Licensed Customs Brokerage Import Manager

Customs Brokerage Import Manager

Licensed Required

Department: Customs Brokerage Level: Manager/Supervisor

Salary Range: $85,000–$125,000

Position Summary

The Import Manager directs and manages the activities of the import department within a branch, ensuring all import activities—both transportation and customs brokerage—are in compliance with regulatory requirements.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Establish, oversee, and continuously improve import process flows in conformance with applicable rules, procedures, and company policy.
• Develop internal SOPs and maintain KPIs for efficient management of inbound freight, including timely recovery and handover to brokers.
• Collaborate with sales to create customer-specific import handling procedures, especially during new customer onboarding.
• Ensure accurate documentation is created and transmitted to government agencies. Provide timely responses to customs, customer, and internal inquiries regarding classification, duty rates, documentation, and other import regulations.
• Represent customers to CBP as needed.
• Maintain current knowledge of CBP and other agency regulations, incorporating changes into departmental processes and ensuring employees receive proper compliance training.
• Organize, update, and disseminate client data (rate agreements, HTS classification, POA, IRS, Customs Bond data, etc.) for proper system updates.
• Review and enhance account profitability, billing accuracy, and timeliness.
• Arrange transportation, warehousing, or distribution of imported products, balancing transit times and profit opportunities. Negotiate contracts/rates with delivery agents.
• Prepare monthly reports for management.
• Train and onboard new staff.
• Conduct entry audits.
• Support accounts receivable collections when needed.

Customs Brokerage Responsibilities

In certain branches, the Import Manager oversees customs brokerage activities and functions as the broker of record. Responsibilities include:

• Serving as the licensed broker responsible to US Customs.
• Interfacing with government agencies and maintaining positive relationships.
• Maintaining customer bond and power of attorney files.
• Performing post-entry functions such as tariff concessions, refunds, duty drawbacks, credits, and issue resolution.
• Managing the audit program to ensure continual compliance.
• Conducting audits and assessing import compliance on all customs brokerage files.
• Ensuring JSOX compliance.