Job Description Summary

As the Latin America Customs Leader, you will be responsible for leading all customs compliance, customs operations, trade programs, and customs-related operational performance across the Latin America region.
This leader will direct a team of customs professionals located throughout the region and serve as the primary advisor to business leadership regarding customs compliance, duty optimization, import/export execution, customs strategy, and regulatory risk management. The role is accountable for ensuring compliant movement of goods while driving operational excellence, cost optimization, and customer-focused outcomes, including customs-related On-Time Delivery (OTD) performance.
The Latin America Customs Leader will partner closely with regional business leaders, logistics, tax, finance, legal, manufacturing, sourcing, and the Global Customs Center of Excellence to create and execute a regional customs strategy aligned with company objectives

Job Description

What you’ll do: 

• Lead, coach, develop, and retain a team of customs compliance and customs operations professionals located across Latin America.
• Establish organizational capabilities and succession plans to support business growth and regulatory complexity throughout the region.
• Foster a culture of compliance, operational excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Provide strategic customs leadership to country teams and senior business stakeholders.

• Customs Compliance & Regulatory Management

• Own and govern the Company's Latin America Customs Compliance Program.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable customs, trade, import, export, and government agency requirements throughout the region. (including DUIMP, IMMEX, etc)
• Develop, implement, and maintain regional customs policies, procedures, controls, and standard work.
  • Free Trade Agreement (FTA) qualification and maintenance
  • Trusted Trader / AEO / OEA programs
  • Post-entry corrections and reconciliation programs
  •  Customs recordkeeping and retention requirements
• Act as primary regional contact for customs authorities, regulatory agencies, external auditors, and internal audit organizations.
• Lead responses to customs audits, assessments, disclosures, investigations, and government inquiries.
• Monitor and interpret regulatory and legislative changes and translate requirements into operational actions.

• Operational Excellence & Customer Experience

• Own customs-related operational KPIs throughout the region.
• Drive improvements in:
  • On-Time Delivery (OTD)
  • Customs clearance cycle time
  • First-pass customs entry acceptance
  • Customs holds and examinations
  • Brokerage accuracy
  • Broker productivity
  • Compliance incident rates
  • Duty spend management
• Establish KPI dashboards and governance mechanisms to identify trends, root causes, and improvement opportunities.
• Lead Lean, Six Sigma, and digital transformation initiatives impacting customs operations.

• Broker & Third-Party Management

• Oversee customs broker, freight forwarder, and third-party compliance provider performance.
• Establish governance processes, KPIs, audits, and service-level expectations.
• Conduct broker performance reviews and ensure consistent execution across countries.
• Drive standardization and best-practice sharing throughout the region.

• Strategic Business Partnership

• Partner with Logistics, Tax, Legal, Finance, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Procurement, IT, Security, and Commercial teams.
• Provide customs guidance for:
  • Supply chain network design
  • New product introductions
  • Manufacturing footprint changes
  • Mergers and acquisitions
  • Distribution model changes
  • Regulatory initiatives
• Evaluate customs impacts associated with sourcing and manufacturing decisions and recommend risk mitigation and duty optimization strategies.

What you need to have: 

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 8 years of Customs, Trade Compliance, Import/Export Operations, or Global Trade experience.
• Minimum 5 years of people leadership experience.
• Experience managing customs activities in multiple Latin American countries.
• Knowledge of customs regulations and operational processes within key LATAM markets.
• Fluency in English.
• Ability to travel throughout the region as required.

• Preferred Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of:
  • IMMEX
  • Annex 24
  • Annex 31
  • Mexico VAT Certification
  • DUIMP
  • SISCOMEX
  • OEA/AEO Programs
  • FTAs and preferential origin qualification
  • Country of Origin requirements
  • Classification and customs valuation
  • Transfer pricing impacts on customs valuation
  • Duty recovery and savings programs
• Experience managing customs audits and government agency interactions.
• Experience implementing customs technology and automation solutions.
• Strong knowledge of healthcare, medical device, pharmaceutical, or highly regulated supply chains.
• Experience managing customs brokers and third-party service providers throughout Latin America.
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior leadership and drive cross-functional initiatives.
• Lean, Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification preferred.
• Experience with Oracle, SAP, GTM systems, or similar enterprise trade solutions.
• Working proficiency in both Spanish and Portuguese preferred.

Additional Information