For an intern role, the KJAs focus on operational assistance, documentation accuracy, and data integrity.
Foundational Trade Support: Assist in daily customs and trade operations by performing entry-level classification research, shipment tracking, and restricted party screening to ensure uninterrupted cargo flow.
Compliance Documentation & Governance: Support the maintenance of the compliance framework by drafting or updating standard operating procedures (SOPs) and organizing regulatory records to meet local legal requirements.
Data Analytics & Process Improvement: Contribute to the continuous improvement of the logistics program by gathering data for KPIs, supporting internal audit preparation, and identifying process bottlenecks, as is applicable
Stakeholder Coordination: Act as a liaison/support between internal teams and service providers to gather necessary documentation for permits, licenses, and clearance resolution.
Skills:
Multitasking
Strong communication
Rapidly assimilate new processes and technical regulations
Basic INCOTERMS and Classification process knowledge
MX HTS Classification: Conduct preliminary Mexican HTS classification for various components using the General Import and Export Tax Law (LIGIE) and NICO codes; prepared detailed findings for senior review and final validation.
Screening Maintenance: Run names/entities through Restricted Party Screening (RPS) software and flag "potential hits" for senior review.
Shipment Follow-Up: Manage end-to-end logistics for concurrent shipments, ensuring internal tracking files are updated in real-time upon completion.
Audit Readiness & Documentation: Perform audits of shipment files to ensure 100% compliance with internal policies, confirming all required documentation is accurately archived for future audits.
Permit Tracking: Create and maintain a "Permit Tracker" to monitor expiration dates for import/export licenses, ensuring the team is alerted 60 days in advance.
Delay Resolution Log: Maintain a log of shipment delays with service providers (DHL, FedEx, etc.) to identify recurring issues with specific ports or carriers.
SOP "Shadow Writing": Attend a process walkthrough with a specialist and draft the first version of a Work Instruction (WI) or flow chart based on what you observed.
Audit Readiness: Conduct "spot checks" on 10 random import folders per week to ensure all required documents (Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Entry Summary) are present and legible.
Training Content Support: Convert dense regulatory updates into visually engaging slide decks for internal "Lunch & Learn" sessions.
KPI Data Gathering: Extract shipping data from the ERP system (like SAP or Oracle) to help calculate the "On-Time Clearance" percentage for the month.
Visual Mapping: Use tools like Visio or Lucidchart to map out the current "Dock-to-Stock" process, highlighting where compliance checks currently happen.
Corrective Action Follow-up: Reach out to stakeholders to confirm if corrective actions from previous audits have been implemented and gather evidence (photos or screenshots) of the fix.
Information Gathering: Draft emails to engineers or product managers to request technical specifications needed for accurate product classification.
Broker Communication: Distribute "Clearance Instructions" to customs brokers and confirm receipt to ensure they have the right data before a shipment arrives.
This document does not represent a contract of employment and is not intended to capture every possible assignment the incumbent could be asked to perform.