About IKEA Purchasing & Logistics Area North Europe

IKEA offers well-designed, functional home furnishings at prices so low that as many people as possible can afford them. The role of IKEA Purchasing & Logistics is to buy, produce and distribute the IKEA range at the lowest total cost, making high quality available to the customer under good social and environmental conditions. IKEA Purchasing & Logistics in Älmhult is one of our numerous Purchasing & Logistics Offices in the world, and a part of Purchasing & Logistics Area North Europe, whose co-workers are based in Älmhult, Dortmund and Kaunas.

About the job

The Customs Regional Manager EMEA is part of Range & Supply at Inter-IKEA and is responsible to secure our strategic goals by supporting well-functioning and compliant customs processes. All customs business is conducted to ensure IKEA customer satisfaction in compliance with internal and external rules and regulations. This is always done with focus on a total lowest cost and product availability to customers. The Customs region EMEA consists of Customs Service center located in Älmhult and all countries in the EMEA region, where IKEA is involved in customs related processes.

As a regional Customs Manager you will:

• Overall supervision of customs related activities in the region
• Lead and develop the regional organization in accordance with “Leading Business & People Together”
• Take active part in developing the global import and export process including the establishment of one common business plan
• Being member of global Customs management team
• Define, anchor and follow up the regional customs budget as well as performance via agreed KPI’s
• Continuously evaluate current ways of working, identify control weaknesses, develop solutions and implement improvements.
• Take active part in the establishment and implementation of standardized, optimized and documented ways of working
• Monitor the regional compliance state and act on deviations
• Actively monitor and support the competence level in the organization and act on gaps including back-ups and succession planning.
• Monitor and control external customs related audits in agreement with global Customs manager at IKEA Supply AG.
• Take active part in the development and maintenance of the IT system landscape
• Secure the existence of up-to-date import and export permissions and identify need and support application procedures for new permissions and certifications
• Support the integration in execution and planning on a regional level
• Evaluate and propose implementation of regional customs & trade solutions such as bonded warehouse and free trade zones.
• Provide active support to Customs Coordination Center
• Work close with internal and external stakeholders

About You
We are looking for you who is interested in a challenging position in an international strategic and operational environment. We believe that you enjoy driving business and that you are eager to take responsibility for all operational customs tasks. You ensure internal and external compliance while working towards our strategic goals in close collaboration with the global customs management team.

As a person you have proven experience in import, export and foreign trade as well as in negotiations with authorities. You are eager to find new ways of working and solve problems with details in focus. You are experienced in leading and developing people.  You are decisive and always secure that taken decisions are implemented

You communicate in a clear and straight-forward way always with IKEA culture and value in focus. You also have the ability to be clear in written documentation such as manuals and working methods as well as in implementation of changes.

We also expect that you have:

• Customs education and at least 10 years of previous experience from import/export operations, logistics and representation towards as well as negotiations with authorities in the specific regions
• Experience and competence in strategic topics around customs and trade from a global/regional perspective
• Proven ability to lead and develop people
• Excellent knowledge about customs related rules and regulations
• International customs network especially in the EMEA region
• Fluent in English written and spoken (negotiation level)

Please note that this position is in Älmhult, Sweden.The selection process will take place continuously, so please send in your application in English as soon as possible, latest the 22-April-2018. If questions regarding the position please contact Customs Manager Rainer Wilms on +41 794399039.  Welcome with your application!