Customs Clearance - Team Leader

offer with the employer.
Gender: Any
Candidate Nationality: Any
Job Type: Full-time

Role Context

The Customs Clearance - Team Leader will oversee the daily customs clearance function for air import and export shipments, ensuring documentation is complete, compliant, and processed within required timelines. The role has direct impact on shipment flow, customer service levels, billing accuracy, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency. By guiding the clearance team, resolving documentation issues, protecting original records, and coordinating with finance and logistics stakeholders, this position helps reduce delays, avoid compliance risks, and maintain reliable movement of goods for Al-Futtaim Automotive operations in Dubai.

Key Responsibilities

* Lead customs clearance activities for air freight import and export shipments, ensuring timely and compliant processing of all customs and regulatory documents.
* Supervise the customs clearance team, assign daily priorities, monitor workflows, and ensure documentation accuracy across all active shipments.
* Review and manage Bill of Entry processing, customs submissions, MOFAIC documentation, EDI entries, and Dubai Trade transactions.
* Ensure customs procedures follow UAE government regulations, internal compliance standards, and service-level expectations.
* Resolve operational issues related to customs holds, missing documents, incorrect declarations, shipment priorities, and regulatory queries.
* Safeguard original shipping and customs documents, maintaining proper filing, tracking, and control of sensitive records.
* Manage claims, refund submissions, and supporting documentation where required.
* Coordinate with billing, cost booking, finance, logistics, and operations teams to support accurate financial records and shipment accountability.
* Maintain trackers for clearance status, documentation flow, cost records, claims, refunds, pending approvals, and service performance.
* Support process improvements that increase clearance speed, reduce errors, and strengthen compliance across the function.
* Communicate with internal stakeholders, service providers, and government-related platforms to ensure shipment requirements are handled effectively.
* Promote team discipline, service excellence, and proactive issue resolution during high-priority shipment movements.
* Prepare operational reports and updates for management, highlighting risks, delays, documentation gaps, and corrective actions.
* Ensure team members follow proper customs documentation procedures and maintain a clear understanding of clearance priorities.

Ideal Profile

* Bachelor’s degree is required.
* 4-7 years of experience in customs clearance, freight forwarding, air import and export operations, logistics documentation, or trade compliance.
* Minimum 1-2 years of supervisory or team leadership experience in a customs clearance environment.
* Strong working knowledge of air freight customs processes, Bill of Entry preparation, import and export documentation, and regulatory submissions.
* Hands-on experience with Dubai Trade, EDI, and Cargowise is required.
* Familiarity with MOFAIC documentation and UAE customs procedures is highly valuable.
* Certification or training in customs clearance, freight forwarding, logistics, or trade compliance is preferred.
* Strong leadership skills with the ability to manage team workload, resolve issues, and maintain service standards under pressure.
* Good understanding of documentation control, claims handling, refund processes, billing coordination, and cost booking support.
* Proficient in MS Office, especially Excel and reporting tools used for trackers, operational records, and documentation monitoring.
* Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for working with internal teams, service providers, and regulatory platforms.
* Detail-oriented approach with strong accountability, compliance awareness, and problem-solving ability.
* Able to work in a fast-moving logistics environment where shipment priorities and documentation deadlines change quickly.

Skills Set

* Customs clearance
* Air freight import
* Air freight export
* Bill of Entry processing
* BOE documentation
* MOFAIC documentation
* Dubai Trade
* EDI submissions
* Cargowise
* Freight forwarding
* Logistics documentation
* Trade compliance
* UAE customs regulations
* Import and export operations
* Regulatory documentation
* Shipment tracking
* Claims processing
* Refund submissions
* Original document control
* Billing coordination
* Cost booking
* Operational trackers
* MS Office
* Excel reporting
* Team leadership
* Workflow management
* Service standards
* Issue resolution

Why Join Us

This position offers a strong opportunity for a customs clearance professional to lead a critical operational function within Al-Futtaim Automotive’s regional mobility and logistics ecosystem. The role provides exposure to air freight movements, customs compliance, documentation control, billing coordination, and cross-functional business priorities in Dubai. It is well suited for a detail-focused team leader who wants to build deeper expertise in customs operations while contributing to reliable shipment movement, stronger process control, and service excellence within a respected regional organization.

About the Company

Al-Futtaim is a diversified regional group headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with major operations across automotive, financial services, real estate, retail, and healthcare. Al-Futtaim Automotive represents leading global mobility brands across the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, covering distribution, manufacturing, leasing, aftersales, commercial vehicles, electric mobility, and customer-focused automotive solutions. The business continues to grow through operational excellence, trusted partnerships, and a strong commitment to quality, innovation, and talent development.