Head of Customs Brokerage

About Nuvocargo **Nuvocargo is a native AI-enabled freight brokerage and transportation management platform built for cross-border US-Mexico trade. We combine technology, carrier relationships, and operational expertise to help shippers move goods smarter across one of the world's most complex freight corridors. Our customs brokerage team is a critical capability — and we're building it to be best-in-class. ## The Role We're looking for a licensed, bilingual customs broker to lead Nuvocargo's customs brokerage practice. This is a player-coach role: you'll own the operational execution of customs clearance while building and mentoring a small, growing team across Laredo and Mexico City. You'll serve as the subject matter expert on compliance, classification, and documentation — and be the escalation point when the complexity exceeds what the team can handle independently. You'll report directly to the COO and work cross-functionally with our cross-border, carrier, and managed transportation teams. This is a rare opportunity to shape the customs function at a well-capitalized, technology-forward freight company that's growing fast. ## What You'll Do Operations & Compliance - Own day-to-day customs clearance operations for US imports and exports across the US-Mexico border - Serve as the primary escalation point for complex entries, compliance issues, and time-sensitive shipments - Ensure all clearance activity meets CBP, ACE, ABI, and USMCA requirements - Maintain and enforce internal compliance standards, SOPs, and documentation protocols - Oversee classification (HTS), valuation, and admissibility determinations ## Team Leadership - Lead and develop a team of 4 — 2 US-based (Laredo) and 2 in Mexico City — with a player-coach orientation - Build operational capacity and create a path for the team to handle higher complexity over time - Hire, onboard, and develop team members as the business scales ## Customer Ownership - Serve as the senior point of contact for customs-related customer communications - Own 100% customer retention and identify expansion opportunities in partnership with sales and account management - Build trusted relationships with key shipper contacts, particularly those with high-frequency or high-complexity border programs - Travel to customer sites as needed for relationship management and onboarding ## Process & Technology - Partner with Nuvocargo's product and ops teams to improve customs workflows within NuvoOS, our native TMS - Identify automation opportunities and help define how AI tooling can reduce manual work in the clearance process - Maintain accurate records and ensure data integrity across entries and filings ## What We're Looking For **Required ** - Active Licensed Customs Broker (CHB) — non-negotiable - Bilingual in English and Spanish — professional fluency required - 3–10 years of experience in customs brokerage, with meaningful US-Mexico cross-border exposure - Hands-on experience with ACE, ABI, HTS classification, C-TPAT, FAST lanes, and related compliance frameworks - Strong working knowledge of USMCA, DODA, PAPS/PARS, and Carta Porte - Proven ability to manage customer relationships and escalations with a high degree of professionalism **Preferred ** - Based in or deeply familiar with the Laredo, TX border market - Cross-border (MX-US) customs / operational knowledge - Experience leading or mentoring a customs team, even informally - Familiarity with TMS platforms and an interest in technology-forward operations - Commercial exposure — existing customer relationships or a track record of supporting business development are a plus - Experience with alcohol, food, or other regulated commodity clearances ## What We Offer - Competitive base salary (range discussed during the interview process) plus performance-based bonus - Opportunity to build and lead a function from a relatively early stage at a growing company - Direct access to and partnership with company leadership - A technology-forward environment — we invest in tools that reduce manual work and create leverage for our team - Health, dental, and vision benefits - Flexible PTO Nuvocargo is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive