Senior Manager Customs & Trade EUROPE

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At Barry Callebaut, we are on a journey to transform the cocoa and chocolate industry. As the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, our actions truly shape the future of our industry. We are a business-to-business company, serving the entire food sector, from the cocoa bean to the finest chocolate product. We are a company with a purpose, we believe in doing well by doing good and reinvesting in the communities we operate.

We have a long-standing commitment to sustainability and our goal is to shape a sustainable cocoa and chocolate future. We are headquartered in Zurich, and have more than 12,000 passionate Employees working in more than 40 countries worldwide. We are very proud of who we are and what we do. And of course, we are always looking for talented people to help us have a positive impact on our industry and beyond!

Based in Wieze, Belgium, the trilingual Senior Manager Customs & Trade Europe leads and integrates all customs and trade activities across Europe. This strategic role ensures regulatory compliance, drives operational excellence, and identifies opportunities for cost optimization and trade efficiency. The role partners with senior leadership to shape the customs and trade agenda and ensures alignment with Barry Callebaut’s global strategy.

All production plants and supply chain facilities in Europe are in scope.

• Development and execution of the the ONE Europe Customs & Trade model
• To Define and implement best-in-class processes, standards, and systems on customs brokerage and trade to secure compliance, mitigate risks, and enable business continuity.
• To Lead strategic initiatives to drive duty savings, FTA optimization, and supply chain efficiency, in close partnership with sourcing, logistics, and finance.
• To as the primary liaison with customs authorities, trade regulators, and industry bodies; represent Barry Callebaut’s interests at a senior level.
• To Foster a culture of compliance, awareness, and continuous improvement; ensure governance through internal controls, audits, and risk assessments.
• To Translate global initiatives on classification, valuation, origin, and standards into Europe; drive deployment in collaboration with peers and Centers of Excellence.
• To Champion the use of technology to enhance customs and trade compliance and operational performance.

• You bring +10 years of work experience in coordinating and managing customs operations within EUROPE
• You are bilingual Dutch and French, with excellent knowledge of English
• You have In-depth knowledge within a multinational environment of import/export operations, EU and international customs regulations & trade laws, and trade compliance concepts with a good understanding of core trade principles such as product valuation, tariff classification
• You are proficient in analyzing trade data, identifying compliance gaps, and implementing corrective actions to ensure adherence to regulations.
• You have the ability to identify potential risks related to customs and trade activities, develop mitigation strategies, and implement business continuity plans.
• Capability to develop and execute customs and trade compliance strategies aligned with business goals and regulatory requirements.
• Experience in identifying opportunities to optimize trade operations, reduce costs, and improve efficiency through collaboration with procurement, logistics, and other departments.
• You bring experience in leveraging technology to enhance customs and trade compliance processes, including managing customs compliance software and systems, and leading initiatives for process automation and efficiency improvement.
• You have detailed understanding of supply chain logistics including ocean, air & truck, as well as knowledge and experience with production, warehousing, and distribution.
• Experience with performance management (internal processes and processes of partners)

• is a bachelor degree or higher, pref erably related to Customs & Trade (Business Administration, Law, Supply Chain, …)
• International Trade and Import/Export:
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