Job descriptions of the manager for foreign trade. Profession - foreign economic activity manager

JOB DESCRIPTION
SPECIALIST FOR SALES AND FOREIGN TRADE ACTIVITIES

1. General Provisions
1.1. The specialist in sales and foreign economic activity belongs to the category of specialists.
1.2. A sales and foreign trade specialist is appointed to the position and dismissed by order of the head of the organization.
1.3. For the position
- a sales and foreign trade specialist is appointed by a person with a higher professional education without presenting requirements for work experience or secondary specialized education and work experience in positions filled by specialists with secondary specialized education, at least 3 years;
- sales and foreign trade specialist II qualification category a person is appointed who has a higher professional education and at least 2 years of work experience as a sales specialist or in other positions filled by specialists with higher professional education;
- a sales and foreign economic activity specialist of the I qualification category is appointed a person with a higher professional education, work experience as a sales specialist for at least 2 years.
1.4. In his activities, the sales and foreign trade specialist is guided by:
- regulatory legal acts, other guidance and methodological materials related to the work performed;
- guidance and methodological documents on relevant issues;
- Charter of the organization;
- orders, orders of the head of the organization (direct supervisor);
- real job description.
- rules work schedule;
1.5. A sales and foreign trade specialist should know:
- regulatory legal acts, other guidelines, teaching materials higher and other bodies regulating the implementation of entrepreneurial and commercial activities, as well as regulating the foreign economic and production and economic activities of the organization;
- directions and prospects of technical, economic and social development industries and organizations;
- market economy, entrepreneurship and basics of doing business;
- market conditions;
- range, classification, characteristics and purpose of goods;
- the procedure and conditions for the conclusion and execution of contracts;
- methods of pricing, strategy and tactics of pricing;
- the basics of marketing (the concept of marketing, the basics of marketing management, methods and directions of market research, methods of promoting goods on the market);
- patterns of market development and demand for goods;
- theory of management, macro- and microeconomics, basics of technology, organization of production, business administration;
- advanced experience in the field of organization and improvement of foreign economic activity;
- bases of the organization of advertising activity and types of advertising;
- the procedure for developing business plans and commercial terms of agreements, agreements, contracts;
- a foreign language in the volume necessary for the work performed;
- psychology and principles of sales;
- technique of motivating customers to purchase;
- ethics of business communication;
- rules for establishing business contacts;
- bases of sociology, psychology and labor motivation;
- price lists wholesale prices for products manufactured by the organization;
- systems of wholesale and retail trade;
- main types of distribution network (by region, by type of product, by type of consumer)
- methods and procedure for concluding business contracts for supplies;
- rules for processing materials for concluding supply contracts, sales documentation;
- the procedure for preparing claims to consumers and responses to incoming claims;
- standards and specifications for products (work performed, services provided), its (their) main properties, quality and consumer characteristics;
- organization of storage facilities and sales of products;
- organization of accounting of sales operations and preparation of reports on the supply of products;
- structure of enterprise management;
- analysis methods and a system for collecting, processing and transmitting information using modern technical means communications and communications, computers;
- basics of labor legislation;
- rules and norms of labor protection and fire safety.
1.6. The sales and foreign trade specialist reports directly to the deputy director for commercial issues, the head of the marketing, sales and foreign trade department and the head of the organization.
1.7. In the event of a temporary absence of a sales and foreign trade specialist, his duties are performed by a person appointed by order of the head of the organization, who is responsible for their proper performance.
2. Functions
The sales and foreign trade specialist is entrusted with following features:
2.1. Organization of the establishment of direct, industrial and scientific and technical relations, solving issues of industrial and technical cooperation with enterprises and firms of other countries;
2.2. Organization of preparation and participation in negotiations with foreign companies;
2.3. Organization in accordance with the established procedure of receiving representatives of foreign and domestic enterprises (firms) who arrived to resolve issues related to foreign economic activity;
2.4. Organization of collection, systematization, study and generalization information materials By
marketing, on the economic, marketing and other activities of enterprises (firms) with which
cooperation agreements have been concluded;
2.5. Organization of sales of products;
2.6. Participation in the conclusion of contracts with consumers for the supply of products;
2.7. Organization of warehousing and timely shipment of finished products;
2.4. Control over the timely receipt of funds for products sold, the fulfillment of orders, contracts;
2.5. Monitoring the implementation of contracts with external trade organizations for the supply of products to
export and supply of products by foreign companies for import.
2.6. Organization of sales reporting and other necessary documentation;

3. Job responsibilities
Sales and Foreign Trade Specialist performs the following duties:
3.1. Carries out work on planning and developing schemes, forms, methods and technologies for selling goods, promoting goods on the market.
3.2. Develops and organizes pre-sale activities to create conditions for the systematic sale of goods, satisfying customer demand for goods.
3.3. Carries out work on the establishment, maintenance and development of progressive forms foreign economic relations(trade-economic, industrial, scientific-technical, financial, etc.), scientific-technical and trade-economic cooperation with foreign partners (countries, organizations, etc.).
3.4. Participates in the determination of the general foreign economic and marketing strategy organization, in the development and implementation of business plans and commercial terms of agreements, agreements and contracts, assessment of the degree of possible risk.
3.5. Studies the market of goods (analyzes demand and consumption, their motivation and fluctuations, forms of activity of competitors) and trends in its development, analyzes market opportunities.
3.6. Collects information about the demand for goods, the reasons for its change (increase, decrease), analyzes the needs of buyers.
3.7. Identifies the most effective sectors of the goods sales market, develops a set of measures to use the opportunities of the goods market.
3.8. Carries out the collection, study, systematization, replenishment and storage of information materials on marketing, characterizing economic activity organizations, foreign organizations (firms) with which relations have been established (cooperation agreements have been concluded).
3.9. Develops and implements measures to organize and create a distribution network for goods (development and construction of channels for the movement of goods to consumers; building relationships with wholesale and retail trade enterprises, other intermediaries; development of dealer relations).
3.10. Develops and ensures the implementation of measures to organize and create a distribution network abroad (development and construction of channels for the movement of goods (works, services) to consumers; building relationships with wholesale and retail trade organizations, other intermediaries; development of dealer relations; creation of own distribution structures).
3.11. Identifies potential and prospective buyers of goods (wholesale and retail trade enterprises, other intermediaries, etc.) and establishes business contacts with them.
3.12. Conducts sales negotiations with buyers in the following areas: general information about goods and their properties; the introduction of criteria for evaluating goods that are significant for the sale; elimination of doubts about the unfavorable properties of goods; informing about the demand for goods and consumer feedback on goods; identification of potential customer needs, etc.
3.13. Takes part in pricing, works out the psychological aspects of price negotiations, determines ways to justify the price, determines the forms of settlement under contracts (calculations: by letter of credit, checks, collection, open account, bank transfers, trade credit, payment orders, etc.), develops and applies discount schemes depending on various factors.
3.14. Conducts pre-contractual work (choosing the type of contracts: distribution, sale and purchase, etc.; determining the methods and forms of fulfillment of obligations, developing pre-contractual documentation, reconciling disagreements, analyzing buyers' documentation, etc.) and concludes sales and supply contracts, etc.
3.15. Manages the organization of work on the delivery or shipment of goods to buyers under concluded contracts.
3.16. Controls payment by buyers of goods under concluded contracts.
3.17. Collects information from buyers about the requirements for the quality characteristics of goods (service life, rules of use, packaging, etc.), as well as requirements for after-sales service.
3.18. Analyzes the reasons for the buyers to send claims, reclamations under the concluded contracts.
3.19. Prepares the necessary source documents and materials for the preparation and conclusion of contracts with foreign partners, participates in their conclusion and support.
3.20. Controls the implementation of concluded agreements with foreign partners for the supply of products (performance of work, provision of services), the timeliness of payment by buyers of goods, the implementation of other conditions of contracts.
3.21. Organizes work on participation in international exhibitions and fairs, tenders.
3.22. Participates in the preparation and organization of negotiations, meetings, conferences, seminars, receptions, etc. with representatives of authorities government controlled, foreign partners on issues within its competence.
3.23. Interacts with third-party organizations (government authorities, customs authorities, certification bodies, chamber of commerce and industry, etc.) when resolving issues in the field of foreign economic activity.
3.24. Creates and ensures constant updating of information bases about buyers (organizational and legal forms, addresses, details, telephone numbers, names of managers and leading specialists, financial condition, volumes of purchases, sales volumes, timeliness and completeness of fulfillment of obligations, etc.).
3.25. Maintains contact with regular customers, renegotiates contracts with them.
3.26. Analyzes sales volumes and prepares reports on the results of the analysis for presentation to a higher official.
3.27. Organizes the preparation of batches of products for shipment to consumers on time and in full;
3.28. Takes measures to ensure timely receipt of funds for products sold;
3.29. Takes part in: conducting marketing research to study the demand for the organization's products, prospects for the development of sales markets; organization of exhibitions, fairs, sales exhibitions and other promotional activities; consideration of consumer claims received by the organization and preparation of responses to claims, as well as claims to consumers in case of violation of the terms of contracts (delay in acceptance, payment, etc.);
3.30. Provides: accounting for the fulfillment of orders and contracts, shipment volumes, balances of unsold products, timely execution of sales documentation, preparation of the prescribed reporting on sales (deliveries), as well as reports on the implementation of sales plans;
3.31. Organizes the preparation of applications, summary orders and nomenclature supply plans;
3.32. Organizes accounting of orders, orders and specifications submitted by consumers, checks the compliance of the volumes and range of ordered products with production plans, as well as contracts, applicable standards, specifications and other regulatory documents
3.33. Carries out activities to form consumer demand on goods, sales promotion, coordinates certain types advertising campaigns, ensures the participation of the enterprise in the presentations of goods, in ongoing fairs, exhibitions.
3.34. Takes part in solving the issues of forming and changing the directions of development of the product range.
3.35. Maintains relevant reports.

4. Rights
A sales and foreign trade specialist has the right to:
4.1. Get acquainted with the draft decisions of the organization's management regarding its activities.
4.2. Make suggestions for improving the work related to the duties provided for in this job description.
4.3. Within its competence, report to the immediate supervisor about all shortcomings in the activities of the organization ( structural unit, individual workers) identified during the execution of their official duties and make suggestions for their elimination.
4.4. Require the management of the organization to assist in the performance of their duties.
4.5. Sign and endorse documents within their competence.
4.6. Submit for consideration by the head of the organization submissions on the appointment, transfer, dismissal of employees of the marketing, sales and foreign economic activity department, proposals for their promotion or imposition of penalties on them.

5. Evaluation of work and responsibility
5.1. The results of the work of a sales and foreign trade specialist are evaluated by the head of the organization.
5.2. The Sales Specialist is responsible for:
- failure to perform (improper performance) of their official duties;
- non-observance of internal labor regulations, rules and regulations of labor protection and fire safety;
- causing material damage organizations - in accordance with applicable law.

Tatyana Volkova, manager for foreign economic activity of StartProm LLC

The Chinese have slightly different ideas about trade than we do, from global issues - how companies should interact with each other, to technical details - how to properly pack and transport goods. In order to overcome this kind of contradiction, one must be able to find a compromise every time - to speak clearly and concisely, to be quite delicate.

— Tatyana, what is the competence of a manager for foreign economic activity?

— As it follows from the title of the position, he oversees all issues related to the foreign economic activity (FEA) of the enterprise.

If an enterprise, as in our case, is engaged in trade, then this is the search for the necessary products, establishing contacts and further communication with its manufacturers, including business correspondence, participation in international exhibitions. The foreign trade manager also participates in the development of the company's strategic goals, plans for its development, and analyzes the global market for certain goods.

— What knowledge, skills, personal qualities are needed in your profession?

- First of all, you need to know at least two foreign languages ​​- today you will not surprise anyone with English alone. If a person is fluent in the language of the country with which he works, this means a significant increase in salary. Without language, there is nothing to do in our profession - even if foreign company, with which you are trading, has a Russian-speaking specialist on staff, we still need to speak with company executives in their native language.

The foreign trade manager must have an idea about the country in which he is engaged, know the legislation in the field international trade understand the workflow: what standards must be observed during procurement and transportation, how documents should be drawn up.

And, of course, such personal qualities as initiative, resistance to stress, self-confidence, and the ability to present oneself correctly are important. It is welcomed when a person generates ideas himself, and not just carries out instructions. It seems to me that a foreign trade manager needs a certain mindset: like a chess player, he must be able to think systematically, calculate the situation several moves ahead.

Who and what does your company trade with? In which countries is the product purchased? And how is it delivered to Russia?

— The company sells construction equipment, which is purchased in China, at factories located in different provinces. Goods are transported to Russia by trucks - first to the customs point in Manchuria, then to Chita and further to the destination. Sometimes there are sea transportations - if the plant is located near the port, it is more convenient. Then the equipment is transported by trucks to the port, then by ship to Vladivostok or Nakhodka.

— How do you find suppliers?

- Through the Internet - nowadays you can find almost any information there, including who sells certain models of construction equipment with certain standards and technical characteristics.

Have you traveled to China for work?

- Yes, sure. They came to the plant, inspected the territory, manufacturing facility, then discussed issues of interest to us with the director, his closest deputies and technical specialists. The negotiations were conducted by the leaders of the company, and I translated, and sometimes I myself raised some topics.

- Professional what's in business communication with the Chinese, as with representatives of other peoples of Asia, there are many subtleties that cannot be ignored.

- This is true. Everything in China business meeting do not do without feasts. And here there is such a subtlety: you can not refuse to drink with the owner of the plant. If you refuse, it may even turn out that the business simply does not work out. In my practice, there were cases when, refusing a drink, I said that I was pregnant so as not to offend the owner.

According to Chinese tradition, the feast takes place at a round table - all participants are located exactly in a general circle, and not opposite each other. And here it is of great importance who sits where. First, the director sits at the table, on the right - his closest deputy. The director himself distributes who and where to sit down. The arriving guest also occupies a certain place. All these subtleties are elements of a long-established culture of communication.

How did it happen that you learned Chinese? Has this happened while working for the company?

— No, China is my long-term specialization, I studied there for two years at the university. In general, I am a geographer by education, I began to study Chinese while studying at the Faculty of Geography of Moscow State University. I was very interested in the culture of the East, especially China. First, this ancient civilization with centuries of history, it is interesting to learn the psychology of the Chinese through the language. Secondly, this is a very promising, rapidly developing country that produces a lot of things. As they say, "everything that is done is done in China."

Now in Russia, specialists with knowledge of the Chinese language are especially in demand in the trade sector - my example is very indicative.

— And what higher education, in your opinion, is optimal for a foreign trade manager?

- This job does not tolerate amateurs, and ideally, the education of a foreign trade manager should be economic or close to it - for example, geographical, like mine. But, as practice shows, often for this work a certain set of knowledge and skills that a person can possess even without specialized education is often enough - first of all, this is a foreign language and work with documentation. And then everything depends on the desire to comprehend the basics of the profession, to develop.

— Despite the knowledge of the language and oriental culture, you probably have unpredictable situations when it is difficult to communicate with Chinese partners...

“This happens almost every day. In general, the Chinese have slightly different ideas about trade than we do, from global issues - how companies should interact with each other, to technical details - how to properly pack and transport goods. In order to overcome this kind of contradiction, one must be able to find a compromise every time - to speak clearly and concisely, to be quite delicate.

The Chinese always do what is more convenient for them, and very rarely listen to our requirements. They have their own traditions, habits - for example, they believe that if you sell or buy something, you must definitely bargain. If you do not bargain with them, they may even be offended - this trading game is so important to them. They have been playing since childhood. Bringing down the price at least twice, at least ten times - this is absolutely normal. You need to be ready for this not only when you come to the usual Chinese market, but also in wholesale trade, V big business, even in the case of serious equipment traded by our company. We are accustomed to the fact that representatives of factories call obviously high prices and you need to persuade them to give a discount.

— Is pricing in big business really as spontaneous and depends, first of all, on the mood of the seller and the buyer, as in Chinese markets or in the shops of the resort villages of Asian countries?

— Of course, in order to succeed in business, you need to understand how much this or that product really costs. The foreign economic activity manager is just engaged in studying the market, making price reports, and monitoring the general situation. If we are faced with high prices, then, of course, it is our duty to reduce them to a minimum in negotiations. Although there are situations when fixed prices are immediately offered.

In general, when negotiating prices, one must take into account how serious this or that plant is. If he is little known in China, you can demand incredible discounts, and if he has an excellent reputation, then this will not work.

— With what specialists within the company does the foreign trade manager most often interact?

— I interact most often with purchasing managers, logisticians and technical specialists who are well versed in construction equipment. In certain situations, I can get advice from them. For example, in order to discuss product characteristics with factory representatives, I often need the help of a professional "technician".

- The "pluses" of your profession seem obvious - these are, first of all, trips to another country, communication with different people. Can you list the cons?

- Probably, one of the “minuses”, or rather the complexity of our work, is interaction with customs. It's always a lot of stress. It usually requires paperwork as soon as possible- you always feel the burden of responsibility. Another difficulty, which I have already mentioned, is a possible misunderstanding with foreign partners due to the difference in cultures and mentalities. If a foreign trade manager is just starting his career, it is simply impossible to relax - you need to navigate everything very quickly.

- On the question of a career: how is it usually built by a foreign trade manager? And if we take the case when a person does not move to leadership positions, what is the professional growth?

- Career growth is certainly possible, and, as in any business, it depends on experience. At the beginning of his career, a foreign trade manager may be involved in marketing research, study the market, establish contacts with factories. Over time, competence grows, more responsibilities appear, position in the state strengthens, salary increases ...

Who do you think feels more comfortable in this position, a woman or a man?

- Our profession requires increased communication skills, the ability to communicate with people and win over a person, understanding what you can talk about and what you can’t. Therefore, it seems to me that this work is more suitable for women, they feel more comfortable in this role, because they are more sociable than men. As far as I know, statistics confirm that there are more women among foreign trade managers.

Although, of course, much depends on the specifics of the goods. For example, it is believed that men should sell construction equipment, women are often not taken seriously. But I try to break this stereotype.

— Do you think the terms of reference of the foreign trade manager have changed in Russian companies for the last few year s?

- Probably, the range of duties has not changed so much, but has become more voluminous. There was more work. And there are explanations for this: a huge part modern world is based on commerce, over the past few years international trade has increased, there are more companies involved in export and import, competition has increased.

Russia is no exception, so the profession of a foreign trade manager in our country is now in great demand.

Interviewed by Yulia Solovieva

Foreign trade manager- a specialist who manages the export or import of foreign goods. Foreign economic activity (FEA) is a set of economic, economic, organizational and commercial functions of an organization aimed at the world market, taking into account the chosen internal and external strategy, methods of working in foreign markets. The profession is suitable for those who are interested in economics, law and foreign languages ​​(see choosing a profession for interest in school subjects).

If the company sells its goods abroad, then the foreign trade manager manages export. For the successful marketing of products, he studies the foreign market, analyzes the prices of competitors, finds out the requirements for consumer properties and to the quality of the goods in the country of interest to him. He comprehensively clarifies the situation - this helps him develop an export strategy. If the company is engaged in the purchase of foreign goods, then he manages import products. In this case, he will have to, on the basis of analysis foreign market determine in which country and which company the goods are better and cheaper.

The foreign trade manager also organizes the transportation of goods, actually performing the functions of a logistician. He decides on which transport and which route it is more convenient to deliver the products. Supervises the manager for foreign trade activities and contacts with customs. He develops customs schemes for import or export, interacts with a customs broker (representative of the organization at customs). At the same time, a specialist in foreign economic activity tries to organize the process as rationally as possible, i.e. without extra costs.

This manager deals with all kinds of documentation. First of all, it includes contracts with foreign partners. The specialist is required to have knowledge of foreign legislation in order to conclude contracts that are most profitable, but at the same time satisfying partners. The foreign trade manager also deals with the preparation of all kinds of permits (for example, environmental permits, hygienic conclusions).

This specialist coordinates the prices for goods with partners and controls the receipt of money to the account. Since settlements with foreign firms are made in foreign currency, the foreign trade manager monitors exchange rates on a daily basis.

Required professional skills and knowledge

• possession foreign languages(English), including professional terminology (knowledge of the language of the country with which you have to work is required)
• study of foreign and domestic markets
• knowledge of international trade law
• knowledge of private international law
• diplomacy, the ability to understand the cultural characteristics of foreign countries
• Experience working with customs authorities is desirable transport companies
• documentation skills
• knowledge and preferably practical experience in the field of foreign economic activity

Personal qualities

• possession of modern software
• sociability
• good negotiation skills
• developed organizational and managerial abilities
• stress resistance, self-confidence
• hard work, initiative

Pros and cons of the profession

pros

• high wages(after gaining some experience);
• the possibility of business trips to foreign countries;
• pretty fast career.

Minuses

• high probability of stressful situations due to the need to make decisions and complete work as soon as possible;
• the need to quickly find a way out of difficult situations;
• possible misunderstanding with foreign colleagues due to different cultures, mentalities.

Place of work and career growth

After graduating from the institute, a graduate can get a position as a foreign trade manager in small company or to one of the foreign trade departments large enterprise as an ordinary employee. Due to the lack of experience, the salary of a foreign trade manager will be low. A young specialist can get a position as an assistant (assistant) to a foreign trade manager, or as an independent manager of a small project or a specific product. Also, at the beginning of a career, a foreign trade manager can do market research, establish the necessary contacts, and engage in marketing research.

Since the demand for the profession is high, career growth is quite possible. With the growth of responsibility and competence, the salary of a foreign trade manager will also increase significantly.

Tuition fee (average in Russia): 500,000 rubles

Job description:

*the cost of education is indicated for 4 years at the full-time department.

A specialist working in the department of foreign economic activity oversees all operations related to the foreign economic activity of the company. In fact, this is an economist responsible for optimizing purchases or sales (export-import operations).

Features of the profession

Depending on the field of activity, the list of duties of a foreign trade specialist may be different. A manager working in an importing company is a purchaser or a buyer. The export specialist is mostly a salesperson. This is the main difference between the two types of profession.

The functional responsibilities of the foreign trade manager are diverse:

• analysis of supply and demand;
• conclusion and support of foreign trade contracts;
• registration of the necessary accompanying documentation (delivery schedules, control of payments);
• development and development of new directions of foreign economic activity of the company,
• formation and expansion client base abroad;
• negotiation and business correspondence;
• control of timely payment of export and import payments;
• interaction with customs and logistics structures;
• The foreign trade manager also takes part in international exhibitions.

Pros and cons of the profession

Foreign trade specialists are constantly in demand in the labor market, their incomes are consistently high. There are additional compensation packages: in addition to medical insurance and payment mobile phone expenses for the use of personal transport are compensated. The disadvantages of the profession include high responsibility, because the success of the entire commercial activity of the enterprise often depends on a specialist in foreign economic activity.

Place of work

Departments of foreign economic activity in trading and manufacturing companies of various forms of ownership.

Important qualities

Mandatory requirements for personal qualities international logistics manager - communication skills, ability to negotiate, active life position organization, attention to detail and responsibility. The foreign trade specialist must have a university degree and be fluent in spoken English He must also be well versed in the legislation of various countries, foreign trade activities and procedures customs clearance.

Where do they teach

In economic universities in the specialty " World economy". At the departments of foreign economic activity, there are all kinds of short-term advanced training programs.

Salary

40.000 - 90.000 rubles

Career steps and prospects

You can start your career while still a senior student with the position of an assistant specialist in foreign economic activity. The next step is the position of an economist department of foreign economic activity. A step above is the leading specialist in foreign economic activity, then there is the deputy head of the foreign economic activity department. And finally, the head of the foreign trade department.