On - Lead – Customs APAC - Shanghai

Team for Career Site

Finance

In short

Steer the operations of our customs setup in the world’s most dynamic region. We are seeking a Lead – Regional Customs to steer our APAC Customs Operations, reporting directly to the Global Customs team in HQ (Zurich).
You hold full responsibility for the region, directly managing our critical China operations while simultaneously orchestrating the customs performance for Japan, South Korea, Australia, and Hong Kong. You leverage our established global network of customs brokers, expert consultants and the support of the Global HQ team to ensure seamless flow of goods. This is about driving the performance of our partners to build a robust, compliant, and efficient customs infrastructure that empowers our business to scale.
Steer the operations of our customs setup in the world’s most dynamic region. We are seeking a Lead – Regional Customs to steer our APAC Customs Operations, reporting directly to the Global Customs team in HQ (Zurich).
You hold full responsibility for the region, directly managing our critical China operations while simultaneously orchestrating the customs performance for Japan, South Korea, Australia, and Hong Kong. You leverage our established global network of customs brokers, expert consultants and the support of the Global HQ team to ensure seamless flow of goods. This is about driving the performance of our partners to build a robust, compliant, and efficient customs infrastructure that empowers our business to scale.

Your mission

Your mission is to navigate the complex APAC regulatory landscape, clearly understanding what to prioritize to ensure compliance and speed. You will innovate our customs operations without relying on predefined paths, leveraging our existing global network of brokers and internal stakeholders (including Global HQ) to solve complex cross-border challenges, while remaining curious and open to learning.
You work on various tasks and drive complex end-to-end projects related to our APAC customs ecosystem, identifying underlying issues and root causes to deliver solutions to complex problems.
Key Responsibilities:
A. A. Regional Operations & Vendor Management (APAC)
– Regional Accountability: You are the owner of customs operational efficiency and compliance for the entire APAC region. You ensure that our setups in China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Australia meet On’s high standards.
– Partner Management: You manage the APAC performance of our globally established ecosystem of customs brokers. You execute global vendor strategies at the regional level, ensuring these partners deliver local regulatory expertise as an extension of your team.
– Performance Excellence: You hold external partners accountable through rigorous KPI monitoring (Lead Times, Accuracy, Cost) and Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs), maintaining high standards for output.
– Complex Projects (New Flows): You lead the customs operational setup for new logistics flows or supply chain shifts in APAC as a complex end-to-end project, utilizing global partners and aligning with Global Customs strategies to map out compliant entry strategies
B. APAC Operations
– Operational Oversight & SOP Enforcement: You manage the end-to-end customs clearance process by holding brokers accountable to strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). You are not involved in daily data entry; instead, you manage by exception, intervening only when issues arise to ensure adherence to local regulations.
– Financial Governance: Manage the automated reconciliation of customs duties for APAC entities, including Post-Clearance Audits and duty drawback opportunities.
– Regulatory Liaison & Audit Defense: Act as the primary representative for the company in direct dealings with Chinese Customs Authorities during inquiries or audits, while building the audit strategy with HQ. You do not just defend the company; you use these moments to identify underlying issues and root causes to prevent future risks.
C. Internal Business Partnering
– Subject Matter Expert: Serve as the “Go-To” advisor for the regional Logistics and Commercial teams regarding APAC customs topics. You rely on the support of the Global HQ team, maintaining absolute transparency by sharing project insights and ensuring alignment with global strategies.
– Process Innovation: You drive digitalization and automation initiatives in collaboration with customs excellence, in HQ. You are comfortable delivering solutions to complex problems (such as manual data entry errors) to improve the clearance process.

Your story

– Experience: 8-10 years of progressive experience in Customs, Trade Compliance, or International Logistics.
– Core Expertise: Deep, practical mastery of China Customs regulations (GACC), including valuation, classification, and possibly special trade zones.
– Regional Exposure: Experience in managing operations across the wider APAC region is a plus.
– Language: Fluency in Mandarin Chinese and English is mandatory.
– Critical Thinking: You evaluate ideas consistently, experiment with new approaches, and implement innovative solutions.
– Decision Making: You can gather information, identify key factors influencing a decision, and make informed independent decisions regarding compliance risks within the global framework.
– Mindset: A strategic thinker who can zoom in to fix an SOP exception and zoom out to execute a regional broker strategy.

Meet the team

The Customs Operations Team, operating under the Finance umbrella, is an essential facet of our global logistics and supply chain endeavors. This team ensures the streamlined and compliant movement of goods into our different markets globally, embodying the core of our international operations. As a member, you’ll integrate into a global team of professionals adept at managing the complexities of customs regulations and procedures. Our team thrives on an athlete’s spirit, demonstrating resilience, agility, and a collaborative ethos, with each individual bringing a diverse set of skills and experiences to overcome challenges and foster enhancements in our customs processes.

Being inherently multicultural and strategically stationed across Switzerland, USA and now expanding into China, our team epitomizes global collaboration. We’re dedicated to efficiency, compliance, and innovation, engaging closely with customs brokers, internal stakeholders, and international partners to refine our import operations. Emphasizing professional development and continuous learning, the Customs Operations Team is committed to maintaining leadership in industry standards and best practices. In this expanding global team, your input will be pivotal, directly influencing the growth and success of our worldwide operations, where every contribution is deeply valued.