Customs Brokerage Supervisor

Job purpose:

Responsible for leading the Customs Brokerage function across the assigned scope of operations, ensuring full customs compliance, operational excellence, service delivery, and customer satisfaction.

The role provides strategic and operational leadership for all customs clearance activities, manages relationships with customs authorities and key internal/external stakeholders, and drives continuous improvement, cost control, and regulatory risk mitigation.

This position has full accountability for customs brokerage performance, team leadership, process governance, and alignment with business objectives, while ensuring all import and export shipments are cleared accurately, efficiently, and in accordance with local regulations and company standards.

Operational Leadership

• Lead and manage the end-to-end Customs Brokerage operation to ensure timely and compliant clearance of Inbound and Outbound shipments.

• Oversee daily customs activities and ensure service delivery meets customer expectations, contractual SLAs, and internal KPIs.

• Establish operational priorities, allocate resources effectively, and ensure continuity of service during peak periods and business fluctuations.

• Drive execution excellence across documentation, declaration processing, duty/tax controls, and shipment release performance.

Compliance and Regulatory Management

• Ensure full compliance with all local customs laws, regulations, and internal governance requirements.

• Act as the primary point of escalation for complex customs issues, disputes, inspections, penalties, and regulatory exceptions.

• Maintain strong working relationships with customs authorities, government agencies, and relevant regulatory bodies.

• Monitor regulatory changes and assess operational impact, ensuring timely communication and implementation across the business.

• Lead internal controls to safeguard customs accuracy, audit readiness, and adherence to import/export requirements.

Strategic and Commercial Contribution

• Support business growth by contributing customs expertise to commercial proposals, customer implementations, and pricing models.

• Advise internal stakeholders and customers on customs regulations, trade compliance implications, and operational feasibility.

• Identify risks and opportunities related to customs processes, cost optimization, and service enhancement.

• Partner with commercial, operations, finance, and customer service teams to develop value-added customs solutions.

Team Management and Development

• Lead, coach, and develop the Customs Brokerage team to build a high-performance, customer-focused culture.

• Define team objectives, performance expectations, and development plans in line with departmental and company goals.

• Conduct performance reviews, succession planning, capability development, and employee engagement activities.

• Ensure appropriate staffing structures, workforce planning, and role clarity to support service levels and operational growth.

Customer and Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key customers to ensure service quality, issue resolution, and business retention.

• Manage escalations and lead root cause analysis for service failures, implementing corrective and preventive actions.

• Collaborate with senior internal stakeholders across operations, transport, warehousing, finance, and sales to ensure seamless service delivery.

• Represent the customs function in customer reviews, business meetings, and operational governance forums.

Performance, Reporting, and Continuous Improvement

• Own and monitor departmental KPIs, productivity, compliance metrics, and financial performance.

• Deliver regular management reports and business insights to senior leadership, highlighting risks, trends, and improvement opportunities.

• Lead process improvement initiatives to enhance efficiency, compliance, visibility, and customer satisfaction.

• Ensure robust record management, reporting accuracy, and documentation standards across all customs activities.

Financial and Risk Accountability

• Manage customs-related cost controls and support financial governance, including billing accuracy, guarantees, reconciliations, and duty/tax-related matters.

• Ensure proper management of customs guarantees, deposits, and regulatory financial obligations with full accuracy and control.

• Identify operational and compliance risks and implement mitigation plans to protect the business and its customers.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Logistics, Supply Chain, International Trade, Business Administration, or related discipline preferred

• Minimum 7–10 years of customs brokerage/customs compliance experience, with significant leadership responsibility.

Specialist Knowledge & Skills:

• Proven experience managing customs operations in a logistics, freight forwarding, or supply chain environment.

• Strong experience dealing with customs authorities, regulatory compliance, and operational escalation management.

• Demonstrated ability to lead teams, manage performance, and improve service delivery in a fast-paced environment.