Customs Brokerage Operations Manager

Company Description

“We’re not in the shipping business; we’re in the information business” -Peter Rose, Expeditors Founder Global supply chain management is what we do, but at the heart of Expeditors you will find professionalism, leadership, and a friendly environment, all of which foster an innovative, customer service-based approach to logistics.

• 15,000 trained professionals
• 250+ locations worldwide
• Fortune 500
• Globally unified systems

Job Description

Administration and Personnel Management

• 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
• 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
• Prepare and execute department business plan and goals

Operations, Compliance and Customs Expertise

• Provide deskside training to department as needed in these specific areas: o National customs regulations o Expeditors’ customs policies, controls, procedures and processes o Operational and customer service execution o Customer communication, interaction, development and maintenance, o Expeditors’ applications, tools, systems and their usage o Client specific requirements

• If using third party brokers, provide clear instructions, procedures and expectations regarding both Expeditors’ and customer requirements

• If required, review and sign entries prior to submission to Customs

• Work with staff on capacity and efficiency issues

• 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 and invoice for services

• Control department’s interface with Customs authorities

• Make certain that files are logged correctly and timely with proper codes, trace types and events as needed

• Review all entry rejections, EDI rejections, or other discrepancies in business unit to make certain that they are resubmitted timely and correctly

• Monitor and review post entry activity with branch compliance manager

• Make certain that discrepancies are monitored and resolved timely and correctly

• Work with branch compliance manager to understand and trend discrepancy root causes and implement necessary training

• Ensure there is a workflow or management reports to oversee and manage the operation

• Control workflow within business unit

• Control document receipt and distribution within business unit both for hard copy and electronic documents

• Ensure that all correspondence within business unit is handled timely and professionally

• Escalate necessary issues to District or Branch Manager

• Develop optimum efficient processes without sacrificing compliance, oversight or controls

• Stay current with developments and changes in regulations or company offerings; educate staff as these happen

• Understand requirements of participating government agencies

• Ensure all employees have proper training in other government agency requirements

Finance

• Ensure that all files are timely billed and correctly
• Ensure that all billing and billing packages are timely mailed or electronically transmitted including the correct and complete documents and backup
• Manage execution of credit policy
• Review department P and L on a monthly basis and understand composition of clients, revenue, and file type and complexity for customs entries
• Review all billed not paid and paid not billed items for proper handling and closing
• Review entries for proper use of bill codes, GL codes and file types
• Review customer A/R for area of responsibility and depending upon structure, be prepared to communicate with customers regarding either late payments or invoice discrepancies
• Review invoices from third party brokers against their tariffs

Sales and Marketing (and Growth)

• Maintain and develop relationship with current brokerage customers
• Work with sales, customer retention and development, and account management to maintain and develop relationships with current customers, and to develop and bring new customers into the department
• Work with T&I and account management to make certain that customer requirements are both understood and properly implemented
• Prepare effective customer presentations and updates
• Communicate clearly and often with sales, customer retention, account management and T&I to provide information on status of service levels, execution, and future opportunities

Experience and Education Suggested:

• Degree or equivalent
• Minimum 10 years’ experience in Customs brokerage
• Has completed country specific certification in Customs brokerage if available
• Hands-on knowledge of Customs clearance function
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to articulate clearly through written and oral communication and presentations
• Ability to relate to clients, service providers and employees at all levels
• Understanding of data and reports or outputs used from data
• PC skills including word processing and spreadsheet applications
• Hands-on user skills with Expeditors’ applications as needed
• English fluency

Qualifications

Bachelors degree with 5+ year of working experience.

• Good knowledge of customs brokerage process, customs legislation – especially with regards to classification, valuation and origin
• Understanding of ocean, road and air documentation process
• Effective interpersonal skills
• Pro-active approach, strong organizational and computer skills
• Good computer skills (MS Excel, MS Word)
• Fluent in English

Additional Information

Expeditors offers excellent benefits:

• Paid Vacation, Holiday, Sick Time
• Health Plan: Medical
• Life Insurance
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Training and Personnel Development Program
• Growth opportunities within the company
• Employee Referral Program Bonus