Global Customs

As the Global Customs & Trade Manager, you will lead H&M's global trade strategy and operations, ensuring the seamless, compliant, and cost-efficient movement of goods across international borders. From managing the global import-export strategy to overseeing warehouse logistics, you will navigate complex trade regulations, optimize logistics flows, and drive efficiency within one of the world's largest fashion supply chains.

This high-impact role is ideal for a strategic leader who excels in a fast-paced environment. You will balance compliance, cost, and operational excellence while shaping the future of trade for a global brand.

Key Responsibilities:

• Set the strategy and approach for how H&M manages its customs and trade obligations on a global scale, taking into consideration import/export, inbound, outbound, returns flows, and warehouse operations (including bonded activities).
• Maintain oversight of H&M's total customs duty spend globally on an annual basis, making every effort to optimise this level of spending.
• Define and develop global import/export policies, standards and guidelines based on best practices for international movements of goods.
• Ensure global compliance with import/export management, and support with escalations in local markets where needed.
• Anticipate, action and respond to international trade developments impacting H&M's business, particularly where they are likely to increase H&M's annual duty bill.
• Engage cross-functionally to respond to shifts in international trade policies such as tariffs and trade wars, collaborating across tax, finance, legal, supply chain and operations to craft a practical approach to reduce the impact.
• Provide input to the trade tech development agenda through close collaboration with value stream products and other logistics development teams.
• Manage and monitor the central trade budget and follow up on central and regional trade budgets.
• Define measurable performance targets for central and regional trade teams, and effectively lead central and regional trade teams towards set goals.
• Address trade compliance operational issues that are escalated by either the local or regional teams, ensuring a consistent response in line with policies and standards set at a central level.
• Lead and monitor the Asia and Europe transit hubs and the Netherlands Declarant Office.
• Ensure strategic vendor and contract management of customs brokerage and inland haulage suppliers in collaboration with logistics regions and transit hubs.
• Collaborate with international freight to define transit needs and development agendas.
• Foster strong collaboration with key stakeholders outside of logistics for trade-related areas (e.g. global tax & transfer pricing, legal, supply chain, buying and assortment).
• Stay informed on global logistics end-to-end operational status, KPIs, issues, and risks that have an impact on customs & trade compliance.
• Identify sustainability opportunities and challenges from social, economic, and environmental perspectives, with a particular focus on environmental taxes that have an impact on customs & trade activity.
• In addition to the management of a global team, the responsibility for three other departments is also incumbent upon the individual. These departments are regional in nature, with one customs brokerage department in Europe, and global in nature, with two transit departments in Europe and Asia. The function of these departments is to support the international flow from the production countries to the distribution centres in the sales countries.

WHO YOU ARE

• You have a strong strategic and analytical mindset, with the ability to plan, prioritize, and delegate tasks effectively.
• You demonstrate strategic vision and can anticipate future trends across international trade and supply chains, incorporating them into actionable plans.
• You have extensive [+10 years] experience in strategic roles related to international trade management.
• You possess strong knowledge of international customs regulations and across core areas of customs compliance, including tariff classification, rules of origin, and customs valuation.
• You excel in collaboration and interaction with internal and external teams and stakeholders at all levels of seniority.
• You have a proven ability to set vision and strategy for customs and trade management, consistently producing tangible results.
• You have experience in developing and executing standard customs & trade policies and processes across an organisation.
• You have a proven record in driving changes and implementing them at a large scale, preferably with experience in transformation programs across customs operating models.
• You have a deep understanding of logistics and trade operational processes and standards, with expertise in best practices.
• You are proactive in identifying and driving improvements internally and externally.
• You have strong people management skills, including planning, organizing, impacting, delegating, and leading effectively.
• You have a strong problem solving/solutioning mindset, particularly where issues require cross-functional collaboration to resolve.
• You have experience working across multiple geographies/jurisdictions and demonstrate effective inter-cultural communication.
• You have strong business acumen and commercial awareness and can make decisions factoring in a wide range of potential impacts outside of the direct customs & trade implications.

WHO YOU'LL WORK WITH

You will collaborate closely with value stream products, logistics development teams and regional teams. You will be reporting to Head of Transport & Trade Development.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This is a full-time permanent position based at our head office in Stockholm. Ready to take the leap? Apply now with your application latest by 31 March 2025. We are excited to welcome you to our team and start this incredible journey together

WHO WE ARE

H&M Group is a global company of strong fashion brands and ventures. Our goal is to prove that there is no compromise between exceptional design, affordable prices, and sustainable solutions. We want to liberate fashion for the many, and our customers are at the heart of every decision we make.

We are made up of thousands of passionate and talented colleagues united by our shared culture and values. Together, we want to use our power, our scale, and our knowledge to push the fashion industry towards a more inclusive and sustainable future.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE WORKING HERE
At H&M Group, we are proud to be a vibrant and welcoming company. We offer our employees attractive benefits with extensive development opportunities around the globe.

• 25% Staff discount on all our H&M Group brands, both in stores and online (H&M, COS, Weekday, Monki, H&M HOME, & Other Stories and ARKET).
• H&M Incentive Program – HIP.

JOIN US

Our uniqueness comes from a combination of many things – our inclusive and collaborative culture, our strong values, and opportunities for growth. But most of all, it's our people who make us who we are.

Take the next step in your career together with us. The journey starts here.

*We are committed to a recruitment process that is fair, equitable, and based on competency. We therefore kindly ask you to not attach a cover letter in your application.