Head of Customs/ Brokerage

About the Role

The Head of Customs / Brokerage is responsible for the overall leadership, compliance, and performance of the Customs Brokerage function within the country. The role ensures full adherence to customs laws and regulations, manages regulatory and operational risk, and delivers compliant, efficient, and customer-focused customs clearance solutions that support the company's freight forwarding and supply chain services.

Key Accountabilities

Strategy & Business Enablement

• Define and execute the country Customs / Brokerage strategy aligned with the overall country and product strategies.
• Position customs brokerage as a value-adding service, supporting growth in forwarding, contract logistics, and key accounts.
• Support commercial teams in solution design, tenders, and customer onboarding with compliant customs models.
• Identify opportunities for process standardization, automation, and value-added customs services.

Compliance, Risk & Governance

• Ensure full compliance with all applicable customs laws, regulations, licenses, and accreditation requirements.
• Act as the country's accountable customs officer and escalation point for regulatory matters.
• Establish and enforce Standard Operating Procedures, internal controls, and audit frameworks to minimize financial and compliance risk.
• Manage customs audits, inspections, penalties, and disputes with authorities.
• Monitor regulatory changes and ensure timely implementation and internal communication.

Operations & Service Excellence

• Oversee end-to-end customs clearance operations for air, ocean, and land shipments.
• Ensure high service quality, clearance timeliness, and accuracy of declarations and classifications.
• Drive continuous improvement in clearance processes, documentation quality, and data integrity.
• Ensure effective coordination with freight operations to minimize delays and disruptions.

Financial Performance & Cost Control

• Own the country Customs / Brokerage cost base and contribution margin (where applicable).
• Ensure accurate billing, cost recovery, and control of duties, taxes, and disbursements.
• Identify productivity improvements and efficiency gains within the brokerage organization.

People Leadership & Capability Building

• Lead, develop, and retain licensed brokers, supervisors, and customs specialists.
• Ensure mandatory certifications, licenses, and training are maintained and up to date.
• Build succession plans and reduce key-person dependency in critical regulatory roles.
• Promote a strong culture of compliance, accountability, and continuous learning.

Stakeholder & Authority Management

• Build and maintain professional relationships with customs authorities and relevant government agencies.
• Represent the company in industry forums, trade associations, and regulatory working groups.
• Act as the primary internal advisor on customs, trade compliance, and regulatory risk.

Systems, Data & Digitalization

• Ensure effective use of customs systems, and government platforms.
• Drive digitalization, automation, and paperless initiatives where permitted by regulation.
• Ensure high data quality to support compliance, reporting, and customer visibility.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Customs Administration, International Trade, Law, Logistics, Supply Chain, or a related field.
• Postgraduate qualification in Trade Compliance, Customs Law, or Business Administration is an advantage.
• Licensed Customs Broker or equivalent country-specific certification (mandatory).
• Additional trade compliance certifications (e.g. Authorized Economic Operator (AEO), local customs accreditation) are strongly preferred.
• 1015 years of experience in customs brokerage, trade compliance, orregulatory roles within freight forwarding or logistics.
• 57 years in a senior leadership or managerial role overseeing licensed customs operations.
• Proven experience managing customs audits, inspections, and regulatory disputes.
• Strong exposure to multi-product environments (air, ocean, land, contract logistics).
• In-depth knowledge of customs laws, tariff classification, valuation, origin, and trade remedies.
• Strong understanding of free trade agreements, duty optimization, and customs procedures.
• Experience with customs IT systems, and government portals.
• Ability to assess and mitigate customs and regulatory risk across complex supply chains.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)

DP World is committed to the principles of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO). We strongly believe that employing a diverse workforce is central to our success and we make recruiting decisions based on your experience and skills. We welcome applications from all members of society irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion or belief.

By submitting your resume and application information, you authorize DP World to transmit and store your information in the world-wide recruitment database, and to circulate that information as necessary for the purpose of evaluating your qualification for this or other job vacancies.

About DP World

DP World is reshaping the future of global trade to improve lives everywhere. Operating across six continents with a team of over 115,000 employees, we combine global infrastructure and local expertise to deliver seamless supply chain solutions. From Ports and Terminals to Marine Services, Logistics and Technology, we leverage innovation to create better ways to trade, minimising disruptions from the factory floor to the customer's door.

In Asia Pacific, DP World employs over 15,000 people across 22 geographies. We operate 17 ports and terminals, complemented by a comprehensive suite of end-to-end supply chain solutions - to connect the region to the rest of the world.

WE MAKE TRADE FLOW

Disclaimer:

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