Customs Brokerage Operations Manager

Expeditors is hiring a Customs Brokerage Operations Manager to develop its Customs brokerage product through operational, financial, sales, people, systems, and culture initiatives. The role oversees service execution, staffing, compliance, customer and vendor relationships, and department performance.

Responsibilities:

• Manage and monitor service execution within the Customs brokerage department
• Manage capacity and resource needs for the department
• Ensure that department is properly staffed, structured and organized
• Manage timely and effective staff evaluations and reviews
• Provide feedback, coaching, mentoring to staff on an ongoing basis
• Manage staff for continual growth in skills and expertise
• Identify with manager, develop, and mentor your No 2
• Prepare and execute personal goals
• Assist staff in preparing personal goals
• Make certain that all staff members complete annual training in required timeframes
• Make certain that new employees receive all mandatory training in required timeframes
• Maintain highest compliance levels for all necessary and applicable Customs and other government agency controls and requirements
• Ensure that company controls, policies, procedures, processes, applications, tools, and systems are understood and implemented
• Ensure that the company’s third party broker program is properly managed within the branch
• Ensure oversight, including self-assessments and daily monitoring so that issues are resolved at the root cause level
• Be present at customs office and customs port office
• Support the manager in the following areas: o Building and maintaining strong relationships with vendors (AAACESA, trucking companies, Hutchinson, ICAVE, APM, TPB  and others)
• Working to be our vendors lowest cost customer promoting market solutions
• Evaluating vendors at defined intervals per company policy, focusing on areas of possible improvement with corrective action plans where needed
• If using third party brokers, provide clear instructions, procedures and expectations regarding both Expeditors’ and customer requirements
• Ensure the system reports including but not limited to the below list are utilized at the level of frequency mentioned in order to effectively supervise operations
• Make certain that all new clients are set up properly with any of the following that apply: power of attorney, letter of authorization, importers’ worksheet, DLSOP, and/or standard operating procedures
• Make certain that client specific instructions are clear and detailed to ensure that desk level staff can properly process entries for services
• Control department’s interface with Customs authorities
• Provide deskside training to department as needed in these specific areas:
• National customs regulations
• Expeditors’ customs policies, controls, procedures and processes
• Operational and customer service execution
• Customer communication, interaction, development and maintenance
• Expeditors’ applications, tools, systems and their usage
• Client specific requirements
• Monitor and review post entry activity (IDMA)  with branch compliance supervisor
• Monitor and review the productivity employee report
• Make certain that discrepancies are monitored and resolved timely and correctly with action items
• Stay current with developments and changes in regulations or company offerings; educate staff as these happen
• Participate to staff appraisals, and at a minimum once per quarter per employee
• Ensure all staff and positions have job descriptions, clear expectations and are working with structured development plans
• Contribute to the effective weekly department meetings with team
• Review department goals and business plan periodically with the team to ensure buy-in and accountability
• Take an active role in the transition of new business/ updates to existing business
• Participate to retention calls with Operation Customer Service Manager
• Participate to sales calls with Customs Manager
• Participate on sales meeting and development the pipeline by industry
• Use the overall report and compare the shipment and revenue trends for top 30
• Manage Garantias report
• Ensure to revise the single provision reporte with Customs Manager
• Meet weekly or more if required with the department manager
• Follow up the AR report
• Promote compliance in diligently following all company policies and regulations and in being the role model of integrity and pride for all employees
• Proactively communicate with the team to ensure continuous awareness and understanding of policies and regulations
• Maintain a positive relationship with the Compliance Manager and support all compliance efforts and trainings
• Manage and Analysis for R1 report and show the results with actions items
• Manage and Analysis for IDMA report and show the results with actions items
• Manage and Analysis for penalty report and shoe the results with actions items
• Proactively promote the company’s 10 cultural attributes:  Appearance, Attitude, Confidence, Curiosity, Excellence, Integrity, Pride, Resolute, Sense of Humor, and Visionary
• Be open to implementing new system changes and enhancements into your department
• Be involved and suggest system/process improvements
• Set the tone of this environment within your department
• Ensure department is using all system tools to their greatest advantage based on your department size and organization
• Stay current with developments and changes in regulations or company offerings; educate staff as these happen
• Participate to staff appraisals, and at a minimum once per quarter per employee
• Ensure all staff and positions have job descriptions, clear expectations and are working with structured development plans
• Contribute to the effective weekly department meetings with team
• Review department goals and business plan periodically with the team to ensure buy-in and accountability

Requirements:

• Expeditors company policies and procedures knowledge
• A good understanding of Expeditors' products, services and systems
• Strong market and competition knowledge
• Good knowledge of customs brokerage process and system essential
• Good knowledge of customs legislation, especially with regards to classification, valuation and origin
• Understanding of ocean, transcon and air documentation process
• Knowledge of air, road and ocean transport
• Good knowledge of incoterms
• Well rounded knowledge of the customs tariff and customs system
• Working knowledge and experience of the customs regulations
• Effective interpersonal skills, including proven abilities to listen, comprehend, effectively communicate clearly and concisely to obtain positive results
• Good Microsoft Office skills (Excel, Word etc.)
• Pro-active, strong organizational skills
• Familiarity with digitization tools
• Fluent in English
• Proven negotiation skills
• The ability to troubleshoot and solve problems quickly and effectively
• The ability to maintain a privileged relationships with the customs authorities
• Emotional resilience
• Set the weather for the team
• Self-reflecting and open to feedback
• Initiative and ability to work in autonomy
• Role model of integrity and pride for all employees
• Proven leadership attitude and background
• Hazardous Materials certification (preferred)
• 3-5 years of Customs Brokerage experience (preferred)
• Licensed Customs Broker (preferred)