Head of Customs Brokerage

One Way Ventures; United States; Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base salary

Performance-based bonus

Health, dental, and vision benefits

Flexible PTO

Job summary

One Way Ventures is seeking a licensed, bilingual customs broker to lead its customs brokerage practice. This is a player-coach role that involves managing customs clearance operations across the US-Mexico border, while developing a small team in Laredo and Mexico City.

The ideal candidate will have 3–10 years of experience in customs brokerage, strong compliance knowledge, and the ability to manage customer relationships effectively. This position offers competitive salary and the opportunity to shape a growing function at an innovative company.

Qualifications

• Active Licensed Customs Broker (CHB) is non-negotiable.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish with professional fluency.
• 3–10 years of experience in customs brokerage with US-Mexico exposure.

Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day customs clearance operations for US imports and exports.
• Serve as primary escalation point for compliance issues.
• Lead and develop a team of 4 in Laredo, TX and Mexico City.

Skills

Active Licensed Customs Broker (CHB)

Bilingual in English and Spanish

3–10 years of experience in customs brokerage

Hands-on experience with ACE, ABI

Strong knowledge of USMCA

Job description

About Nuvocargo

Nuvocargo is a native AI-enabled freight brokerage and transportation management platform built for cross-border US-Mexico trade. We combine technology, carrier relationships, and operational expertise to help shippers move goods smarter across one of the world's most complex freight corridors. Our customs brokerage team is a critical capability — and we’re building it to be best-in-class.

The Role

We’re looking for a licensed, bilingual customs broker to lead Nuvocargo’s customs brokerage practice. This is a player‑coach role: you’ll own the operational execution of customs clearance while building and mentoring a small, growing team across Laredo and Mexico City. You’ll serve as the subject matter expert on compliance, classification, and documentation — and be the escalation point when the complexity exceeds what the team can handle independently. You’ll report directly to the COO and work cross‑functionally with our cross‑border, carrier, and managed transportation teams. This is a rare opportunity to shape the customs function at a well‑capitalized, technology‑forward freight company that’s growing fast.

Responsibilities

Operations & Compliance

• Own day‑to‑day customs clearance operations for US imports and exports across the US‑Mexico border.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for complex entries, compliance issues, and time‑sensitive shipments.
• Ensure all clearance activity meets CBP, ACE, ABI, and USMCA requirements.
• Maintain and enforce internal compliance standards, SOPs, and documentation protocols.
• Oversee classification (HTS), valuation, and admissibility determinations.

Team Leadership

• Lead and develop a team of 4 — 2 US‑based (Laredo) and 2 in Mexico City — with a player‑coach orientation.
• Build operational capacity and create a path for the team to handle higher complexity over time.
• Hire, onboard, and develop team members as the business scales.

Customer Ownership

• Serve as the senior point of contact for customs‑related customer communications.
• Own 100% customer retention and identify expansion opportunities in partnership with sales and account management.
• Build trusted relationships with key shipper contacts, particularly those with high‑frequency or high‑complexity border programs.
• Travel to customer sites as needed for relationship management and onboarding.

Process & Technology

• Partner with Nuvocargo’s product and ops teams to improve customs workflows within NuvoOS, our native TMS.
• Identify automation opportunities and help define how AI tooling can reduce manual work in the clearance process.
• Maintain accurate records and ensure data integrity across entries and filings.

Qualifications

Required

• Active Licensed Customs Broker (CHB) — non‑negotiable.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish — professional fluency required.
• 3–10 years of experience in customs brokerage, with meaningful US‑Mexico cross‑border exposure.
• Hands‑on experience with ACE, ABI, HTS classification, C‑TPAT, FAST lanes, and related compliance frameworks.
• Strong working knowledge of USMCA, DODA, PAPS/PARS, and Carta Porte.
• Proven ability to manage customer relationships and escalations with a high degree of professionalism.

Preferred

• Based in or deeply familiar with the Laredo, TX border market.
• Cross‑border (MX‑US) customs / operational knowledge.
• Experience leading or mentoring a customs team, even informally.
• Familiarity with TMS platforms and an interest in technology‑forward operations.
• Commercial exposure — existing customer relationships or a track record of supporting business development are a plus.
• Experience with alcohol, food, or other regulated commodity clearances.

What We Offer

• Competitive base salary (range discussed during the interview process) plus performance‑based bonus.
• Opportunity to build and lead a function from a relatively early stage at a growing company.
• Direct access to and partnership with company leadership.
• A technology‑forward environment — we invest in tools that reduce manual work and create leverage for our team.
• Health, dental, and vision benefits.
• Flexible PTO.

Equal‑Opportunity Employer

Nuvocargo is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment.