Supervisor, International Logistics

Job Purpose The Supervisor, International Logistics Operations is responsible for leading MPA's daily international inbound transportation operations and supervising employees responsible for regional import transportation, customs clearance coordination, shipment visibility, carrier and broker coordination, and international freight invoice administration.

The position ensures the timely, accurate, compliant, and cost-effective movement of imported parts and accessories through delivery to MPA's Parts Distribution Centers and completion of the related freight billing process. The Supervisor establishes operational priorities, develops team capabilities, manages service-provider performance, resolves shipment and billing exceptions, and uses data analytics to improve service, cost control, financial accuracy, and operational visibility.

Reporting to the Sr. Manager, International Logistics, the position collaborates with Hyundai MOBIS Korea, customs brokers, carriers, freight payment providers, PDC Operations, Compliance, Exports, Finance, Systems, Supply, and other internal stakeholders. Working knowledge of customs compliance and familiarity with export operations are preferred to support effective coordination, escalation, and business continuity.

Key Accountabilities International Inbound Transportation Operations (30%)

• Lead international inbound transportation activities from confirmed vessel departure, air shipment departure, or cross-border transportation through customs clearance, final delivery, and, where applicable, empty-equipment return.
• Oversee ocean, air, cross-border, intermodal rail, transload, over-the-road, and courier transportation within the team's defined operational scope.
• Manage courier shipments delivered to MPA's PDC network and direct-to-dealer shipments, including shipment visibility, delivery confirmation, and exception resolution.
• Monitor in-transit milestones, customs clearance status, rail movement, cargo availability, transload activity, courier status, delivery scheduling, container returns, and operational exceptions.
• Coordinate international shipment requirements with the Inbound Planning and Delivery Coordination function and PDC Operations to support the broader inbound delivery schedule.
• Manage drop-and-hook and live-unload requirements while considering PDC capacity, equipment availability, last free dates, delivery priorities, and accessorial cost exposure.
• Manage risks associated with aging cargo, last free dates, detention, demurrage, storage, chassis usage, and delivery delays.
• Establish operational priorities and lead the timely resolution of in-transit, clearance, rail, transload, courier, delivery, equipment, and service-provider exceptions in coordination with carriers, customs brokers, drayage providers, PDCs, international affiliates, and internal stakeholders.
• Maintain effective escalation procedures, contingency plans, operational controls, and business continuity coverage. Team Leadership and Performance Management (25%)
• Supervise, coach, and develop employees responsible for international inbound transportation and freight invoice administration.
• Establish team priorities, performance expectations, workload assignments, and development plans.
• Allocate resources based on shipment volume, invoice volume, complexity, employee capability, and business needs.
• Conduct performance evaluations, provide feedback, approve time records, and address employee performance concerns.
• Promote cross-training and backup coverage across transportation operations, shipment coordination, customs-clearance support, and freight billing.
• Ensure standard operating procedures, desk instructions, and training materials remain accurate and current.
• Build a collaborative team culture focused on accountability, service, accuracy, financial controls, and continuous improvement. Service Provider and Freight Billing Management (20%)
• Manage the operational performance of ocean carriers, air carriers, drayage providers, customs brokers, transload facilities, freight payment providers, and other logistics service providers.
• Monitor shipment performance, clearance timeliness, delivery execution, responsiveness, invoice quality, and issue resolution.
• Evaluate service performance and recommend alternate transportation, routing, capacity, or operating strategies to improve service, control costs, or support business continuity as needed.
• Oversee freight invoice auditing, approval readiness, discrepancy resolution, supporting documentation, credits, adjustments, and payment-status follow-up.
• Ensure transportation charges are validated against shipment activity, applicable rates and terms, supporting documentation, and established approval requirements.
• Coordinate with Finance and service providers to resolve invoice exceptions, payment issues, aging balances, and reconciliation concerns.
• Monitor detention, demurrage, storage, chassis, and other accessorial charges and lead efforts to identify and address root causes.
• Support accruals, freight-cost forecasting, carrier scorecards, corrective-action plans, and service-provider reviews.
• Provide operational data, volume analysis, and service-performance information to support carrier evaluations, sourcing activities, contract implementation, and performance discussions led by the Sr. Manager and parent-company stakeholders. Operational Compliance and Cross-Functional Coordination (10%)
• Ensure inbound transportation and freight billing activities follow established procedures, approval requirements, and internal controls.
• Partner with the Compliance function and customs brokers to resolve documentation concerns, clearance delays, entry discrepancies, and regulatory exceptions.
• Support timely exchange and retention of import transportation, clearance, and freight billing documentation.
• Maintain working knowledge of U.S. Customs import processes and escalate potential compliance concerns to the Sr. Manager and Compliance function.
• Maintain familiarity with export operations and coordinate with the Export function as needed.
• Support operational and financial audits, corrective actions, record retention, and business continuity planning. Analytics, Systems, and Continuous Improvement (15%)
• Develop and maintain operational KPIs, carrier scorecards, shipment reports, freight billing metrics, cost analysis, forecasts, and management updates.
• Analyze large datasets related to shipment volumes, transit performance, clearance, delivery, invoice accuracy, freight costs, accessorial expenses, and provider performance.
• Use data to identify root causes, operational risks, staffing needs, cost-control opportunities, billing trends, and process improvements.
• Lead or support workflow automation, reporting improvements, system enhancements, and interface-related initiatives.
• Define and document business needs for transportation and freight billing system improvements and participate in testing and implementation.
• Partner with Systems, Finance, freight payment providers, customs brokers, and carriers to resolve data, reporting, and interface issues.
• Present clear, data-supported recommendations to the Sr. Manager and cross-functional stakeholders. Key Performance Indicators Customs Clearance Performance
• Ocean shipments customs cleared prior to vessel arrival whenever documentation and filing requirements permit.
• Air shipments customs cleared within 24 hours of wheels-up notification.
• Customs clearance exceptions identified, escalated, and managed in accordance with established operational procedures. Delivery Execution, Equipment Management, and Accessorial Control
• On-time delivery performance against established delivery commitments and operational requirements.
• Proactive management of cargo approaching Last Free Day (LFD) to minimize detention, demurrage, storage, chassis, and other avoidable accessorial charges.
• Timely empty return of containers and equipment within carrier and terminal free-time requirements.
• Shipment exceptions, delivery constraints, equipment shortages, and capacity limitations managed in accordance with established escalation procedures. Freight Cost and Invoice Management
• Freight invoice audit accuracy and approval timeliness in accordance with established internal controls and service-level expectations.
• Timely resolution of invoice discrepancies, credits, adjustments, payment exceptions, and aging balances.
• Accurate freight accrual support, transportation-cost reporting, and forecasting inputs.
• Accessorial spend maintained within established company performance targets through root-cause analysis and corrective-action implementation. Service Provider Performance
• Ocean carriers, air carriers, drayage and transload providers, customs brokers, and freight payment providers perform within established service expectations.
• Timely resolution of transportation, customs-clearance, delivery, billing, visibility, and operational exceptions.
• Completion and follow-up of corrective-action plans resulting from recurring service failures, operational exceptions, or performance deficiencies. Team Performance and Continuous Improvement
• Completion of employee coaching, performance feedback, development planning, cross-training, and documented backup coverage for critical responsibilities.
• Procedures, desk instructions, training materials, and operational controls reviewed and maintained in accordance with departmental requirements.
• Delivery of approved reporting, automation, workflow, interface, and process-improvement initiatives.
• Accuracy and timeliness of operational KPI reporting, carrier scorecards, freight-cost reporting, management dashboards, and executive reporting. Major Challenges and Key Decisions
• Consolidate and evaluate transportation status, provider reporting, and shipment visibility across multiple logistics service providers to maintain an accurate view of network conditions, delivery performance, operational risks, and potential service disruptions.
• Resolve transportation, customs clearance, delivery, and freight-billing exceptions requiring sound operational judgment and cross-functional coordination.
• Allocate team resources and adjust priorities based on shipment volume, workload, service disruptions, and changing business requirements.
• Evaluate operational and financial data to identify root causes, minimize avoidable accessorial charges, and support corrective-action development.
• Develop scalable processes and controls that improve shipment visibility, service performance, billing accuracy, and operational efficiency. Work Schedule and Travel Requirements Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Flexible schedule at the discretion and approval of the Manager. Travel Required: Yes Travel Details: Minimal overnight travel (up to 5%) by land and/or air.