Export Specialist – Air & Ocean Freight Forwarding – Jersey City, NJ

Freight Forwarding | Jersey City, NJ (NY/NJ Metro)

$62,000 – $78,000 Base + Bonus + Benefits

WHY THIS ROLE

The Jersey City branch is scaling its export desk to match new transpacific air and transatlantic ocean volumes coming out of Japan, Korea, and Western Europe. The Export Specialist sits inside the ocean and air export team, handling end-to-end file management for named accounts across high-tech, automotive parts, pharma, and premium retail.

ABOUT

Founded in 1954 in Tokyo, this Japanese freight forwarder operates across 48 countries with 11,200 people. Trade lane strength sits in transpacific air express out of Japan and Korea, transatlantic ocean into Western Europe, and a long-standing transatlantic air product for time-critical premium goods. Vertical depth in high-tech electronics, automotive parts, pharma, and premium consumer brands. The NY/NJ presence goes back to 1985, with the Jersey City office covering EWR, JFK, and Port of NY/NJ gateways.

WHAT YOU'LL DELIVER

• End-to-end file management for air and ocean export shipments across high-tech, automotive, pharma, and premium retail accounts.
• AES / EEI filings, HTS classification, and export documentation packs (commercial invoice, packing list, COO, SLI).
• Carrier bookings across named ocean lines and air partners, with space confirmation and sailing/flight tracking.
• Customer communication: pre-shipment alerts, milestone updates, POD, and exception management.
• Invoice generation and margin discipline in CargoWise.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

• 3+ years US freight forwarding export experience in air or ocean (ideally both).
• Working command of AES / EEI filing, HTS classification, export compliance, and IMDG / IATA DG paperwork.
• CargoWise file creation, documentation, and reporting.
• Strong customer communication across email and phone.
• Familiarity with Port of NY/NJ, EWR, and JFK gateway workflows.

This role sits within the export team covering air and ocean out of NY/NJ. Candidates from pure import or customs brokerage backgrounds are welcome if you can evidence export ops fundamentals and willingness to run files end-to-end.

WHAT'S ON OFFER

Base $62,000 – $78,000 depending on experience and product depth. Annual performance bonus up to 8% of base, tied to file volume, error rate, and invoice accuracy. Full medical, dental, and vision from day one, 401k with 4% employer match, 18 days PTO plus US public holidays, commuter benefits.

Hybrid work model. Three days per week at the Jersey City office, two days remote. Office hours 8:30am–5:30pm Eastern with flexibility around peak export cut-off windows.

The Jersey City export team is 8 strong, split across ocean and air specialists. You'll work alongside the Import team next door and report into the Operations Manager who runs both desks.

Progression track to Senior Export Specialist within 18 months, then to Export Supervisor or Team Lead. The branch has a record of promoting from within, including the current Export Supervisor who started as a Specialist six years ago.