Customs Clearance Supervisor - São Paulo

Job Summary

The Customs Clearance Supervisor is responsible for overseeing import and export customs clearance activities, ensuring regulatory compliance, operational efficiency and high-quality service delivery.

This position leads the customs brokerage team, provides technical guidance on complex clearance processes and works closely with customers, authorities, carriers and internal freight forwarding teams to ensure timely and compliant cargo release.

Key Responsibilities

• Supervise daily import and export customs clearance activities, ensuring compliance with Brazilian customs regulations and internal procedures.

• Lead, support and develop the customs clearance team, setting priorities and monitoring workload, productivity and service quality.

• Review complex customs processes, documentation, classifications and regulatory requirements.

• Monitor clearance deadlines, cargo release status, pending documentation and operational risks.

• Act as the main escalation point for customs-related issues, delays, inspections and customer requirements.

• Coordinate activities with customers, customs authorities, terminals, airlines, shipping lines, transport providers and other stakeholders.

• Ensure accurate and timely submission of customs declarations and supporting documentation.

• Monitor operational KPIs, service levels, productivity, costs and financial performance.

• Identify process improvements and implement corrective and preventive actions.

• Support internal and external audits, compliance reviews and regulatory inspections.

• Ensure proper maintenance of records, operational controls and customs documentation.

• Work closely with Air Freight, Sea Freight, Sales, Customer Service, Finance and other internal departments.

• Support customer meetings, operational reviews and implementation of new business.

• Ensure compliance with company policies, data protection requirements and ethical standards.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in International Trade, Foreign Trade, Logistics, Business Administration or a related field.

• Solid experience in customs clearance, customs brokerage or freight forwarding operations.

• Previous experience leading or supervising operational teams.

• Strong knowledge of Brazilian customs legislation, import and export procedures and customs documentation.

• Experience with air and ocean freight customs clearance processes.

• Knowledge of customs systems and relevant government platforms.

• Strong analytical, organizational and problem-solving skills.

• Ability to manage priorities, deadlines and operational escalations in a fast-paced environment.

• Strong communication, customer service and stakeholder-management skills.

• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.

• Intermediate or advanced English is desirable.

Key Competencies

• Leadership and team development

• Customs and regulatory expertise

• Operational excellence

• Customer focus

• Decision-making and problem-solving

• Attention to detail

• Results orientation

• Collaboration and communication

• Compliance and risk management