Some of the most detailed jobs in a Sri Lankan importer’s office never appear in a shop window. They sit behind the scenes, making sure each imported product has the right approvals before it ships. This guide explains that work, using Singer’s current Supply Chain Executive vacancy as an example, and shows what employers ask of people who want to enter the field.
What SLSI does
The Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI) is the national standards body, set up under Act No. 06 of 1984. For a list of designated products, imports fall under its Compulsory Import Inspection Scheme. SLSI checks that each designated product conforms to the relevant Sri Lanka Standard and advises Sri Lanka Customs on whether a consignment can be released.
An importer can show conformity in more than one way. SLSI’s scheme documents mention a certificate of compliance from an accepted laboratory, a product certification mark from the national standards body of the producing country, or a consignment from a manufacturing plant registered with SLSI. Importers can also submit samples to SLSI for testing. The list of designated products changes, so check the SLSI website for the current schedule before you plan a shipment.
Why timing matters
Under the updated Standardization and Quality Control Regulations, as reported by trade publications, Customs does not release scheduled goods until SLSI gives approval, with limited exceptions. Goods that fail the standard must be re-exported within 90 days at the importer’s cost. A missed certificate or a late test result can therefore hold up stock, add storage charges and delay sales. That is the cost the compliance executive helps the company avoid.
What the Singer advertisement asks for
Singer’s ad lists 5 areas of responsibility:
- Registration, renewal and certification of products that need regulator approval
- Regulatory testing, sample coordination and supplier follow-up
- Coordination with the commercial, marketing, engineering, warehouse and supply chain teams
- Planning certification timelines, pre-clearance documents and shipment readiness
- Checking that every import is compliant before shipment, with trackers and records kept up to date
On the candidate side it asks for a degree in supply chain, engineering, commerce or a related field, and 1 to 2 years in a compliance, regulatory or quality role as an added advantage. It also asks for ERP knowledge, MS Office skills, communication skills and attention to detail.
A note on accreditation bodies
The Singer ad names SLSI and a second body written as SLAAS. Sri Lanka’s national accreditation body is the Sri Lanka Accreditation Board for Conformity Assessment (SLAB), which accredits testing and certification bodies. Know which body does what before an interview in this area.
How to move into this work
- Start in a procurement, logistics or quality assistant role at an importer or distributor.
- Ask to handle shipping documents and certificates. Document control is the daily skill.
- Learn the ERP system your employer uses, because trackers and approvals sit there.
- Read the SLSI website’s import inspection pages and note which of your company’s products are on the list.
- Study a recognised qualification. Our guide to professional certifications in Sri Lanka lists options in logistics and quality.
Preparing your CV
Describe shipments, deadlines and documents in numbers. For example, say how many consignments you handled in a month and how many cleared without a delay. Our CV guide shows how to lay that out.
Prasad Fernando is the CEO of Skysol Solutions and the owner of CareerLK.com and CourseLK.com.