Head / General Manager – Customs Clearance

• *Head / General Manager – Customs Clearance**

• *Company:** GloboTrans ProLogistix Private Limited
• *Base Location:** Mumbai

• *1\. POSITION DETAILS**

Particulars Details

• *Department**Customs Clearance \& Trade Compliance

• *Reports To** Director

• *Role Mix** 50% Sales \& Business Development / 50% Operations \& Service Excellence

• *Location**Mumbai, with extensive travel to ports, sites and client locations across India

• *Direct Reports**Vertical Operations, Sales and Support Team *(to be finalised as per organisation structure)*

• *2\. ROLE PURPOSE**

Lead and grow the **Customs Clearance vertical as a profit centre** by winning new EXIM clients and delivering best\-in\-class clearance turnaround, regulatory compliance, operational excellence and advisory value across air, sea and land ports.

The role will have a primary focus on **JNPT/Nhava Sheva, Mumbai Air Cargo Complex and pan\-India customs locations**, while driving the overall growth and profitability of the Customs Clearance \& Trade Compliance business.

• *3\. KEY RESPONSIBILITIESA. Business Development \& Sales – 50%P\&L Ownership**

• Own the vertical's **revenue, gross margin and EBITDA targets**.
• Prepare and deliver the annual business plan and quarterly forecasts.
• Monitor business performance against budget and implement corrective actions as required.
• Drive profitable growth while maintaining strong commercial and credit discipline.

• *New Business Development**

• Build, manage and convert a qualified pipeline of new EXIM clients.
• Lead **RFQ/RFP/tender responses**, solution design, pricing and commercial negotiations through to contract closure.
• Develop new business across PSU, MNC, EPC, manufacturing and EXIM customer segments.
• Build relationships with importers, exporters and key supply\-chain decision\-makers.

• *Key Account Retention \& Growth**

• Act as the senior escalation point and relationship owner for key existing clients.
• Drive contract renewals, **Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs)** and year\-on\-year wallet\-share growth.
• Strengthen strategic relationships with key customers and decision\-makers.
• Identify opportunities to improve customer value through customs advisory and compliance solutions.

• *Cross\-Selling**

• Identify and convert cross\-selling opportunities across GloboTrans verticals, including:
• Customs Clearance
• Freight Forwarding
• Warehousing
• CFS
• SEZ/FTWZ
• Transportation
• Project Cargo
• Crane Services
• Develop integrated logistics solutions that combine customs clearance with other GloboTrans services.

• *Market Intelligence**

• Track competitor activity, market pricing trends, EXIM trade flows and regulatory developments.
• Monitor changes in Customs, DGFT, GST and other relevant trade regulations.
• Provide market intelligence and insights to support pricing strategy and service development.

• *Commercial Governance**

• Ensure contracts, credit terms and rate agreements are properly documented, risk\-reviewed and approved as per the delegation of authority.
• Monitor receivables, credit exposure and **Days Sales Outstanding (DSO)** for the vertical.
• Ensure commercial commitments are aligned with operational capabilities and compliance requirements.

• *4\. OPERATIONS \& SERVICE EXCELLENCE – 50%Service Excellence**

• Define, publish and achieve **SLA/KPI standards** for the Customs Clearance vertical.
• Institutionalise daily performance reviews and exception management.
• Monitor clearance turnaround time and shipment status across locations.
• Conduct **Root Cause Analysis (RCA)** and implement **Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA)** for service failures.

• *SOPs \& Process Discipline**

• Develop, implement and periodically review **Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)**, work instructions and client\-specific playbooks.
• Standardise customs clearance processes across locations and operational teams.
• Ensure consistent execution of import and export clearance procedures.
• Establish robust controls for documentation, filing, examination, assessment and post\-clearance activities.

• *Compliance \& Statutory**

* Ensure 100% adherence to applicable

• Customs regulations
• Customs Broker Licensing Regulations
• GST requirements
• DGFT regulations
• Labour laws
• Environmental regulations
• Health \& Safety requirements
• Maintain complete audit\-readiness at all times.
• Ensure timely closure of regulatory observations and audit findings.

• *People Leadership**

• Build, coach and retain a high\-performing customs clearance team.
• Define KRAs and performance objectives for the team.
• Conduct periodic performance reviews and identify training and development requirements.
• Develop succession plans for critical roles.
• Monitor productivity and performance of subcontracted manpower.

• *Cost \& Productivity**

• Drive improvement in **cost per shipment / transaction**.
• Improve operational productivity through automation, process optimisation and resource planning.
• Negotiate with vendors and service providers to improve cost efficiency.
• Minimise unnecessary costs arising from delays, demurrage, detention, penalties and documentation errors.

• *Digitalisation \& MIS**

• Drive adoption and effective utilisation of **ICEGATE, ERP, TMS/WMS and other relevant digital platforms**.
• Ensure accurate and timely operational MIS and dashboards.
• Provide management and clients with regular reports covering clearance status, TAT, exceptions, revenue and compliance.

• *5\. VERTICAL\-SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES \& EXPERTISE**

• *Licensing \& Regulatory Compliance**

• Operate under and safeguard the company's **Customs Broker licence under CBLR 2018**.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable Customs Broker licensing requirements.
• Maintain appropriate discipline and compliance for **F/G/H card holders**.
• Ensure timely maintenance of KYC records, bonds, bank guarantees and other statutory documentation.
• Maintain strong working relationships with Customs authorities and other regulatory bodies.

• *Customs Clearance Operations**

• Oversee end\-to\-end **import and export customs clearance** operations.
• Ensure accurate and timely filing of:
• Bill of Entry (BE)
• Shipping Bill (SB)
• Other applicable customs declarations
• Manage operations through **ICEGATE** and coordinate with relevant customs systems and stakeholders.
• Handle and monitor:
• Faceless assessment
• First\-check examination
• Second\-check examination
• DPD coordination
• DPE coordination
• Examination and assessment queries
• Out\-of\-charge / Let Export Order processes
• Provide support for post\-clearance audits and related customs requirements.

• *Classification \& Valuation**

• Provide authoritative guidance on **HS classification** and customs valuation.
• Manage valuation matters, including **SVB\-related cases** where applicable.
• Advise clients on:
• Exemption notifications
• FTA benefits
• Certificate of Origin (CoO)
• Applicable duty structures
• Minimise classification and valuation disputes.
• Identify opportunities for legitimate duty optimisation and compliance improvement.
• Reduce financial exposure arising from delays, demurrage and detention.

• *Trade Schemes \& Regulatory Advisory**

• Advise and execute transactions under applicable **DGFT and Government trade schemes**, including:
• Advance Authorisation
• EPCG
• Duty Drawback
• RoDTEP
• MOOWR
• Support clients and the company in **AEO certification** and related compliance requirements.
• Provide advisory support on changes in trade policies, notifications and regulatory requirements.

• *Dispute \& Litigation Management**

* Manage and coordinate responses to

• Show Cause Notices (SCNs)
• Customs queries and disputes
• Appeals
• Refund claims
• Assessment disputes
• Coordinate with Customs, **DRI, DGFT, consultants and legal counsel** as required.
• Ensure timely submission of documents, representations and responses.
• Track disputes and claims through closure while protecting the company's and clients' commercial interests.

• *Stakeholder \& Authority Management**

* Maintain professional relationships with

• Customs authorities
• Port authorities
• Airport authorities
• DGFT officials
• DRI
• Shipping lines
• Airlines
• Terminal operators
• CFS/ICD operators
• Clients
• Consultants and legal advisors
• Ensure effective coordination for smooth and timely cargo clearance.

• *6\. KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIs)**

• Average **Customs Clearance TAT** for import and export shipments against defined benchmarks.
• Percentage of shipments cleared without queries or avoidable exceptions.
• Documentation accuracy and first\-time\-right filing percentage.
• Duty savings / advisory value delivered to clients and appropriately documented.
• Zero penalties, major compliance breaches or licence\-risk incidents.
• Revenue and gross margin against budget.
• New business revenue generated **(₹ Cr per annum)**.
• Client retention rate and revenue churn.
• NPS / customer satisfaction scores.
• SLA adherence, including:
• On\-time performance
• Documentation accuracy
• Clearance turnaround time
• DSO and receivables ageing within agreed norms.
• Zero reportable safety incidents.
• Statutory and regulatory compliance score of 100%.
• Team attrition and productivity metrics.
• Reduction in demurrage, detention and avoidable operational costs.
• Successful management and closure of customs disputes, refunds and claims.

• *7\. QUALIFICATIONS \& EXPERIENCE**

• Graduate in any discipline.
• Minimum **10 years of relevant experience** in Customs Clearance / Customs Broking / Trade Compliance.
• Minimum **5 years in a senior leadership role** with independent P\&L and sales responsibility.
• Strong track record of winning, managing and retaining institutional clients across:
• PSU
• MNC
• EPC
• Manufacturing
• EXIM Trade
• Strong knowledge of Indian Customs procedures, regulations and trade compliance.
• Strong understanding of **ICEGATE, CBLR, DGFT schemes, HS classification, valuation and customs processes**.
• Experience in handling customs authorities, regulatory matters and client escalations.
• Strong commercial negotiation, contract management and analytical skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder\-management skills.
• Fluent in **English and Hindi**.
• Willingness to travel extensively across ports, plants and client locations across India.

• *8\. LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES**

• *Entrepreneurial Ownership**

Runs the Customs Clearance vertical as a business, with ownership of revenue, profitability, customer relationships, compliance and operational performance.

• *Consultative Selling \& Solution Design**

Ability to understand customer EXIM and trade\-compliance requirements and develop commercially viable customs and logistics solutions at CXO level.

• *Regulatory \& Compliance Orientation**

Strong understanding of Customs, DGFT and trade\-compliance requirements, with a demonstrated compliance\-first approach.

• *Operational Rigour**

Detail\-oriented, data\-driven and process\-disciplined approach with strong focus on clearance TAT, accuracy and service reliability.

• *Stakeholder Management**

Strong ability to manage relationships with clients, Customs authorities, port/airport authorities, DGFT, DRI, vendors, consultants and internal stakeholders.

• *Integrity \& Compliance**

Demonstrates high integrity, ethical conduct and a zero\-tolerance approach towards regulatory non\-compliance.

• *Team Building \& Collaboration**

Ability to build high\-performing teams, develop talent, drive accountability and foster strong cross\-functional collaboration.

• *9\. CORE SUCCESS MEASURES**

The successful incumbent will be expected to deliver

• **Profitable growth** of the Customs Clearance \& Trade Compliance vertical.
• Strong new\-client acquisition and key\-account retention.
• Improved customs clearance turnaround time across key locations.
• High documentation accuracy and first\-time\-right filing.
• Zero major compliance or licence\-risk incidents.
• Strong customs advisory value and legitimate duty optimisation for clients.
• Effective management of customs disputes, refunds and regulatory matters.
• Improved productivity and cost efficiency across operations.
• Strong receivables and working\-capital management.
• A high\-performing and accountable Customs Clearance team.
• 100% statutory and regulatory compliance.
• Sustainable expansion of the Customs Clearance business across Mumbai and pan\-India locations.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Provident Fund

Application Question(s)

• Do you have a minimum 10 years of relevant experience in Customs Clearance / Customs Broking / Trade Compliance?
• Do you have a minimum 5 years in a senior leadership role with independent P\&L and sales responsibility ?

Work Location: In person