Senior Customs Compliance Manager (Ho Chi Minh City)

Job Purpose
• Lead the in-house customs compliance function, ensuring regulatory oversight, declaration accuracy, and premium advisory services for multinational clients
• Conduct daily regulatory monitoring, impact assessment, and legal advisory across customs, trade, and tax legislation
• Develop and maintain SOPs for declaration processes, HS classification, FTA/C/O utilization, customs valuation, and document management
• Develop pre-filing review frameworks to verify declaration accuracy and establish quality control workflows
• Conduct periodic internal audits and prepare for post-clearance inspections (hậu kiểm) under the 5-year audit window
• Design customs solutions for complex client scenarios (EPE, bonded warehouse, dual-use, dangerous goods, cross-border)
• Deliver training workshops and knowledge-sharing sessions for internal teams and client stakeholders
• Collaborate with IT on process automation and customs legal intelligence tool deployment
• This is a hands-on leadership role: directly perform compliance activities while overseeing the Compliance Team
Reports to: Head of Customs
Main Accountabilities
• Lead daily scanning and analysis of regulatory changes across customs, trade, and tax legislation at national and sub-departmental levels
• Assess operational impact of new and amended regulations on DGF's customs operations, client accounts, and declaration processes
• Provide timely, accurate legal advisory to MNC clients on regulatory changes, compliance obligations, and risk mitigation strategies
• Track enforcement trends and customs audit patterns across sub-departments to anticipate compliance risks
• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve SOPs for declaration processes, HS classification, FTA/C/O utilization, customs valuation, commodity regulations, and document management
• Design and implement compliance checklists, pre-filing verification protocols, and quality control workflows
• Develop pre-filing review frameworks to verify declaration accuracy: HS codes, customs valuation, commodity policy compliance, license/permit requirements, and FTA eligibility
• Establish and enforce a 2-layer verification process for all declarations
• Conduct periodic internal audits of declaration accuracy and document filing, identifying patterns, root causes, and corrective actions
• Manage responses to customs queries, inspections, and post-clearance audit requests in coordination with relevant teams
• Design customs solutions for complex client scenarios across multiple sectors
• Support business development with compliance advisory for prospective clients, regulatory impact assessments, and solution proposals
• Deliver training workshops and knowledge-sharing sessions for internal teams and client stakeholders on regulatory updates and compliance best practices
• Coordinate with the Declaration Manager to embed compliance checkpoints into the operational workflow
• Collaborate with IT on process automation initiatives and deployment of the customs legal intelligence tool
• Report to Head of Customs on compliance status, regulatory risks, and strategic recommendations
Process
• Develop and maintain regulatory monitoring workflows and compliance checklists
• Design and enforce pre-filing verification and 2-layer checking processes
• Establish audit-readiness documentation standards for 5-year post-clearance retention
• Develop client advisory frameworks and templates for regulatory change notifications
• Coordinate cross-functional compliance processes between Declaration Team, Operations, and IT
People Management
• Oversee and mentor the Compliance Team, ensuring consistent quality and professional development
• Identify training needs and develop structured learning programs for compliance and declaration staff
• Build a culture of compliance excellence, regulatory curiosity, and continuous improvement
• Coordinate with Declaration Manager on team cross-training and knowledge sharing