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Global Customs Operations Specialist

What Makes Stephen Gould Exceptional.

Founded through a passion for entrepreneurship, our success is due to the ingenuity and tenacity of our extraordinary teams, bringing people and ideas together. With Stephen Gould, everything is within reach including an exciting career opportunity. We want you to join our team and build on our incredible 80-years of excellence. Stephen Gould looks for people that want to design and develop exciting solutions for a variety of engaged and passionate clients across the globe. With headquarters in Whippany, New Jersey, 40 locations throughout the U.S and operations in six countries outside the U.S, we have grown tremendously while staying true to our 5 Principles: Stephen Gould - 5 Principals

Values and behaviors we look for:

What will I do?

The Global Customs Operations Specialist is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day execution of Stephen Gould's global customs operations, including customs documentation validation, import audit activities, duty processing, broker coordination, customs financial reconciliation, operational reporting, and process standardization. This role ensures customs transactions are accurately documented, reviewed, reconciled, and maintained in accordance with company procedures while supporting compliance with applicable U.S. Customs and international trade requirements.

Reporting into Order Operations, this position partners closely with the Senior Manager, Risk & Insurance Management to support customs compliance initiatives, audit programs, and regulatory requirements. While corporate customs policy, compliance governance, Power of Attorney authority, regulatory interpretation, and primary government agency relationships remain under the ownership of the legal department, this role is responsible for the operational execution, process standardization, performance measurement, and continuous improvement of customs activities across the organization.

Key Responsibilities:

Customs Audit & Documentation Management

• Perform real-time audits and reviews of customs entry summary packets utilizing established Customs Documentation Validation procedures.
• Review entry summaries, commercial invoices, packing lists, bills of lading, and supporting import documentation for completeness, accuracy, and compliance.
• Identify discrepancies related to valuation, classification, quantities, country of origin, and supporting documentation.
• Coordinate corrections and resubmissions with customs brokers, suppliers, and sales offices when discrepancies are identified.
• Obtain missing commercial invoices, entry packets, and supporting customs documentation required for audit completion.
• Maintain customs documentation and audit records in accordance with company standards and regulatory record retention requirements.
• Conduct internal reviews of historical customs submissions to identify discrepancies, trends, root causes, and corrective actions.
• Provide guidance to sales offices, suppliers, and internal stakeholders regarding customs documentation requirements, import processes, and operational best practices.

Customs Operations & Broker Management

• Coordinate with customs brokers to ensure timely receipt of complete and accurate entry summary packets.
• Establish and monitor broker performance metrics and scorecards to evaluate service quality, responsiveness, documentation accuracy, compliance support, and overall performance.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with customs brokers, freight providers, and internal stakeholders to support efficient customs operations.
• Identify opportunities to improve customs processes, strengthen operational controls, and reduce processing inefficiencies.
• Partner with sales offices, suppliers, and cross-functional teams to proactively resolve documentation issues impacting customs clearance and financial reporting.
• Monitor tariff changes, duty impacts, and operational implications, partnering with the Senior Manager, Risk & Insurance Management to implement required operational process changes.

Financial Oversight & Reconciliation

• Enter duty fee invoices into the ERP system and allocate costs to the appropriate containers, PG orders, customer accounts, or designated cost centers.
• Reconcile monthly U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) auto-debit payments against customs entry fee invoices.
• Review customs refunds, duty recoveries, credits, and adjustments to ensure proper routing, reconciliation, and financial application.
• Collaborate with Accounts Payable, Finance, and Sales Offices to ensure timely allocation, recovery, and reporting of customs-related costs.
• Own reporting and analysis of customs duties, tariffs, import expenses, recoveries, and related financial metrics.
• Identify discrepancies or trends impacting customs costs and recommend corrective actions.

Systems, Reporting & Data Management

• Maintain accurate customs-related records within Epicor and other business systems.
• Link containers, purchase orders, and customs entry records to improve reporting capabilities, audit traceability, and financial visibility.
• Pull and review ACE reports quarterly to validate audit completion, identify compliance risks, and support continuous improvement initiatives.
• Develop, maintain, and enhance operational dashboards and reporting metrics to monitor customs activity, audit completion, documentation accuracy, broker performance, duty recovery, reconciliation status, and operational trends.
• Develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) related to customs documentation accuracy, audit completion rates, broker performance, customs processing timelines, and financial reconciliation.
• Standardize customs data management practices and reporting processes across the organization.

Compliance Support & Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner with the manager and Legal regarding calculation errors, classification concerns, IEEPA-related submissions, audit findings, and operational customs issues.
• Support customs compliance initiatives, regulatory reviews, and audit programs directed by the Senior Manager, Risk & Insurance Management.
• Coordinate documentation requests associated with customs inquiries, internal audits, and regulatory reviews.
• Escalate significant compliance concerns, audit findings, operational risks, and regulatory issues to appropriate leadership.
• Drive implementation of customs process improvements, documentation standards, and operational controls to strengthen compliance support and operational effectiveness.
• Serve as the primary operational customs resource for branch teams, providing guidance, support, and issue resolution on day-to-day customs activities.

Leadership & Continuous Improvement

• Manage customs workflow activities to ensure timely completion of audits, reconciliations, documentation reviews, and operational deliverables.
• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs), training materials, work instructions, and process documentation for customs operations.
• Standardize systems, processes, and data management practices across the organization while leveraging regional and operational best practices.
• Build and continuously evolve a scalable global customs operations function capable of supporting future business growth, changing regulatory requirements, and expanding international trade activity.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives that enhance operational efficiency, financial accuracy, visibility, process consistency, and compliance support.
• Foster strong cross-functional partnerships that promote accountability, operational excellence, and a culture of continuous improvement.

Role Requirements

THIS POSITION DESCRIPTION IN NO WAY STATES OR IMPLIES THAT THESE ARE THE ONLY DUTIES TO BE PERFORMED BY THE EMPLOYEE(S) INCUMBENT IN THIS POSITION. EMPLOYEES WILL BE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW ANY JOB-RELATED INSTRUCTIONS AND TO PERFORM ANY OTHER JOB-RELATED DUTIES REQUESTED BY ANY PERSON AUTHORIZED TO GIVE INSTRUCTIONS OR ASSIGNMENTS.

Stephen Gould is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other status protected by law.