Job Title: Lead – CDZ, CoE Job Location: Mumbai The Lead Customs COE, GSC is accountable for establishing and leading the Centre of Excellence for Customs Operations within DHL Global Forwarding's Global Service Centre (GSC). The role is the strategic owner of the Global Customs Service Catalogue, driving end-to-end standardization, digitalization, and operational excellence across all customs declaration services delivered to DGF Business Partners globally. The incumbent defines and executes the COE strategic roadmap in alignment with DGF Customs Product strategy; leads global transformation programmes across multiple regions and centres; and spearheads digital innovation through AI, OCR, automation, and business intelligence platforms including CW1/CargoWise One, EDM, Smart OCR, and GSConnect.

The role acts as the critical bridge between DGF Product strategy and GSC operational execution, partnering with Global Product, Regional Customs Heads, IT, Digital, Commercial, Finance, and PMO to drive measurable improvement in service quality, scalability, and customer value.

Key Responsibilities: Strategy & service line development Develop and execute the strategic roadmap for the Global Customs COE in alignment with DGF Customs Product strategy and GSC long-term transformation priorities

Identify opportunities to expand the Customs service portfolio and increase service penetration across countries and regions

Define long-term transformation priorities to improve scalability, customer value, and operational maturity

Support the Service Line Lead in shaping future operating models and strategic initiatives

Harmonize Standardize service definitions, activities, inputs, outputs, and ownership across the network

Establish governance for introducing new services and enhancing existing offerings

Ensure global alignment between Product, Operations, and GSC Digitalization & Innovation Drive digital transformation initiatives across Customs including OCR, AI, and workflow technologies

Lead implementation of digital solutions (OCR platforms, AI-enabled data intelligence, automation) in partnership with Product, IT, and Operations

Evaluate emerging technologies to improve efficiency, quality, and customer experience

Build digital roadmaps supporting future Customs capabilities Global Transformation Programmes Lead strategic programmes across multiple regions and GSC centres; define governance models for implementation

Drive organizational change management and ensure sustainable adoption

Ensure benefits realization is tracked, reported, and delivered Governance & Performance Management Establish the governance framework for all Customs services across GSC

Define performance dashboards, operational reviews, and service health monitoring

Identify risks and improvement opportunities proactively

Lead executive governance cadence with DGF Product and GSC leadership Business Intelligence & Analytics Develop operational dashboards and the Customs Performance Cockpit





Generate strategic insights from operational data to identify productivity opportunities

Support data-driven decision making across the COE and senior stakeholders

Improve reporting maturity globally using Power BI and customs reporting tools Operational Excellence Lead continuous improvement initiatives; standardize global customs processes

Reduce process variation, improve productivity, and implement Lean methodologies

Drive quality improvements and establish best practices across GSC centres Capability Development Define capability strategy; develop training framework and certification programmes

Build knowledge repositories and develop SME network across GSC Customs

Drive succession planning and improve organizational capability maturity across :850 FTEs Stakeholder Management Act as the bridge between DGF Product strategy and GSC operational execution

Partner with, and build cross-functional collaborative relationships: Global Product, Regional Customs Heads, Country Customs Managers, GSC Operations, IT, Digital teams, Process Excellence, Commercial, Finance, and PMO

Build cross-functional collaborative relationships across DGF Product, IT, Digital, Compliance, Commercial, Finance, and HR Systems & Digital Ecosystem Own or influence the full GSC Customs digital ecosystem: CW1/CargoWise One, EDM, GSCapture, Rossum, GSConnect, OCR platforms, APIs, EDI, Power BI, and customs reporting tools

Ensure systems evolve to support future service requirements and operational scalability Finance & Projects Accountable for GSC Customs COE budget planning, FTE cost allocation, and BCA governance

Govern FTE/APT billing model across Declaration Management and MDR for 25+ countries

Oversee project-specific service costing and CDZ cost workbook governance

Drive business cases for digitalization investments ( AI tools, OCR platforms)

Lead programme-level reporting on transformation investment returns and FTE reallocation savings People Management Lead and develop a direct COE team (programme managers, process SMEs, digitalization leads, BI analysts, capability leads) and provide indirect leadership across :850+ customs FTEs

Influence and align GSC Managers, Service Line Leads, and regional operations teams without direct line authority

Drive organizational change management for digitalization programmes (iCAP, GSCapture, Rossum, AI)

Build the GSC Customs SME network; govern succession planning and capability maturity roadmap

Foster a culture of continuous improvement, digital innovation, and data-driven decision making Required Skills/Abilities: Graduate / Post-Graduate degree (Bachelor's or Master's) from a recognized university in Logistics, Supply Chain Management,



Business Administration, or a related discipline

Minimum 5-7 years of experience in customs operations, trade compliance, or global forwarding within a GBS/SSC or multinational shared services environment

Proven track record of leading large-scale digitalization and global transformation programmes across multiple geographies and service centres

Deep expertise in customs declaration processing including air/ocean freight and cross-border trade compliance

Experience managing multi-country, multi-client customs service delivery including enterprise managed service accounts (e.g., Pharma, Manufacturing)

Demonstrated experience owning a global service catalogue and driving service standardization across a distributed network

Track record of deploying automation, OCR, AI, or workflow tools in customs or logistics operations

Experience building business intelligence / analytics capabilities and operational performance cockpits

Experience in DGF (DHL Global Forwarding) or a comparable global logistics / GBS organization preferred

Service mind-set to provide high-quality consulting to internal clients or business functions Systems & Digital Ecosystem Knowledge: Expert-level knowledge of CW1 / CargoWise One – customs module configuration, declaration processing, and operational workflows

Proficiency in EDM (Electronic Document Management) and integration with customs declaration workflows

Working knowledge of OCR platforms, APIs, and EDI integrations in a customs environment

Familiarity with Workflows or equivalent inter-system connectivity tools

Working knowledge of UiPath or equivalent RPA platforms for customs process automation

Proficiency in Power BI or equivalent BI tools for operational dashboards and customs cockpit development

Familiarity with Microsoft Copilot Studio or AI-assisted agent development (preferred) Core Skills: Robust programme and project management skills – ability to manage multi-workstream global transformation programmes across distributed teams

Strong analytical and data management skills – ability to build and interpret KPI frameworks, productivity cockpits, and BI dashboards

Advanced proficiency in MS Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word)

Excellent stakeholder communication and executive-level presentation skills

Capability development and training design experience (framework design, certification programmes, SME networks) Certifications – Preferred: Project Management: PMP (Project Management Professional) or PRINCE2

Operational Excellence: Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or Green Belt

Customs / Trade Compliance: CSCMP, FIATA Diploma, WCO accreditation, or equivalent national customs qualification

Certified Customs Broker or national customs licensing (country-specific) – preferred Certifications – Advantageous: AI / Digital Transformation programme certification

Business Intelligence / Data Analytics certification (e.g., Microsoft Power BI, Tableau)

Change Management certification (e.g., Prosci, APMG)

📌 Lead - CDZ, CoE (Kurla)
🏢 DHL Freight
📍 Kurla