customs forwarding platform; Foreign Exchange Platform) by the Export Team, 

• Monitor and ensure strict adherence to food safety and security rules, and confidentiality requirement by Export Team and external partners, 

• Ensure adherence to the traceability requirement rules (data recording; documentation management) in the End-to-End operation Execution 

Management of import operations  

• Set up and monitor the import activity dashboard, 

• Plan, direct and control all import activities on a day-to-day basis, 

• Review and update operational procedures,  

• Check and validate customs documentation to ensure compliance with current regulations, 

• Validate customs declarations related to imports, 

• Work with freight forwarders and carriers to ensure efficient and timely delivery. 

Cost Leadership and Working capital 

• Monitor and ensure timely processing of invoices in workflows by the Export Team for on time payment of export operations Vendors, performance needed for flawless export operations (on time shipment, timely delivery of documentation), 

• Contribute to key decisions meetings to define and implement options to delivery weekly and monthly stock targets, in support of business Working Capital optimization, 

• Analysis, identify and implement with the Export Team (in collaboration with Finance Business Partner) cost reduction initiatives to deliver cost saving in export operations, supporting overall Supply Chain Cost reduction.  

Relationship with external partners and Performance evaluation 

• Coordinate and monitor the Export Team to provide to the business the visibility about the status of the planned shipment, according to the current execution and performance of Forwarders and shipping lines; address any blocking point preventing the Export Team activities to continue, considering both internal and external stakeholders, 

• Supervise the Export Team to perform regular assessment, analysis and review with Forwarders of their performance in view of continuous improvement; make proposals for business allocation adjustment to increase efficiency and ensure their implementation, 

• Monitor and confirm vessel departure and cargo (containers) loaded for timely invoicing of sales by the Export Team, ensuring adherence to Global Cocoa Logistics rules and Local finance requirements, 

• Supervise the Export Team to provide periodic assessment and communication of Shipping Line performance, for operational allocation adjustment and improvement opportunities. 

Process, Procedure and Continuous Improvement 

• Identify and initiate improvement projects to help streamline, simplify and improve the overall performance of shipment operations, customer satisfaction and cost improvement, support the Supply Chain efficiency improvement, 

• Evaluate, modify, publish (after approval) and train on export operational procedures to support the continuous improvement process in Supply Chain, 

• Participate in the design and the implementation of structuring and key projects assigned or defined by the Management to drive business Overall performance improvement. 

Periodic report and Performance management 

• Provide weekly and monthly reporting of Shipment Plan performance with gaps explanation as required by the Regional Supply Chain to support regional periodic operations reviews, and strategy definition, 

• Drive monthly Stock projection simulation together with others Supply Chain Departments involving internal stakeholders (Downstream; Quality; Accounting), as a support to deliver the Site target average stock, 

• Supervise and drive process improvement related to documentation timeliness, OTIF performance in collaboration with other internal departments (Downstream, Quality Assurance; Site Supply Chain departments) involved in export execution. 

• Min bachelor’s degree or equivalent i.e. Bac + 4/5 yrs in logistics, transport, international trading, 

• Min 5 years of experience in similar position of commodities or agricultural product export, 

• Knowledge of cocoa export mechanism and principle from Cameroon peculiar knowledge of free zone regime, 

• Fluent in English, 

• Good level in using ERP (i.e. SAP…), Google Suite, Office tools. 

Essential experience & knowledge 

• Shipping line general operations 

• Production planning and execution 

• Process improvement implementation 

Technical/Functional Competencies 

• Lean / Six Sigma  

• Knowledge of cocoa trading system and platform in Cameroon  

• Use of shipping lines tracking systems and export management platforms  

• SAP 

Leadership Competencies & Personal Style 

• Result oriented and problem-solving skills 

• Interpersonal relationship and conflict resolution 

• Organized; orderliness; pro-activeness; initiative 

• Team spirit; negotiation skill 

• Insight of planning to produce process 

• Open mindset to find solution to unusual issues; flexibility 

• Balance between managing details and attention to big picture