Syngenta Crop Protection

As a world market leader in crop protection, we help farmers to counter these threats and ensure enough safe, nutritious, affordable food for all – while minimizing the use of land and other agricultural inputs.

Syngenta Crop Protection keeps plants safe from planting to harvesting.  From the moment a seed is planted through to harvest, crops need to be protected from weeds, insects and diseases as well as droughts and floods, heat and cold.

Syngenta Crop Protection is headquartered in Switzerland.

Role purpose

• Define the regional customs strategy in line with global guidelines, standards and policies
• Set up effective, efficient, and compliant processes for customs operations and actively monitor performance as part of the Asia Middle East Africa (AMEA) supply chain operations operating model
• Oversee and optimize customs duties spend across the region in service of productivity targets
• Improve knowledge & capabilities of supply chain stakeholders in customs and foreign trade
• Act as the regional process owner for the quality and accuracy of import documentation requirements across AMEA countries and monitor closure of any non-conformities​​​

Accountabilities

• Develop and implement the AMEA customs framework and processes in collaboration with the global customs strategy and policies.
• Oversee and monitor customs execution activities across AMEA countries/commercial units to ensure effective and compliant delivery of customs clearance processes across all business units together with 4PL and customs brokers
• Control AMEA customs and duties budget in partnership with finance and monitor performance of operational KPIs together with key stakeholders to optimize net profit after tax
• Continuously improve processes to identify duty optimization through the application of Free Trade Agreements (e.g. RCEP) and other applicable customs schemes as well as a customs broker strategy
• Ensure Syngenta’s license to operate is maintained by full adherence to policies, processes, and regulations in collaboration with partner functions (legal and tax)
• Lead the response to customs audits across AMEA, coordinate and monitor corrective measures in collaboration with legal & tax
• Maintain a cross functional network inside and outside of AMEA supply to ensure alignment – strong link with finance, legal & tax as well as the partner network (4PL service provider and/or customs brokers)
• Work closely with all relevant stakeholders to adapt operations proactively in response to changes in the legal and regulatory environment (tax and trade compliance), monitor import documentation requirements across AMEA countries
• Design and deploy customs technology to support compliance and productivity gains in line and supported by global initiatives (e.g. SAP GTS, Artificial Intelligence experiments)

Knowledge, experience & capabilities

Critical knowledge

• Bachelors or Master’s degree in Logistics, Supply Chain, International trade or agriculture economics
• Expert knowledge of distribution operations in Asia and/or Africa Middle East, particularly related to import / export, customs duties and VAT management within a large international company – a minimum of five years of experience in customs or international trade
• High level of understanding of logistics, customs brokerage and international transportation
• High level of understanding of customs regulations, awareness of tax and transfer pricing concepts
• Understanding of trade regulations ideally for agricultural products and/or chemicals
• Strong ability to find and extract local regulations, interpret, synthetize and communicate findings
• Ability to manage and work under pressure, reacting appropriately in a constantly changing       environment whilst working closely with the business environment
• Ability and experience to communicate with authorities
• A good knowledge of the agrochemical and/or chemical business
• Fluency in English, any other language preferred

Critical experience

• Experience of applying customs trade regulations to international movement of goods in different types of industries within AMEA
• Experience of a multinational environment in a multicultural team and/or context

Critical technical, professional and personal capabilities

• Ability to work in SAP (navigate across usual transactions, find the information)
• Strong verbal and written communication, interpersonal and organization skills required
• Strong ability to collaborate with other functions
• Ability to commit to a decision and follow up support.
• Ability to interact well with people, as part of a team and with other departments or functions.
• Ability to prioritize and handle multiple projects or customers.
• Ability to work under pressure and in difficult situations.
• Ability to develop new procedures or process for new assignment.

Critical leadership capabilities

• Sets ambitious strategic goals
• Communicates with Impact
• Manages for performance
• Collaborates across boundaries