Customs Manager – AME Region

About the role

The Customs Manager will lead customs and trade‑compliance activities across the Africa and Middle East (AME) region for Guardian Industries. You will ensure import and export operations are compliant, efficient and cost‑effective while minimizing customs risks, delays and penalties.

Key responsibilities

• Ensure compliance with all applicable customs, import, export and international trade regulations across the AME region.
• Lead, coach and allocate work for the customs team, managing performance and professional development.
• Oversee customs clearance, act as escalation point for delays, inspections and complex customs matters.
• Validate customs declarations, tariff classifications, valuation, country of origin and supporting documentation.
• Monitor regulatory changes and translate them into practical procedures and controls.
• Develop and maintain regional customs policies, SOPs and compliance controls.
• Manage relationships with customs brokers, freight forwarders, consultants and customs authorities, monitoring service‑provider performance.
• Identify opportunities to optimise duties and costs through FTAs, duty exemptions, bonded warehousing and other regimes.
• Support customs audits, inspections and investigations, ensuring timely corrective actions.
• Provide customs advice for new products, suppliers, routes and contracts, and deliver training to logistics and supply‑chain teams.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in International Trade, Logistics, Supply Chain, Business Administration, Finance or a related field.
• Minimum five years of experience in customs, international trade or trade compliance, including senior or regional coordination roles.
• Strong knowledge of tariff classification, customs valuation, rules of origin and free‑trade agreements.
• Proven experience working with customs authorities, brokers and freight forwarders.
• Excellent analytical, problem‑solving, negotiation and stakeholder‑management skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural, matrix organization.
• Fluent written and spoken English; Arabic is a plus.

Required skills

• Rules of origin
• Customs documentation
• Export operations
• Customs compliance tools
• Free trade agreements
• SAP ERP systems
• Tariff classification
• International trade
• Customs valuation
• Customs compliance