Assistant Manager Supply Chain (Imports)

Key responsibilities

Import planning and procurement coordination

• Coordinate with the OEM and principals on order confirmation, shipping schedules, packing lists, commercial invoices and certificates of origin.
• Plan shipments against project and tender delivery dates, and keep a live import tracker (order, shipment, ETA, clearance, delivery).
• Select the import method and Incoterm route (sea, air, consolidated, project cargo) that best balances cost, time and risk.

• Determine and verify HS / PCT codes for medical imaging equipment, accessories, spares and consumables under the Pakistan Customs Tariff.
• Apply the correct duty and tax treatment, including customs duty, additional and regulatory duties, sales tax, advance income tax, and any SRO-based exemption or concession.
• Prepare and file Goods Declarations through WeBOC / Pakistan Single Window, and manage assessment queries, valuation disputes and provisional release.
• Supervise clearing agents and freight forwarders on documentation, examination, delivery orders and timelines.
• Handle temporary import, re-export, bonded and warranty-replacement shipments.

Clearing agent and freight forwarder management

• Build and maintain an approved panel of at least two or three clearing agents and two or three freight forwarders, vetted on license or registration, port presence, experience with radiation-emitting and high-value medical equipment, and financial standing.
• Obtain competing quotations for every significant shipment, or set annual rate contracts. Require itemized quotes (agency fee, terminal and port charges, lifting and labour, examination, transport, documentation) so offers compare like for like, and benchmark each against past shipments.
• Negotiate with forwarders on ocean and air freight rates, FCL versus consolidated options, surcharges, transit time, free days at destination, delivery order charges, and liability and insurance cover for fragile equipment. Record agreed validity periods.
• Negotiate with clearing agents on fixed fees versus per-container pricing, detention and demurrage responsibility, and turnaround commitments.
• Agree written service levels with each vendor: filing time after documents arrive, attendance at examination, daily status updates, named escalation contacts, and fee deductions for avoidable delays or charges caused by the vendor.
• Verify every vendor invoice against official receipts (port, shipping line, customs challans). Allow no unreceipted or "miscellaneous" charges, and no unofficial payments of any kind.
• Check the HS / PCT code, declared value and duty computation personally before any Goods Declaration is filed. Company stays liable as importer, whatever the agent files.
• Where permitted, arrange pre-arrival filing and examination planning so that cargo clears soon after landing.
• Score vendors quarterly on turnaround, cost, error rate, query handling and demurrage, and use the scores to shift volume between vendors or replace them.
• Decide, shipment by shipment, what is best handled in-house versus through an agent, based on cost and risk.

Banking, LC and Financial Instrument (FI) liaison

• Work with the authorized dealer bank to open, amend and close Letters of Credit (sight and usance) and to obtain the Financial Instrument (FI) required before shipment.
• Review LC terms against the contract and proforma invoice, and resolve discrepancies quickly with the supplier and the bank.
• Handle document retirement, shipping guarantees, payment remittance, bank charges and forex margin or limit coordination.
• Reconcile LC and FI records with shipment and clearance records, and keep Finance informed of upcoming payment obligations.

Guarantees, amendments and payment planning

• Manage LC amendments and validity extensions when delivery or handover dates move, and agree the changes with the customer and supplier before the LC expires.
• Coordinate advance payment, performance and bid guarantees with the bank and Finance: issuance, renewal, release, and alternatives such as insurance guarantees where a customer's delay is not company's fault.
• Plan remittances with Finance for USD-denominated contracts, and track exchange-rate exposure on open LCs.
• Align payment milestones with documentary conditions, for example regulatory or FDA clearance papers that release a balance payment.

• Ensure DRAP medical device import requirements are met for each consignment.
• Coordinate PNRA authorizations for radiation-emitting equipment (CT, X-ray and similar) before import and clearance.
• Maintain complete, audit-ready files for every shipment, including declarations, LC / FI documents, duty challans and delivery proofs.

• Track every DRAP and Pakistan Single Window NOC application from submission, with a dated log.
• Follow up daily on any application showing no query or no action (for example "pending with officer"), and escalate through the relevant DRAP field office with the filing dates and the accruing demurrage exposure.
• Build lead-time data on NOC approvals and share it with Sales and Tendering so bids carry realistic delivery dates.

Logistics, inventory and cost control

• Monitor ports and shipping lines to prevent demurrage, detention and storage charges; track and reduce landed cost per shipment.
• Arrange insured, specialist inland transport and delivery to hospital sites, in coordination with Service and Projects teams.
• Manage spare parts and consumables stock levels, reorder points and goods-in-transit visibility.
• Raise and follow up insurance and cargo damage claims.

• Time shipment release to site readiness (civil works, power, HVAC, RF cage), and obtain written readiness confirmation before dispatch.
• Hold or stagger MRI shipments where helium and storage conditions make early arrival risky, and arrange suitable bonded or warehouse storage when handover dates slip.
• Consolidate third-party items in a bundled package (UPS, injectors, workstations, accessories) with the main equipment shipment where this saves cost or time, and track them as one project.
• Track contractual delivery dates, liquidated damages exposure and performance security against the import schedule, and warn management early when a date is at risk.

Service-critical spares

• Run a fast-track process for urgent spares (tubes, generators, coils and similar) so that service uptime commitments are protected, with pre-agreed air freight and clearance arrangements.
• Handle defective-part returns and re-export documentation correctly, including warranty replacements.

• Provide weekly import status reports and monthly landed-cost and demurrage summaries to management.
• Flag regulatory, duty or SRO changes that affect pipeline projects.

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business Administration, Commerce or a related field; a Master's degree or a recognized supply chain / customs certification is an advantage.

Must-have technical knowledge

• Hands-on command of Pakistan customs procedures: HS / PCT classification, valuation, duty and tax computation, SRO exemptions, WeBOC and Pakistan Single Window filing.
• Working knowledge of import methods and Incoterms, including project cargo and the handling of high-value, fragile equipment.
• Practical experience dealing with commercial banks on LC opening, amendment and retirement, and on Financial Instrument (FI) processing.
• Familiarity with DRAP medical device import rules; exposure to PNRA clearance for radiation-emitting equipment is a strong plus.
• Proficiency in MS Excel and MS Office;

  experience with ERP or CRM systems is preferred.

• Proven experience negotiating rates, free days and service levels with clearing agents, freight forwarders and shipping lines, and holding them to written commitments.
• Ability to read and challenge vendor invoices, port bills and customs challans line by line.
• Experience escalating stalled regulatory approvals with government offices in a professional, documented manner.

• Existing working relationships with Karachi clearing agents, shipping lines and port or customs staff.
• Experience in medical imaging, diagnostics or other regulated equipment imports.

Competencies, KPIs and working conditions

• Attention to detail and a compliance-first mindset on customs and banking documents.
• Negotiation and follow-up with banks, agents, shipping lines and suppliers.
• Planning and prioritization across several concurrent shipments.
• Clear written and verbal communication in English and Urdu.
• Integrity, confidentiality and ownership of outcomes.

• Office-based in Karachi, with frequent visits to the port, customs house and bank branches.
• Occasional travel to hospital sites for equipment delivery coordination.
• Standard working hours; flexibility needed when shipments or clearance deadlines demand it.
• Compensation and benefits as per Company grade structure, to be confirmed on offer.