Foreign Trade Specialist

Job Description

Lead, coordinate, and optimize foreign trade operations (imports, exports, and customs regimes), ensuring compliance with national and international regulations, proper document management, logistics efficiency, appropriate cold-chain handling, and strategic administration of financial resources. Ensure continuity of supply for the biopharmaceutical portfolio and support supply chain objectives in Colombia.

Responsibilities

Import, Export & Foreign Trade Management
• Support all import and export operations, ensuring compliance with corporate standards, customs regulations, and applicable sanitary requirements.
• Review and validate shipment documents prior to sending them to the customs broker/agent.
• Enter order information into internal systems (ERP and foreign trade systems).
• Coordinate and manage the payment of duties/taxes and other foreign trade-related charges together with Finance.
• Coordinate shipments with customs brokers/agents, freight forwarders, carriers, and consolidators.
• Monitor special cold-chain requirements (e.g., envirotainers, monitoring devices, and temperature records).
• Follow up on import licenses, sanitary permits/authorizations and pre-shipment documentation, as applicable.
• Coordinate and ensure shipment transportation and customs clearance according to the plan and committed dates.

Regulatory Compliance & Trade Compliance
• Partner with In Market Quality to prepare and maintain the documentation required for importing/exporting medicines (including biologics), in line with local regulations.
• Ensure compliance with internal policies, SOPs, and applicable foreign trade regulations (customs, tax, and FX/currency requirements, as applicable).
• Coordinate activities related to special customs regimes and trade facilitation programs when applicable (e.g., bonded warehouses, free trade zones, temporary importation, among others).
• Maintain strong security and traceability standards to meet certification and supply-chain security scheme requirements, acting as the OEA/AEO Lead.
• Participate in internal and external audits, ensuring documentation evidence is current and complete.

Optimization, Continuous Improvement & Cost Management
• Identify opportunities to improve foreign trade, logistics, and supply chain processes.
• Collaborate with Cost/Finance to validate related expenses and ensure accurate product cost updates.
• Generate monthly metrics and area reports for local and regional/corporate needs.
• Promote innovation, digitalization, automation, and operational simplification.
• Design and execute contingency plans to address logistics disruptions or regulatory changes.

Team, Resources & Stakeholder Management
• Manage the area’s financial resources, including onboarding for new personnel focused on OEA/AEO knowledge.
• Evaluate the performance and service levels of customs brokers/agents, carriers, and freight forwarders.
• Maintain effective communication with internal stakeholders: planning, quality, regulatory, finance, legal, procurement, security, among others.
• Support the execution of regional projects and new business cases.

Compliance & Regulatory Requirements
• Ensure compliance with applicable Good Practices (e.g., GMP/GDP) and quality requirements for storage, distribution, and transportation, per current regulation.
• Comply with applicable sanitary regulations, customs/tax requirements, and corporate policies.
• Participate in quality, safety, compliance, and regulatory training.
• Keep procedures and documentation updated according to audits and regulatory changes.

Country-specific notes (reference)
• Colombia: interaction with DIAN (customs) and INVIMA (health authority), depending on role scope.

Requirements
• Bachelor’s degree in International Business/Trade, International Relations, Business Administration, Industrial Engineering, or related field.
• Preferred: MBA or related postgraduate studies.

Experience:
• 4 years of proven experience in foreign trade, supply chain, or logistics in the pharmaceutical industry or highly regulated sectors.
• Experience in cold-chain handling and importation of biologics and/or temperature-controlled products.
• Interaction with customs brokers/agents, regulatory authorities, freight forwarders, and customs entities.

Technical Knowledge:
• Customs and foreign trade regulations applicable in Colombia.
• Current trade agreements and their operational impact (as applicable).
• Customs regimes and special programs (e.g., free trade zones, temporary importation, bonded warehouses/deposits), as applicable.
• Tariff classification.
• Incoterms.
• Microsoft Office; ERP (e.g., SAP) and foreign trade systems; analytics tools (Power BI, Tableau).

Languages:
• Advanced English (spoken, written, read).

Competencies / Required Skills
• Leadership, strategic thinking, and customer focus.
• Problem-solving with a sense of urgency.
• Teamwork under pressure.
• Adaptability to change and a continuous improvement mindset.
• Budget management and financial control.
• Assertive communication and stakeholder management.

Required Skills:

Accountability, Accountability, Capacity Planning, Compliance Assurance, Customer-Focused, Customer Service Standards, Demand Planning, Distribution Management, Driving Continuous Improvement, Human Capital Management, Human Resource Management, International Relations (IR), Inventory Control Management, Logistics, Materials Procurement, Order Fulfillment, Outsourcing Management, Pharmaceutical Management, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, Pharmaceutical Supply Chain, Process Integration, Procurement, Production Planning, Regulatory Compliance, SAP Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) {+ 5 more}

Preferred Skills:

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Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully 
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company.  No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails. 

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Job Posting End Date:

05/22/2026

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.