Summary:
Global Logistics & Trade Project Manager for Client s Robotics Program moving hardware across borders, orchestrating a cross-functional network of partners, and automating the workflows that keep material flowing. 5+ years in global logistics, international trade, or supply chain operations.
5+ years of experience in global logistics, international trade, or supply chain operations; hands-on experience with customs, import/export, HTS classification, and cross-border shipment execution; experience in hardware, robotics, or manufacturing logistics environments; demonstrated track record automating or digitizing operational workflows; strong cross-functional program management skills.
Role Overview:
Client s Robotics organization is building hardware that doesn't exist yet and almost none of it is built in one place. Components come from Asia, sub-assemblies move between contract manufacturers, and finished units land in labs across multiple countries, often on timelines measured in days. This role owns that physical pipeline end to end. We're looking for a Global Logistics & Trade Project Manager who thinks like an operator and builds like an engineer. You'll own the movement of robotics hardware from purchase order through international transit, customs clearance, and final delivery and then you'll go rebuild the process so the next hundred shipments move faster with less manual effort. This is not a PO-processing seat; it's a role for someone who wants to design the logistics backbone of a brand-new hardware program and automate the parts that shouldn't need a human.
You'll sit at the center of an unusually cross-functional network Procurement, Trade Compliance, Hardware Engineering, Program Management, contract manufacturers, freight forwarders, customs brokers, and lab operations in multiple regions translating between all of them and making the handoffs disappear.
Key Responsibilities:
Global Logistics Execution: Own international movement of robotics hardware end to end inbound from Asia-based suppliers and CMs, inter-site transfers, and final-mile delivery to labs selecting modes and routes that balance speed, cost, and risk.
International Trade & Customs: Partner with Trade Compliance on import/export documentation, HTS classification, country-of-origin, duty and tariff exposure, and broker coordination; resolve customs holds and clearance exceptions before they become schedule slips.
Workflow Automation (a core focus of this role): Replace manual tracking and status-chasing with automated workflows build dashboards, alerting, and AI-assisted tooling that surface exceptions proactively, eliminate repetitive coordination, and scale logistics capacity without scaling headcount.
Cross-Functional Program Leadership: Serve as the single connective point across Procurement, Trade, Hardware Engineering, Program Management, Finance, and lab operations plus external forwarders, brokers, and CMs driving clean handoffs and one shared source of truth.
PO-to-Delivery Ownership: Track purchase orders from issuance through delivery, holding partners to committed dates and proactively escalating risk with a recommended path forward, not just a flag
Supplier & Partner Performance: Manage forwarder, broker, and vendor performance against delivery and clearance commitments; onboard new logistics partners as the program expands into new regions.
Network Design & Process Optimization: Lead strategic projects that reshape how material flows new lane and routing design, warehouse and inventory positioning, new-site and new-region launch, and cycle-time reduction across the pipeline.
Risk Mitigation & Contingency Planning: Anticipate disruption geopolitical and tariff shifts, capacity crunches, customs policy changes, supplier delays and build the contingency routes and buffers that protect program schedules.
Visibility & Reporting: Build and maintain the reporting layer leadership relies on for shipment health, landed cost, clearance performance, and project milestones.
Years of overall experience required: 5+ years in global logistics, international trade, or supply chain operations (logistics-weighted procurement-only backgrounds are not a fit)
Degrees/certifications required: Bachelor's degree in finance or a related business field required.
Top 3 Must-have HARD skills:
Hands-on international logistics execution cross-border shipping, freight forwarder and broker management, multi-region delivery
Working knowledge of customs and import/export processes documentation, HTS classification, country of origin, duty/tariff exposure
Demonstrated experience automating or digitizing operational workflows (AI tooling, scripting, dashboards, system integrations)
Proven cross-functional program management across engineering, procurement, trade, and external partners
Experience in hardware, robotics, or manufacturing logistics environments
Strong reporting, data, and executive communication skills
End-to-end purchase order / procurement workflow experience (supporting, not primary)
Good to have skills:
Dangerous goods experience
Exp with Oracle, GTM Salesforce, Sql
Exp w/ Asia to US supply chain
Proficiency in Mandarin
New-site, new-region, or new-lane launch experience
Dangerous goods / lithium battery shipping certification
Interviews: 2 rounds
What makes this role interesting:
You are standing up the global logistics and trade backbone for a brand-new robotics program not maintaining someone else's. High autonomy, direct visibility with engineering and program leadership, genuinely global scope (Asia-to-US and multi-region lanes), and an explicit mandate to automate the work rather than absorb it. If you like solving cross-border problems and then building the tooling so the problem never recurs, this is that role.
Disqualifiers:
Candidates whose experience is predominantly procurement/sourcing (PO issuance, supplier negotiation, category management) without hands-on international logistics and customs execution. Also not a fit: purely strategic/analyst profiles with no operational shipment ownership, and candidates uninterested in building automation and toolings.
