Customs Regulatory Specialist

Advisor: Involves providing unique, high impact, technical or expert advice to directors or officers within a region or internationally. Advisors can report to a Manager, MD, VP or SVP as required

Customs Regulatory Specialist (SSA)

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa

Are you a technical authority in trade compliance who thrives on navigating the complexities of the African regulatory landscape?

We are looking for a Customs Regulatory Specialist to lead our compliance frameworks and service assurance processes across the Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) region. In this role, you will be the primary guardian of our "License to Operate," bridging the gap between ground level clearing and executive level risk transparency. You will leverage a deep understanding of SARS and international trade law, combined with AI driven analytics, to ensure our operations are not just compliant, but optimized for global excellence.

What You Will Do

• Strategic Compliance & Optimization: Identify and rectify inefficiencies in cross border workflows across the SSA region, ensuring duty payments are accurate and lead times are minimized.
• Bottom to Top Auditing: Execute rigorous internal audits of customs declarations (SAD 500), examining every layer from HS Code classification to final acquittal and archiving.
• Risk Architecture: Act as a technical consultant to local clearing teams, identifying operational vulnerabilities and designing proactive strategies to mitigate risk before it impacts the business.
• AI Enabled Reporting: Utilize AI tools and advanced Excel/SQL to automate compliance reporting and identify financial trends or tariff saving opportunities (e.g., AfCFTA, SADC).
• Regulatory Leadership: Align regional processes with ISO standards and local requirements (SARS, ITAC, NRCS), fostering a culture of uncompromising transparency and accountability.
• Executive Insight: Translate complex legislative changes and audit findings into actionable data for leadership, ensuring the company remains agile in a volatile regulatory environment.

What You Will Bring

We need a specialist with the technical depth of a customs auditor and the mindset of an operational excellence leader.

• Regional Mastery: Proven experience operating within the SSA landscape, with a sophisticated understanding of local regulatory environments and "Single Window" systems.
• Audit & Compliance DNA: Extensive experience in customs auditing, internal controls, and trade risk management.
• Financial Acumen: Strong ability to analyze the financial impact of duties, taxes, and penalties, using trend analysis to drive cost saving solutions.
• Digital Savviness: Advanced skills in Excel and SQL; proven ability to leverage AI to automate repetitive compliance checks and data extraction.
• Process Mapping Expertise: The ability to evaluate complex end to end customs processes, identifying "bottlenecks" and root causes of border delays.
• Education: A Bachelor's degree in International Trade, Logistics, or Law. SARS Level 1 or 2 accreditation is highly preferred.

Technical Skillset & Attributes

Tariff Engineering: Mastery of the WCO Harmonized System (HS) and Rules of Origin for SSA trade blocs.

Data Governance: Using analytics to identify declaration inaccuracies and rectify them in real time.

Root Cause Analysis: Moving beyond identifying symptoms to solving underlying process failures in clearing.

Diplomacy & Influence: Fostering transparency and gaining buy in from local teams through high level soft skills.

Why Join Us?

• Driving Innovation: We don't just monitor freight; we move the industry forward through advanced "resilience" strategies and digital compliance.
• Impactful Leadership: Your work directly contributes to the sustainability and financial success of our operations across the entire SSA region.
• Global Standards: Use our world class frameworks to empower local teams and maintain high standard compliance on a global stage.

Ready to elevate our regional trade resilience? Apply now to join our SSA team!

Clearance Compliance; Customs Regulatory - Divisional

FedEx was built on a philosophy that puts people first, one we take seriously. We are an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and we are committed to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce in which we enforce fair treatment, and provide growth opportunities for everyone.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment regardless of age, race, color, national origin, genetics, religion, gender, marital status, pregnancy (including childbirth or a related medical condition), physical or mental disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances.

FedEx is one of the world's largest express transportation companies and has consistently been selected as one of the top 10 World's Most Admired Companies by "Fortune" magazine. Every day FedEx delivers for its customers with transportation and business solutions, serving more than 220 countries and territories around the globe. We can serve this global network due to our outstanding team of FedEx team members, who are tasked with making every FedEx experience outstanding.

The People-Service-Profit philosophy (P S P) describes the principles that govern every FedEx decision, policy, or activity. FedEx takes care of our people; they, in turn, deliver the impeccable service demanded by our customers, who reward us with the profitability necessary to secure our future. The essential element in making the People-Service-Profit philosophy such a positive force for the company is where we close the circle, and return these profits back into the business, and invest back in our people. Our success in the industry is attributed to our people. Through our P S P philosophy, we have a work environment that encourages team members to be innovative in delivering the highest possible quality of service to our customers. We care for their well-being, and value their contributions to the company.

Our culture is important for many reasons, and we intentionally bring it to life through our behaviors, actions, and activities in every part of the world. The FedEx culture and values have been a cornerstone of our success and growth since we began in the early 1970's. While other companies can copy our systems, infrastructure, and processes, our culture makes us unique and is often a differentiating factor as we compete and grow in today's global marketplace.