Custom Clearance Team Leader

Overview

Abyat

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About us

Abyat

Abyat

Abyat

Type

Role Purpose

Customs Clearance Operations

• Lead and supervise daily customs clearance activities for import, export, transit, bonded warehouse, and cross-border shipments.
• Ensure shipments are cleared efficiently through seaports, airports, and land borders.

Customs Documentation & Compliance

• Ensure all shipping and customs documents are accurate, complete, and compliant with customs regulations before submission.
• Verify HS code classification and declaration accuracy in coordination with brokers and internal teams.

Shipment Monitoring, Release & Delivery Follow-up

• Monitor inbound and outbound shipments through internal systems from documentation readiness and declaration stage until customs release and final delivery.
• Follow up on shipment declarations, clearance status, and transportation arrangements to ensure timely movement and delivery.
• Ensure continuous tracking and visibility of shipments across ports, borders, and warehouse destinations.

Broker & Authority Coordination

• Coordinate with customs brokers, shipping lines, freight forwarders, transporters, and customs authorities to ensure smooth clearance processes.
• Resolve operational issues and ensure compliance with customs procedures and regulations.

Escalation & Issue Resolution

• Handle escalations related to clearance delays, rejected declarations, penalties, or shipment holds.
• Identify root causes and take corrective actions to avoid recurring issues.

Industrial Exemptions & Customs Processes

• Follow up on industrial exemptions, duty refunds, factory invoices, and other customs-related documentation requirements.

Team Supervision & Work Allocation

• Supervise and manage the customs clearance team by assigning workload, monitoring performance, and ensuring productivity and operational accuracy.
• Provide guidance, training, and operational support to team members.

Stakeholder Coordination

• Proactively communicate shipment status, delays, exceptions, and expected release timelines with Supply Chain and other internal stakeholders.
• Provide regular operational updates to ensure visibility of shipment progress and potential risks.
• Coordinate closely with warehouse, procurement, finance, transportation, and commercial teams to support smooth logistics operations.

Process Improvement & Operational Control

• Identify operational gaps and implement improvements to enhance clearance efficiency, reporting, compliance, and cost control.

Transportation Coordination & Delivery Execution

• Coordinate transportation execution after customs clearance by arranging trucks with approved transporters.
• Follow up on shipment dispatch from port, airport, or bonded facilities to warehouse or final destination.
• Monitor shipment movement and ensure on-time delivery according to operational timelines.
• Coordinate with warehouse and transportation teams to ensure smooth inbound and outbound shipment handling.
• Track transportation status through the system and ensure shipment visibility until final delivery completion.

Operational Performance & KPIs

• Monitor and drive operational performance against key logistics KPIs.
• Ensure reduction of customs penalties, declaration rejections, demurrage, and detention exposure.
• Improve customs clearance cycle time and on-time shipment release.
• Maintain high document accuracy and compliance with customs requirements.
• Track shipment performance and provide operational reporting to management.

Qualifications & Requirements

• 5–8 years of experience in customs clearance, logistics, import/export operations, or supply chain.
• Hands-on experience managing end-to-end customs clearance processes, including documentation, declaration, and shipment follow-up.
• Hands-on experience using Al-NADEEB and Qatari customs portal systems for declaration processing and shipment clearance.
• Experience coordinating with customs brokers and authorities, preferably within Qatar.
• Experience working with high-volume shipment operations in logistics or retail environments.
• Experience with Stock Transfer Orders (STO) and shipment coordination is preferred.
• Practical knowledge of Qatar customs procedures, bonded warehouse operations, and cross-border shipment processes.
• Experience using ERP systems such as SAP (preferred), Oracle, or Microsoft Dynamics.
• Strong knowledge of shipment documentation, HS code classification, and customs compliance requirements.
• Strong understanding of HS code classification and ability to follow up with brokers and internal teams to ensure declaration accuracy.
• Experience managing bonded warehouse and bonded zone entry/exit procedures is a Huge Plus.
• Knowledge of GCC cross-border shipment handling, particularly land-border coordination.
• Experience following up on customs exemptions, duty refunds, and special customs cases.
• Bachelor’s degree in Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, International Trade, or a related field.
• Professional certifications in customs clearance, trade compliance, or logistics are considered an advantage.