Licensed Customs Broker at TPI Staffing, Inc Houston, TX

The Licensed Customs Broker role at TPI Staffing, Inc. is a direct hire position based in Houston, TX. This opportunity offers a competitive salary range of $90,000 to $135,000 annually, depending on experience, with standard office hours from Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and flexibility for overtime as needed.

The core purpose of this role is to manage and oversee the customs clearance operations and lead a dedicated customs brokerage team. The Licensed Customs Broker will be responsible for strategically guiding the team through customs compliance, optimizing clearance procedures, and fostering professional relationships with customs authorities and key clients. This leadership position is crucial for ensuring regulatory compliance, enhancing service delivery, and contributing to the company's operational excellence and business expansion.

In this role, the Licensed Customs Broker will supervise and mentor team members, including supervisors, coordinators, and entry writers, ensuring they are well-trained on current customs regulations and procedures. Managing resources effectively to meet service level agreements, conducting regular performance reviews, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement and ethical compliance are key responsibilities.

Compliance management is a pivotal aspect of this position. The broker will develop and maintain thorough customs compliance procedures, regularly audit operations to ensure regulation adherence, stay updated on changes in customs laws, and implement risk management strategies to mitigate compliance risks. Handling complex clearance issues and working with legal counsel on challenging compliance matters will also be part of the role.

Operational oversight includes reviewing and approving complex customs declarations, ensuring the correct classification and valuation of goods, managing special customs regimes and duty exemptions, and coordinating critical shipments with the operations team. The broker will also be tasked with developing standard operating procedures to improve customs operations efficiency and accuracy.

Another vital area of responsibility is building and maintaining strong professional relationships with customs officials, representing the company in meetings with authorities, developing client relationships to understand and meet specific needs, and participating in industry forums and associations. Negotiating favorable customs terms and resolving escalated stakeholder issues effectively are also essential duties.

Performance analysis and continuous improvement initiatives will form part of this role, with the broker setting and monitoring KPIs related to customs operations, analyzing clearance times and compliance metrics, identifying improvement opportunities, preparing management reports, benchmarking performance, and leading cost optimization efforts.

To excel in this position, candidates must hold a US CBP Issued Customs Broker License and have a bachelor's degree in supply chain management, logistics, international business, or a related field. Advanced knowledge of customs clearance requirements, international trade laws, tariff classification, valuation, rules of origin, and trade agreements is required. Fluency in English is necessary, with additional languages considered beneficial. A minimum of 10 years of experience in customs clearance within the oil and gas industry, specifically with exposure to foreign-trade zones and project cargo clearance, is mandatory for this role.Show Less