Head of Customs Operations Mexico
Country/Region:
MX
Location:
Chihuahua, CHH, MX, 31125
Req ID 73558 | OR CHIHUAHUA AIRBAGS, Mexico, TRW Occupant Restraints de Chihuahua, S. de R.L. de C.V.
Your Tasks
- Ensure the timely arrival and departure of goods, minimizing delays and operational risks.
- Optimize customs clearance processes to improve lead times and reduce logistics disruptions.
- Define and monitor service levels for customs brokers and logistics providers.
- Ensure business continuity by proactively managing customs-related risks and contingencies.
- Oversee accurate and timely customs declarations for all import and export operations.
- Monitor regulatory changes and assess their impact on operations, ensuring timely implementation of required actions.
- Act as a point of contact with customs authorities and government agencies. This position will act as a legal representative under customer ahtorities (law request).
- Support customs compliance area within internal and external audits related to customs and foreign trade, ensuring corrective actions are implemented.
- Drive cost-efficient customs operations by optimizing duties, taxes, brokerage fees, and logistics cost, within trade management and all areas involved.
- Identify and implement opportunities for duty optimization, special customs regimes, and trade facilitation programs.
- Control and validate customs-related invoices, penalties, and adjustments.
- Broker & Vendor Management
- Select, manage, and evaluate customs brokers, freight forwarders, and other third-party service providers, within logistics and purchasing teams.
- Ensure external partners comply with company policies, legal requirements, and performance standards.
- Lead contract negotiations and performance reviews with customs-related vendors, within logistics and purchasing teams.
- Partner with Supply Chain, Logistics, Manufacturing, Planning, and Finance teams to align customs strategy with business needs.
- Support production continuity and customer commitments through proactive customs planning.
- Provide guidance on customs implications for new projects, product launches, and supplier changes.
- Identify, assess, and mitigate customs and foreign trade risks that may impact operations or compliance.
- Ensure proper use of tariff classifications, origin determination, customs valuation, and preferential treatments.
- Lead investigations and resolution of customs discrepancies, fines, or claims.
- Define and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) related to compliance, clearance time, cost, and service levels.
- Provide regular reporting to management on customs performance, risks, and improvement initiatives.
- Support management decision-making through data-driven insights.
- Lead, coach, and develop the customs operations team in Mexico.
- Promote a strong compliance culture and continuous improvement mindset.
- Ensure knowledge sharing and training on customs and foreign trade topics across the organization
Your Profile
- Bachelor’s degree in International Trade, Logistics, Business Administration, Law, or a related field.
- 10+ years of experience in customs operations, foreign trade, or trade compliance.
- Experience interacting with customs authorities and acting as legal representative (preferred).
- Strong knowledge of Mexican customs regulations, IMMEX, Annex 24/30, and foreign trade compliance requirements.
- Strong leadership and team development skills
- Effective communication and stakeholder management
- Negotiation and vendor management capabilities
- Problem-solving and decision-making under pressure
- High attention to detail and accuracy
Be part of our ZF Lifetec team as Head of Customs Operations Mexico and apply now!
Contact
Barbara Campa Fernandez
Barbara.Campa@zf-lifetec.com