Senior Customs Expert

At Tetra Pak we commit to making food safe and available, everywhere; and we protect what's good – protecting food, protecting people, and protecting the planet. By doing so we touch millions of people's lives every day.

And we need people like you to make it happen.

We empower you to reach your potential with opportunities to make an impact to be proud of – for food, people and the planet.

We are creating a new organization with the aim to put a well-defined and standardized global Customs & Import operating model in place across all relevant dimensions, from compliance, customer service, operational efficiency to leveraging free-trade agreements and customs costs. We are now looking for a professional Senior Customs Expert who will perform execution of continuous improvement for all processes associated with import/export and ensure end-to-end daily activities defined into Customs RACI and compliance with country rules and regulations.

You will work directly with regional and local teams with operational/tactical customs activities (import and export flow) and provide stakeholders with customs and trade solutions.

The location for this position is Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and this is a permanent position.

As Senior Customs Expert, you will:

• Point of contact for local customs authorities.
• Answer queries from customs and providing support to stakeholders engaged in import and export activities.
• Build and maintain relationships with customs authorities, free zone authorities, and service providers.
• Lead and manage the company’s import/export licenses, permits, and special authorizations, customs duty exemption programs, ensuring eligibility, approvals, and renewals are maintained.
• Oversee submission and follow-up of duty exemption requests with governmental entities.
• Identify potential optimization regarding operating costs and opportunities for reducing customs duty spend.
• Ensure the compliance under the Authorized Economic Operator authorization, Inward processing and Outward processing regimes.
• Strong stakeholder management with government authorities, advocacy consultants and customs brokers.
• Execution of continuous improvement for all processes.
• Continuously monitor relevant Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) with partners.
• Streamline customs operations processes where possible.
• Proactively avoid or mitigate any potential business continuity or economic risk related to Tetra Pak operational structure and its customs transactions.
• Ensure the correct Tariff classification of goods imported and exported.
• Ensure Import & Export Control compliance operations, including HS classification, valuation, and licensing requirements.
• Develop, implement, and update policies and procedures related to duty exemption and trade compliance.
• Implement and enforce internal controls for import/export processes.
• Proactively avoid or mitigate any potential regulatory risks, business continuity or economic risk related to Tetra Pak operational structure and its customs transactions, by leading self-assessments and audits, quantifying potential risks and implementing corrective actions.
• Lead any external government audits (e.g. AEO).
• Investigate and report suspected violations of customs or trade regulations, ensuring corrective actions.
• Provide training and awareness sessions to employees on customs regulations, customs duties exemption and import/export controls.
• Budgeting and tracking spends related to customs (Import Duties, Customs Brokerage, Penalties and etc.) in assigned geography.
• Track regulatory changes and evaluate impact on Tetra Pak operations.
• Assisting Regional Customs Manager the development and management of comprehensive internal export and import controls to ensure compliance with customs regulations of the country.

• A Master's Degree in Finance or CA/CPA/ACCA or equivalent.
• 6 plus years of experience in indirect Tax, Trade compliance, audit or risk management with at least 2 years in a lead role.
• Professional certifications in trade compliance are a strong plus.
• Candidates having experience with big 5 will be preferred.
• Advanced knowledge of import/export control, including HS…