Customs Brokerage Expert

American President Lines; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

CEVA Logistics is seeking a Customs Brokerage Expert to support operations, onboarding, and compliance across multiple U.S. sites, including Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and Dallas. The role emphasizes practical guidance, issue resolution, and collaboration with compliance resources and licensed brokers.

You will monitor transaction flows, assist with complex transactions, and help ensure adherence to regulatory requirements while delivering strong customer service and operational efficiency.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required; relevant bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Significant customs brokerage, freight forwarding, international trade, or import compliance experience.
• Experience supporting operational personnel, complex transactions, customer onboarding, and cross‑functional projects.
• U.S. Customs Broker License strongly preferred.
• Advanced knowledge of customs brokerage operations, documentation, valuation, country of origin, tariffs, trade programs, government agency requirements, and Power of Attorney support.
• Strong customer communication, collaboration, prioritization, and follow‑through skills.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office and CargoWise; CargoWise experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide practical customs brokerage guidance and support to team members, supervisors, and customers.
• Onboard new customers and assist with program expansions and readiness.
• Assist with customs documentation, Power of Attorney validation, and compliance considerations.
• Serve as a visible customs help‑desk resource for operations and customers; ensure timely resolution.
• Share knowledge with the team and advise on procedures and reference materials.
• Support cross‑functional projects involving onboarding, regulatory changes, and process improvements.

Skills

Customer communication

Collaboration

Power of Attorney support

CargoWise experience

Microsoft Office

Education

High school diploma or GED

Bachelor’s degree preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office

CargoWise

Job description

Customs Brokerage Expert

CEVA Logistics provides global supply chain solutions to connect people, products, and providers all around the world. Present in 170+ countries and with more than 110,000 employees spread over 1,500 sites, we are proud to be a Top 5 global 3PL.

We believe that our employees are the key to our success. We want to engage and empower our diverse, global team to co-create value with our customers through our solutions in contract logistics and air, ocean, ground, and finished vehicle transport. That is why CEVA Logistics offers a dynamic and exceptional work environment that fosters personal growth, innovation, and continuous improvement.

At CEVA Logistics, weRise inMotion. Your career is always on the move,growingas fast and as far as your ambition takes you. Join a global team ofnearly 200nationalities, shaping the future of global trade, moving essential goods, forging new paths, and pushing boundaries to serve an ever-changing world. The pace is fast, the challenges are real, but the rewards are greater: growth, purpose, and the chance to make a meaningful impact. This is more than a job.It’s a journey on which you rise.

Location:This position may be based in any of the following locations: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas

JOB PURPOSE

The Customs Brokerage Expert supports operational teams, customers, and leadership through customs guidance, customer onboarding, compliance support, and workflow monitoring. The role assists with complex customs transactions, Power of Attorney support, tariff implementation, regulatory requirements, and customer-specific procedures while promoting strong customer service, operational efficiency, and customs compliance.

The Customs Brokerage Expert monitors the flow of transactions, identifies potential risks, assists in resolving operational challenges, and supports the people performing the work through practical guidance and collaboration. The role works with team members, compliance resources, and the Licensed Customs Broker to find appropriate solutions while promoting strong customer service, operational efficiency, and customs compliance.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Operational Guidance and Workflow Support

• Provide practical customs brokerage guidance and operational support to team members, supervisors, and customers.
• Monitor transaction flow and help identify missing information, compliance concerns, workload constraints, and critical milestones.
• Collaborate with team members to find practical, compliant solutions to difficult or unusual transactions.
• Help address operational bottlenecks and coordinate timely escalation when service or compliance may be affected.

Customer Onboarding and Implementation

• Support customs brokerage onboarding for new customers, programs, and expansions of existing business.
• Coordinate collection and review of customer information, import documents, Power of Attorney materials, account profiles, requirements, and operating instructions.
• Support implementation plans, customer‑specific procedures, escalation paths, and readiness checkpoints.
• Collaborate with Operations, Compliance, Customer Success, Technology, Finance, Sales, and other stakeholders.

Customs Documentation and Compliance Support

• Guide teams and customers on customs documentation requirements for entry processing.
• Support validation of Power of Attorney documentation and customer authorization requirements.
• Collaborate with team members, compliance resources, and the Licensed Customs Broker on classification‑related matters. The role will not independently assign classifications.
• Collaborate on valuation, country of origin, tariffs, trade programs, and participating government agency requirements.
• Monitor customs and tariff changes and help communicate clear operating guidance.
• Escalate matters requiring formal compliance interpretation, legal review, or Licensed Customs Broker approval.

Customs Help Desk and Customer Service

• Act as an accessible customs help‑desk resource for operational teams and customers.
• Research complicated questions, organize relevant facts and documents, and collaborate with the appropriate team members to reach a solution.
• Maintain visibility on escalated issues and support timely resolution.
• Provide knowledgeable and professional customer support, clear communication, and consistent follow‑through.

Knowledge Sharing and Director Support

• Share practical customs knowledge with team members during day‑to‑day collaboration.
• Identify knowledge gaps and suggest training needs or topics to the Director for consideration.
• Provide operational input and recommendations to the Director or designated owner regarding procedures and reference materials.
• The role will not write, develop, or lead formal training.

Project and Process Support

• Support cross‑functional projects involving customer onboarding, regulatory change, systems, workflow, or service improvement.
• Maintain assigned project actions, milestones, risks, and stakeholder communications.
• Support implementation of agreed procedures and monitor workflow to help ensure they are followed.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• High school diploma or GED required; relevant bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Significant customs brokerage, freight forwarding, international trade, or import compliance experience.
• Experience supporting operational personnel, complex transactions, customer onboarding, and cross‑functional projects.
• U.S. Customs Broker License strongly preferred.
• Advanced knowledge of customs brokerage operations, documentation, valuation, country of origin, tariffs, trade programs, government agency requirements, and Power of Attorney support.
• Strong customer communication, collaboration, prioritization, and follow‑through skills.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office and job‑specific customs brokerage systems; CargoWise experience preferred.

CORE BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS

• Operational Support: Remains accessible and provides practical help to the people performing the work.
• Collaboration: Works with team members and appropriate experts to find solutions within established authority.
• Customer Focus: Provides responsive, knowledgeable support and consistent follow‑through.
• Agility and Urgency: Adjusts to changing needs and moves time‑sensitive issues forward without sacrificing compliance.
• Ethics and Integrity: Handles information truthfully, protects confidentiality, and escalates questionable or incomplete instructions.
• Reliability: Maintains dependable attendance, availability, responsiveness, and accountability.

NOTICE AND EXPANDING SCOPE

The responsibilities listed in this job description represent the current scope of the position and are not intended to be all‑inclusive. As business, customer, regulatory, and operational needs evolve, the position is expected to grow and adapt. The employee will be expected to take on additional responsibilities consistent with the purpose and level of the role and perform other duties as assigned.

CEVA Logistics is proud to be an equal opportunity work place and an affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status or any other characteristic. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer of Minorities, Females, Protected Veterans, and Individual with Disabilities.