Customs Operations and Compliance Manager

Job Summary

The Customs Operations and Compliance Manager - RFE; must manage, administrate and supervise bonded warehouse operations, regulatory compliance, risk mitigation, and operational coordination to ensure smooth logistics processes and compliance with customs regulations, meeting customer expectations through company policies.

This role will also lead the development and implementation of the RFE operations strategy and play a key role in establishing the Center of Excellence in Monterrey, ensuring operational readiness, scalability, and cross-functional collaboration across all Mexico-based initiatives.

The ideal candidate brings a hands-on, entrepreneurial mindset, able to wear multiple hats and help shape the organization as revenue grows and new functions are established.

Performance Standards:

Performance standards include a wide range of responsibilities that highlight the CSR Manager's ability to contribute to the company's growth and maintain high levels of customer satisfaction. These include:

- Supporting Rapid Growth: Playing a vital role in supporting the company's ongoing expansion efforts, ensuring scalability and capitalizing on emerging market opportunities.
- Team Leadership: Leading, motivating, and mentoring a dedicated team to support customs broker, customer and authority.
- Strategic Collaboration: Collaborating closely with sales team and senior leadership to formulate and execute strategic initiatives that align with the company's goals and objectives.
- Process Improvement: Identifying and capitalizing on opportunities for process enhancement, optimizing workflow efficiency, and continuously improving service delivery.
- Employee Development: Actively managing and supporting the professional growth and development of team members through training, coaching, and performance feedback.
- Cross-functional Enablement: Supporting Mexico-based sales personnel and RFE specialists to ensure integration, alignment, and efficient launch of new business initiatives.

Responsibilities:

This role entails responsibilities that are very important in ensuring operational excellence and customer satisfaction:

- Instilling and Driving Employee Engagement: Promoting a culture of Employee Engagement and reinforcing the company's Mission, Vision, and Values throughout the operations team, resulting in improved team morale and productivity.
- Effective Communication: Establishing clear and effective lines of communication with Senior Leadership and Sales teams to ensure alignment and collaboration across departments.
- Performance Metrics: Developing and maintaining comprehensive customer service performance metrics to measure and continuously enhance the quality of service provided, resulting in a 15% increase in customer satisfaction scores.
- Continuous Improvement Initiatives: Championing, leading, and successfully executing cost reduction and continuous improvement initiatives, which led to a significant 5% reduction in operational costs.
- Team Management: Directly managing, directing, and supervising the associates, fostering a collaborative and inclusive team-oriented work environment.
- Inventory Control: Constantly monitor the control of materials entries, withdrawals, inventory, transformations, and losses, and perform the reconciliation of customs declarations between the customs broker and the bonded warehouse.
- Authority Compliance: Guarantee permanent and uninterrupted access to the inventory of materials, ensuring the accuracy of the information to Mx Customs.
- Strategic Flexibility: Act as both an operational and general management leader, balancing compliance oversight with growth initiatives, process design, and new business integration.

Qualifications:

Qualifications align with the demands of the role and the company's objectives:

- Bachelor's degree in international Trade, Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or a related field.
- 4-5 years years of progressive preferably in manufacturing, logistics, or distribution environments.
- Previous experience managing or supervising personnel.
- Bilingual fluency in English and Spanish (written and verbal).
- Advanced degrees or certifications in warehouse management, trade compliance, and/or customs, are preferred.
- IMMEX, Annex 24/31, or similar customs certifications.
- CTPAT, OEA, or other recognized compliance certifications are highly desirable.
- Experience in leading start-up or transformation initiatives within logistics or trade operations is strongly preferred

Skills and Abilities:

These include, but are not limited to:

- Proficiency in warehouse management systems (WMS), ERP platforms, and customs compliance software.
- Advanced knowledge of Mexican customs regulations, SAT requirements, and Recinto Fiscal operations.
- Strong understanding of inventory control, cycle counting, and reconciliation processes.
- Familiarity with health, safety, and environmental regulations (NOMs).
- Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
- Ability to coordinate cross-functional teams and manage relationships with customs brokers, auditors, and clients.
- Detail-oriented with a commitment to compliance and operational excellence.
- Entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to adapt, prioritize, and build scalable processes in a fast-growing, evolving organization

Essential Functions:

The essential functions encompass:

- Regulatory Compliance: Ensuring strict adherence to import/export regulations, including customs documentation, tariffs, and trade compliance, to facilitate seamless international transactions and provide on time visibility of the materials in the warehouse.
- Supply Chain Coordination: Collaborating with supply chain partners, including freight forwarders, customs brokers, and carriers, to optimize logistics and ensure the goods are managed in and out complying with customs regulatory times.
- Conflict Resolution: Proactively identifying and resolving any conflicts or issues that may arise during the import/export process, mitigating potential disruptions to operations.
- Quality Control: Implementing quality control measures to guarantee the accuracy and integrity of all import/export documentation and inventory, minimizing errors and delays.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborating with cross-functional teams such as sales, marketing, and finance to align strategies and ensure the smooth flow of information and resources.
- Performance Metrics: Establishing and tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) related to customer service, import/export efficiency, and compliance, and reporting progress to senior leadership.
- Center of Excellence Leadership: Lead all operational activities related to the RFE program, while supporting the design, setup, and implementation of the Center of Excellence in Monterrey, serving as a key liaison between operations, compliance, and commercial teams.

Working Conditions:

The working conditions for this role encompass a dynamic and fast-paced environment with several key aspects:

- Travel: Periodic travel may be required to attend international trade exhibitions, meet with key clients, or oversee aspects of the import/export process in different locations. Travel frequency and duration may vary.
- Operational Hours: While the standard workweek applies, the role may require flexibility in working hours to accommodate customer demands or address critical issues outside regular business hours.
- Technology: Proficiency in various software and technologies related to import/export management, customer relationship management (CRM), and data analysis is essential to perform the role effectively.
- Deadline-Driven: Import/export operations often work on tight schedules, requiring attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple tasks efficiently to meet deadlines.