Job Description – Customs Classification Technical Leader

Job Title

Customs Classification Technical Leader

Role Purpose

The Customs Classification Technical Leader is responsible for leading the technical governance of customs tariff classification activities, ensuring high standards of quality, compliance, and consistency across the team. This role serves as the primary technical reference point for customs classification matters, provides expert support to team members and stakeholders, and acts as the key interface for managing customs-related disputes, queries, and litigation matters with government customs authorities.

The position plays a critical role in minimizing customs compliance risks, ensuring accurate Harmonized System (HS) classification, supporting audit readiness, and safeguarding the organization’s interests during customs reviews, investigations, and legal proceedings.

Key Responsibilities

1. Technical Leadership and Expertise

• Act as the technical authority for customs tariff classification matters across products, materials, components, and machinery.
• Provide expert interpretation of the Harmonized System (HS), customs tariff schedules, explanatory notes, chapter notes, section notes, WCO rulings, and relevant national customs regulations.
• Support the team in resolving complex classification cases through technical analysis, legal interpretation, and precedent review.
• Ensure correct and consistent assignment of HS codes in line with regulatory requirements and business needs.
• Lead technical discussions with internal stakeholders on classification-related matters and risk impacts.

2. Team Quality Ownership

• Serve as the front face for team quality, ensuring all customs classification outputs meet internal control standards, regulatory requirements, and audit expectations.
• Establish and monitor quality checks, validation mechanisms, review controls, and classification governance practices.
• Perform periodic quality reviews of classification decisions and identify gaps, deviations, or recurring errors.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to strengthen accuracy, productivity, standardization, and technical maturity of the team.
• Develop and maintain quality dashboards, performance metrics, and action plans to improve classification reliability.

3. Technical Assistance and Capability Building

• Provide day-to-day technical guidance and coaching to customs classification analysts and team members.
• Support onboarding, knowledge transfer, and capability development of new team members.
• Create, review, and update technical work instructions, SOPs, decision trees, and classification guidelines.
• Conduct technical trainings and awareness sessions for internal teams and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Act as the escalation point for ambiguous, disputed, or high-risk classification cases.

4. Litigation and Government Authority Management

• Lead and coordinate the handling of customs classification disputes, show-cause notices, audits, investigations, and litigation matters raised by customs authorities.
• Act as the primary technical contact for interactions with government customs authorities, external consultants, legal teams, and internal compliance stakeholders.
• Prepare technical justifications, classification notes, supporting documents, product descriptions, legal arguments, and defense files for customs authority submissions.
• Analyze customs notices, assessment challenges, and litigation risks, and define appropriate response strategies in coordination with legal and compliance teams.
• Ensure proper documentation and follow-up of all litigation cases, authority correspondence, and classification defense records.
• Support hearings, appeals, and clarification meetings with customs authorities by providing strong technical and regulatory representation.

5. Compliance and Risk Management

• Ensure customs classification activities are performed in full compliance with applicable customs laws, regulations, and internal control requirements.
• Identify potential classification risks, revenue exposure, penalties, and compliance vulnerabilities.
• Recommend preventive and corrective actions to mitigate customs exposure and improve control effectiveness.
• Support internal audits, external audits, customs assessments, and compliance reviews by providing required technical evidence and explanations.
• Maintain traceability and documentation for all classification decisions to ensure audit readiness.

6. Stakeholder Management

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams such as customs operations, trade compliance, procurement, engineering, supply chain, finance, legal, and external brokers.
• Communicate classification decisions, compliance risks, litigation developments, and technical recommendations to management and key stakeholders.
• Build strong working relationships with customs authorities, internal governance teams, and business functions to ensure timely issue resolution.
• Provide management visibility on high-risk cases, quality performance, and litigation status.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Customs, International Trade, Law, Engineering, Supply Chain, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Professional certification or specialized training in customs compliance / tariff classification is an advantage.
• Strong knowledge of customs tariff classification principles, Harmonized System nomenclature, customs procedures, and international trade regulations.
• Solid understanding of customs dispute management, audit handling, and litigation support processes.

Required Experience

• Significant experience in customs classification, global trade compliance, or customs operations.
• Proven experience in handling complex classification cases, quality reviews, and technical escalations.
• Experience in dealing with customs authorities, audit responses, notices, and litigation or dispute management.
• Prior experience in team leadership, technical mentoring, or process governance is highly preferred.

Key Skills and Competencies

• Advanced expertise in HS classification and customs regulations
• Strong analytical and technical interpretation skills
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making ability
• Ability to manage regulatory disputes and litigation matters effectively
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Stakeholder management and influencing capability
• High attention to detail and quality orientation
• Risk assessment and compliance mindset
• Documentation and audit readiness focus
• Leadership, coaching, and knowledge-sharing capability

Key Deliverables

• Accurate and compliant customs classifications
• Improved team quality and technical consistency
• Timely resolution of escalated classification issues
• Effective management of customs notices, disputes, and litigations
• Strong technical defense files for customs authority reviews
• Updated SOPs, guidelines, and knowledge assets
• Audit-ready documentation and control evidence
• Reduced customs compliance and penalty risks