Director, Customs Brokerage

Role & Responsibilities:

• Provide guidance to each station on the operations and production of their broker business, both locally and globally.
• Conduct internal trade compliance audits and reviews to assure trade compliance effectiveness.
• Direct internal and external operational compliance for import and customs brokerage for continuity, while ensuring government programs and requirements are met and maintained, for example, Customs Brokerage, In-Bonds, Bonded Warehousing, AMS, ISF, CTPAT, CFS, and FTZ.
• Manage the staff with oversight of performances, while supporting all stations.
• Seek duty optimization opportunities with internal and external business teams.
• Develop and/or enhance internal SOPs.
• Manage systems for operations productions (such as AES Direct, Customs Brokerage Systems, Vendor Repositories, POA Repositories and Government Portals such ABI/ACE, etc.) for daily production and compliance.
• AMS
• Monitor and stay current with changes in AMS, CBP regulations, and related trade compliance requirements to maintain compliance.
• Work closely with compliance team to resolve any issues related to manifest data and custom filings.
• Point of contact for any issues or questions related to AMS submissions, including troubleshooting errors or discrepancies in manifest data.
• Foreign Trade Zones (FTZ)
• Ensure all activities within the FTZ comply with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and other relevant regulatory bodies.
• Stay current with FTZ regulations, guidelines, and procedures to maintain compliancy.
• Supervise and manage FTZ inventory, ensuring goods are accounted for and comply with customs regulations.
• Prepare for and participate in external audits by CBP or other government agencies, providing documentation and resolving any discrepancies.
• Work with Operations Team to develop and implement SOP’s for FTZ activities.
• Manage Customs Bonds both corporate and station-level bonds.
• Point of contact for any bond-related claims or disputes.
• Verify custom duties, taxes, and fees are paid. Monitor penalties for non-compliance.
• Ensure renewal of bonds.
• Track claims made against bonds.
• Investigate and resolve claims against bonds.
• Prepare and submit reports to management regarding bonds.
• Bonded Warehouse
• Oversee the storage, handling, and movement of goods.
• Monitor the receipt and dispatch of goods, ensuring they are processed according to the relevant customs procedures.
• Maintain accurate records of all goods entering or leaving.
• Perform regular audits of the warehouse inventory for accuracy.
• Address and resolve any issues related to customs clearance, inventory discrepancies, or delayed shipments.
• Prepare and submit required reports to CBP and other regulatory agencies.
• Other duties as assigned by management.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in related field.
• Certified Customs Specialist (CCS) and/or Certified Export Specialist (CES) required.
• Customs Brokers License Required.
• Experience with trade and customs federal regulations across U.S.
• Strong knowledge of Incoterms, Tariff Classification, and Preferential Duty Treatment.
• Excellent knowledge of the relevant MS Windows – software (Excel, Word, PPT).
• Strong business acumen with a keen aptitude to quickly assimilate new information.
• Excellent organization, analytical, written, and oral communications skills. Ability to think creatively and strategically to solve complex problems.
• Must be a confident self-starter who can develop effective business relationships, both internally and externally.
• Candidates must be self-motivated, customer service oriented, and eager to ensure the success of the team.