Country Manager Customs Operations Germany

Maersk; Bremerhaven; On-site; EUR 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Maersk in Germany seeks an experienced Country Manager Customs Operations to lead our Customs Delivery organization across Germany. You will drive operational excellence, ensure compliant, safe and efficient customs clearances, and deliver high service levels and customer satisfaction.

You will provide leadership to Team Leaders and frontline associates, fostering accountability and continuous improvement. As a key member of the leadership team you will support transformational initiatives, such

Qualifications

• Proven experience in customs operations or leading complex customer service and operational environments.
• A successful track record of managing multi-site teams and driving high performance across locations.
• Strong commercial acumen, including P&L accountability, cost management, and consistent delivery against KPIs.

Responsibilities

• Lead day‑to‑day customs operations in Germany, ensuring the seamless execution of customs clearance activities.
• Drive safe, compliant, and efficient customs processes while maintaining the highest operational standards.
• Deliver exceptional service performance by meeting and exceeding turnaround time, quality, and accuracy targets.
• Ensure full compliance with customs regulations, documentation requirements, and record retention standards.
• Oversee audits, identify non‑conformities, and implement timely corrective and preventive actions.
• Lead, coach, and develop Team Leaders and frontline associates, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Build and sustain a high‑performance culture through clear objectives, robust performance management, and employee engagement.
• Support the implementation of global technology platforms, digital tools, and standardized operating models.
• Drive the adoption of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance compliance, productivity, and customer service.
• Partner closely with Area and Global stakeholders to deliver transformation programs, process standardization, and capability‑building initiatives.
• Own cost‑to‑serve performance, ensuring effective cost management while maintaining service excellence.
• Monitor market developments, regulatory changes, and customer needs, proactively adapting operational strategies to support business growth and competitiveness.

Job description

At Maersk, we have big plans for logistics and services. Our ambition is nothing less than to become the global leader in integrated logistics, offering a truly end-to end service that makes trade simpler and easier than ever.

We are entrepreneurs at heart, we embrace every change as an opportunity. The diverse perspectives and contributions of our people are a unique advantage as we cross each new frontier.

Every day we challenge ourselves to do better, and we encourage each other to do the same.

We are looking for an experienced Country Manager Customs Operations to lead our Customs Delivery organization across Germany, one of our most strategic and critical customs markets.

In this role, you will be responsible for driving operational excellence across a multi-site organization, ensuring safe, compliant, and efficient customs clearances while consistently delivering high service levels and customer satisfaction. You will provide strong leadership to Team Leaders and frontline associates, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

As a key member of the leadership team, you will play a pivotal role in our transformation journey. This includes supporting the implementation of major strategic initiatives such as global technology platform rollouts, process optimization projects, continuous improvement programs, and employee engagement initiatives. You will help shape and embed new ways of working that enhance operational performance, compliance, and customer experience.

The position carries full P&L accountability for Customs Delivery in Germany and requires a confident, commercially minded leader who thrives in a complex, fast-paced operational environment. You will balance strategic thinking with hands‑on leadership, ensuring that business objectives, operational excellence, and people development remain at the foreground of everything you do.

What We Offer

We offer you an exciting global career at the forefront of world trade. And thanks to our global scale, you will be well‑positioned to explore opportunities at Maersk around the world. The many other highlights include the most modern talent development initiatives and competitive benefits. We are proud of our people who define our company’s industry leadership, global team culture and customer‑centric focus every day.

At Maersk, you’ll be part of a global team motivated by bringing the world closer. We do this through close partnerships with our valued customers, who trade everything from seafood and fruits, to clothes, electronics and cars! No matter where the role is, our end goal is to simplify the lives of our customers. This is done through seamless processes, best in class digital solutions, and great customer service!

Key Responsibilities

• Lead day‑to‑day customs operations in Germany, ensuring the seamless execution of customs clearance activities.
• Drive safe, compliant, and efficient customs processes while maintaining the highest operational standards.
• Deliver exceptional service performance by meeting and exceeding turnaround time, quality, and accuracy targets.
• Ensure full compliance with customs regulations, documentation requirements, and record retention standards.
• Oversee audits, identify non‑conformities, and implement timely corrective and preventive actions.
• Lead, coach, and develop Team Leaders and frontline associates, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Build and sustain a high‑performance culture through clear objectives, robust performance management, and employee engagement.
• Support the implementation of global technology platforms, digital tools, and standardized operating models.
• Drive the adoption of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance compliance, productivity, and customer service.
• Partner closely with Area and Global stakeholders to deliver transformation programs, process standardization, and capability‑building initiatives.
• Own cost‑to‑serve performance, ensuring effective cost management while maintaining service excellence.
• Monitor market developments, regulatory changes, and customer needs, proactively adapting operational strategies to support business growth and competitiveness.

Who We Are looking For

• Proven experience in customs operations or leading complex customer service and operational environments.
• A successful track record of managing multi‑site teams and driving high performance across locations.
• Strong commercial acumen, including P&L accountability, cost management, and consistent delivery against key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with authorities, customers, and logistics partners.
• Experience leading transformation initiatives and successfully embedding new ways of working across teams.