Customs Manager

The Customs Manager is responsible for leading customs brokerage and trade compliance operations, ensuring that all import, export, transit, Free Zone and related customs activities are executed accurately, efficiently and in full compliance with Thai Customs laws, regulations, company policies and customer requirements. The role provides senior technical leadership, manages customs risk, develops people and operating controls, supports customers on complex customs matters, and drives continuous improvement, service quality and operational performance.

• Lead and manage the Customs Operations team, including workload planning, manpower allocation, performance management, coaching, succession planning and professional development.

• Establish and maintain standardized customs clearance procedures, SOPs, work instructions, checklists and internal controls for import, export, transit, re-export, Free Zone and other customs processes.

• Ensure the accuracy and completeness of customs declarations, HS classifications, customs valuation, origin, privileges, permits, licenses and supporting documents before submission to authorities.

• Provide expert guidance to internal teams and customers on Thai Customs regulations, customs procedures, duty/tax treatment, Free Zone, duty privileges and government incentive programs.

• Review complex or high-risk customs cases and provide technical decisions, escalation support and corrective actions to minimize penalties, delays, duty exposure and compliance risks.

• Maintain an effective HS Classification governance process, including classification review, supporting rationale, documentation, periodic validation and escalation of disputed classifications.

• Monitor regulatory changes issued by Thai Customs and other relevant government agencies; assess business impact and communicate required actions to stakeholders.

• Manage customs audits, post-clearance audits, investigations, disputes, penalty cases and official inquiries; coordinate responses, evidence and corrective actions with management, customers and external advisers.

• Ensure customs broker authorization, powers of attorney, licenses, registrations and customer instructions are valid, controlled and properly maintained.

• Develop and monitor customs compliance and operational KPIs, including clearance lead time, error/amendment rates, penalty incidents and customer complaints; implement improvement plans.

• Perform periodic internal compliance reviews and risk assessments to identify control gaps, recurring errors and potential regulatory exposure.

• Lead root-cause analysis, corrective and preventive action for customs errors, compliance incidents, customer complaints and operational failures.

• Participate in operational and business strategy initiatives and provide management with customs compliance insight, risk analysis and recommendations.

• Attend customer and sales meetings to design appropriate customs solutions for new business, including procedures, permits, privileges, operating models and implementation requirements.

• Coordinate with Finance, Accounting, Logistics, Operations, Sales and other functions to ensure customs duty, tax, disbursement, billing and supporting documentation are accurately controlled.

• Build and maintain professional working relationships with Thai Customs and other relevant authorities while ensuring interactions comply with laws, ethical standards and company policies.

• Drive process improvement and digitalization initiatives to strengthen customs data quality, traceability, document retention, productivity and compliance controls.

• Support business continuity and contingency planning for customs operations, including urgent shipments, system disruption, staffing shortages and regulatory changes.

MANAGEMENT & GOVERNANCE ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Own the customs compliance control framework and ensure clear accountability, segregation of duties and approval levels within customs operations.

• Set team objectives and measurable KPIs aligned with company strategy, customer commitments, compliance requirements and operational excellence.

• Conduct regular team reviews, case reviews and compliance briefings; ensure lessons learned are converted into updated procedures and training.

• Maintain a structured training and competency matrix and ensure critical activities are handled by appropriately qualified personnel.

• Provide senior management with periodic customs compliance and operational reports highlighting risks, incidents, trends, resource requirements and improvement actions.

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QUALIFICATION

• Bachelor’s degree in Logistics, Supply Chain, International Business, Business Administration, Law, Customs Administration or another relevant field; a Master’s degree is an advantage.

• Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in customs clearance, customs brokerage, import/export operations or trade compliance in Thailand, including at least 3-5 years in a supervisory or managerial role.

• Valid Thai Customs Specialist and Broker License.

• Extensive practical knowledge of Thai Customs laws, regulations, customs procedures, customs valuation, HS classification, rules of origin, duty/tax treatment and customs documentation.

• Strong experience handling complex customs cases, customs audits, post-clearance reviews, disputes, amendments, penalties and regulatory inquiries.

• Experience with Free Zone, duty privileges, FTA/Certificate of Origin, BOI or other government incentive programs is highly preferred.

• Demonstrated experience establishing SOPs, internal controls, compliance reviews, risk management processes and operational KPIs.

• Proven experience leading and developing a professional customs team and managing multiple customers or high-volume customs operations.

• Good working knowledge of related regulatory agencies and import/export licensing requirements is highly preferred.

• Professional working proficiency in English and Thai, with the ability to communicate technical customs matters clearly to customers, management and authorities.

• Strong computer literacy, including Microsoft Excel and operational/customs systems; experience with reporting, data analysis or process digitalization is an advantage.

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Customs & Trade Compliance Expertise

• Leadership, People Management & Coaching

• Strategic and Operational Planning

• Risk Assessment, Internal Control & Compliance Governance

• HS Classification, Customs Valuation & Rules of Origin

• Analytical Thinking and Data-Driven Decision Making

• Complex Problem Solving and Sound Judgment

• Customer and Stakeholder Management

• Negotiation, Influencing and Professional Communication

• Audit, Investigation and Regulatory Case Management

• Process Improvement, SOP Development and Change Management

• High attention to detail, integrity, accountability and service orientation