Customs Management Manager

Job Purpose

The Customs Management Manager is responsible for overseeing and optimizing all import/export customs clearance operations across air freight and sea freight hubs in Malaysia. This role serves as the primary strategic and operational lead for direct government liaison (Royal Malaysian Customs Department, MITI, Port Authorities, MAQIS, SIRIM, etc.), operational performance at major seaports and airports, and regulatory compliance. The objective is to strengthen overall customs capabilities, reduce cycle times, mitigate risks, and optimize customs duties/tax structures.

Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities

1. Strategic & Operational Customs Management

- End-to-End Customs Performance: Oversee overall air and sea customs clearance performance to ensure timely processing, zero demurrage/detention leakage, and minimal border delays.

- Air & Sea Port Operations: Direct and monitor all operational activities at key Malaysian seaports (e.g., Port Klang, Penang Port, Johor Port/PTP) and airports (e.g., KLIA, Penang International Airport).

- Broker & Forwarder Management: Audit and manage performance, KPIs, and compliance standards of external customs brokers, 3PL partners, and freight forwarders.

- Customs Optimization: Streamline customs clearance procedures, implement best practices, and introduce digital/automation solutions to improve overall speed, accuracy, and efficiency.

2. Government Liaison & Stakeholder Relationship Building

- Government Relations: Build and maintain strong, strategic relationships with senior officials at the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (RMCD / JKDM), Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), MAQIS, SIRIM, MIDA, and port authorities.

- Issue Escalation & Resolution: Serve as the principal point of contact for resolving complex customs holds, audits, disputes, valuation challenges, and tariff classification appeals.

- Trade Advisory: Stay abreast of political and regulatory developments impacting Malaysian trade and advise senior management on incoming statutory changes.

3. Compliance, Trade Policy & Duty Optimization

- Regulatory Compliance: Ensure 100% adherence to the Customs Act 1967, Free Zone Act 1990, Strategic Trade Act 2010, Sales Tax/Service Tax (SST) Acts, and international trade agreements.

- Trade Schemes & Incentives: Leverage Free Trade Agreements (FTAs/ATIGA/RCEP), Licensed Manufacturing Warehouse (LMW) schemes, Free Commercial Zone (FCZ) benefits, and Duty Exemption/Drawback schemes to optimize landed costs.

- Hs Code & Valuation Oversight: Oversee accurate Harmonized System (HS) code classification, origin determination, and valuation rules across all product lines.

- Internal Audits & Risk Management: Establish standard operating procedures (SOPs), conduct regular internal customs compliance audits, and maintain audit readiness for official RMCD reviews.

4. Team Leadership & Continuous Improvement

- Capability Building: Train, mentor, and build a high-performing customs operational team to handle daily documentation, system filings (uCustoms / SMK / Dagang Net), and exceptions.

- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Procurement, Warehousing, Transportation, Legal, and Finance teams to ensure smooth cross-border flows and accurate duty tax accruals/payments.

- SLA & KPI Tracking: Establish clear KPIs (e.g., clearance lead times, customs inspection query rates, compliance accuracy, duty savings) and present regular performance reports to leadership.