International Customs & Trade Team Leader

To strengthen our team in Groot-Bijgaarden, we are looking for a:

International Customs & Trade Team Leader

Mission

As International Customs & Trade Team Leader within Belgian Operations (beOps), you ensure flawless and compliant shipment documentation for road, sea and air flows to customers worldwide. 

You lead and support a diverse team, combining hands-on operational execution with people leadership to meet service, quality, cost, SHE and compliance objectives.

You act as the first escalation point and a trusted partner for internal stakeholders and external authorities, ensuring documentation accuracy and customs/trade compliance.

You drive continuous improvement and automation initiatives to simplify processes, improve reliability and increase customer satisfaction.

Key Accountabilities

• You will lead and coach the Trade & Documentation team, create a positive, open communication culture, run team routines and support performance evaluations. The team consists of 6 people.
• You will ensure end-to-end shipment documentation is prepared and delivered on time & in full for road/sea/air shipments, including customer/country specific requirements.
• You will own customs & trade compliance: supervise customs administration/reporting, maintain licenses/authorizations, and serve as key contact for customs and relevant authorities.
• You will manage certificates and regulated documentation (e.g., sanitary/FAVV and other certificates), and maintain relationships with on-site veterinarians where applicable.
• You will drive continuous improvement & automation projects in close collaboration with IT and other departments to reduce workload and increase process robustness.
• You will secure trade accuracy: manage preferential origin checks (FTA), commodity code validation, long-term supplier declarations, and sanctioned goods screenings.
• You will ensure financial and stakeholder alignment: verify correct invoicing before month-end and coordinate closely with accounting, treasury and finance to prevent issues.

Who are we looking for?

• You have a Bachelor or Master degree, preferably in Logistics, International Trade, Supply Chain or similar (customs specialization is a strong asset).
• You have a solid experience in an international logistics / trade environment.
• You have a strong knowledge of international documentation for road/sea/air shipments.
• You preferably have experience with customs and trade compliance.
• You preferably have experience in leading a team, but this is not a must.
• You are a structured, accurate, and process-minded professional who enjoys improving and simplifying ways of working step-by-step.
• You are resilient and flexible, able to stay positive and effective during peak workload periods and unexpected requests.
• You have strong communication and stakeholder management skills (internal teams, customers, transport partners, and governmental bodies).
• You are fluent in English, and have at least a basic level of Dutch and French (spoken and written).
• You are preferably familiar with SAP.

Why should you join Puratos?

You will be welcomed in a dynamic work environment where passion for innovation, team spirit and continuous improvement are key. You can count on a competitive salary package with attractive benefits such as:

• Meal vouchers (10€/day)
• Group, dental and hospitalization insurance fully paid by Puratos
• 13th and 14th month pay
• Minimum 5 training days per year
• Responsibilities and the possibility to take ownership of your work

Watch our corporate movie and feel the Puratos Magic:

Who are we?

Puratos is a growing, international, Belgian family business with a team of more than 11 000 employees worldwide. Since 1919, we have been developing, producing and distributing innovative ingredients for the bakery, patisserie and chocolate sectors and helping our customers to be successful.

We are committed to the health and well-being of people and protecting the planet.

Are you looking for the right recipe for your career? Choose Puratos, a Top Employer in Belgium.

We at Puratos cultivate an inclusive global workplace, that fully embraces diversity and equal opportunities for all. We strive to reflect the richness of our customers, communities and society, accelerating our ability to innovate and deliver on our commitments.