Logistics Coordinator

Logistics Professional

Lapmaster Wolters is a leading global supplier of precision machine tools and semiconductor wafer processing equipment headquartered in Chicago's Northwest suburbs near O'Hare Airport. Our diverse team works with a broad variety of industries and technologies. Our technical expertise includes Precision Machining, Motion Control, Robotics, Automation, Machine Design, and Process Expertise on a wide range of materials. Our customers include small, mid-sized and Fortune 100 companies in a spectrum of industries including Semiconductor, Electronics, Automotive, Aerospace, Precision Bearings, Optics/Electro-optics, Industrial Equipment, and Medical Devices. Our business model is to utilize leading technologies and exceptional engineering talent coupled with outstanding customer service to solve manufacturing and precision machining problems. With over 60 years of experience, Lapmaster Wolters has a proven history of successfully developing cost effective solutions for virtually any application requiring precision machining, flatness, parallelism, roundness, or surface finish.

We are hiring a logistics professional to oversee the product life cycle, managing the supply chain, warehousing, transportation, and inventory of goods. Responsibilities include tracking shipments, negotiating with freight carriers, reconciling inventory levels, and ensuring compliance with global trade regulations to optimize delivery efficiency.

Core Job Responsibilities

• Transportation & Freight: Arrange and track inbound and outbound shipments, negotiate rates, and optimize routing to reduce freight costs. Manage physical movement of raw materials or finished products from one point to another (e.g., by road, rail, air, or sea).
• Inventory Control: Monitor stock levels, manage warehouses, and reconcile discrepancies to guarantee product availability.
• Documentation & Compliance: Prepare bills of lading, manage customs clearance paperwork, and ensure adherence to safety and trade regulations. Manage licenses, maintain record-keeping per regulatory requirements, and resolve shipping or clearance delays.
• Customs Compliance: Liaise with customs brokers and freight forwarders to prepare and audit accurate shipping documents like commercial invoices and certificates of origin.
• Vendor & Customer Relations: Serve as the main liaison between suppliers, carriers, and clients to resolve fulfillment issues and meet delivery timelines.
• Warehousing: Providing a secure, strategic facility for storing goods before they are needed. It bridges the gap between production timelines and consumer demand.
• Troubleshooting: Identify and resolve logistical bottlenecks, transit delays, and fulfillment errors.
• Trade Agreement Administration: Manage Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), country-of-origin determinations, and duty drawback programs.
• Audit & Risk Management: Monitor internal controls, lead customs audits, and prepare standard operating procedures (SOPs) to mitigate corporate risk.
• VAT & Indirect Tax Management: Advise on global Value-Added Tax strategies for cross-border transactions. You will oversee the correct calculation, reporting, and recovery of import/export VAT and duties to optimize supply chain costs. Partner with finance and indirect tax teams to calculate and apply correct VAT, duties, and Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) codes. Optimize recovery on cross-border transactions.
• Export Controls & Sanctions: Ensure global shipments comply with U.S. export regulations (such as ITAR and EAR), OFAC restrictions, and denied-party screening. You will classify goods, secure licenses, and maintain export documentation.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Education & Experience: A Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business Administration, Logistics, combined with 35+ years of direct experience in trade compliance, customs brokerage.
• Technical Skills: Proficiency in enterprise software systems (e.g., SAP GTS, Oracle GTM) and deep knowledge of Harmonized Tariff Schedules (HTS).
• Soft Skills: Exceptional negotiation, problem-solving, and time-management skills to thrive in high-paced distribution environments.
• Knowledge: Good understanding of U.S. export control regulations, and regional tax/VAT laws.
• Skills: Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills to influence cross-functional teams and external vendors.
• Communication: Strong interpersonal skills to effectively liaise with suppliers, carriers, and internal teams.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently

Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for employer sponsorship, now or at any time in the future. Equal Employment Opportunity Employer (EEO)