ABBOTT LABORATORIES Customer Service Specialist – Export Operations - Nutrition - Columbus, OH Salary in the United States

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 103,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

The US Planning Center (USPC) is comprised of US Production Planning, Export Customer Operations, and Global Master Data functions. The Export Customer Operations team is responsible for developing and executing replenishment plans that ensure highest level of internal and external customer service with the least cost to the operation. The Export Customer Operations team is responsible for controlling the flow of communication, replenishment schedules and documentation for nutritional products and medical devices from North American manufacturing sources.  The Senior Supply Chain Specialist serves as the primary supply chain liaison with customers to ensure on time delivery of product to meet market demand along with timely delivery of accurate documentation required to meet the import regulations of Abbott affiliates and Abbott’s direct customers.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Manage the shipment of product from manufacturing and distribution locations in the Americas to Abbott affiliates and direct Abbott customers worldwide
• Allocate product to ensure maximum container utilization and minimize transportation costs
• Ensure prompt, accurate and efficient handling of communications concerning shipments and any other relevant aspect of the business
• Monitor key performance indicators for responsible area, perform root cause analysis, and develop and implement corrective action plans to improve levels of performance
• Maintain the master arrivals schedule (MAS) to ensure replenishments are meeting market demand and safety stock targets
• Identify continuous improvement initiatives to improve overall effectiveness of the supply chain, increase customer service, and reduce operating costs
• Maintain customer and shipping requirements including system parameters, policies, and procedures
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with all internal and external supply chain partners
• Act as customer representative in the Abbott supply chain

Accountability /Scope/Budget

• The Customer Service Specialist must possess a good understanding of the logistics role in the Abbott supply chain
• This position must be able to make decisions regarding distribution of product to ensure cost effective transportation and timely delivery of product
• The position requires the ability to proactively identify and communicate issues affecting on time delivery of product to the market.
• The Customer Service Specialist is expected to resolve day-to-day customer service-related issues with support as needed.

Additional Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required: Logistics Management, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration

• 3 to 4 years of total experience in two or more of the following areas: customer service, international supply chain operations, transportation management, project management, planning

• Must possess excellent organizational and follow up skills coupled with a high sense of urgency

• Must be a demonstrated team player and can work in a global environment

• Excellent written and oral communication skills are required to facilitate information flow across internal and external supply chain customers

• Negotiation and conflict resolution skills are recommended to ensure timely and cost-effective solutions to issues impacting the supply chain including internal and external customers

• Innovative skills and initiative are required to identify business process improvements

• Must possess a good understanding of DRP and planning systems