Head of Customs Brokerage
United States
Nuvocargo is a native AI-enabled freight brokerage and transportation management platform built for cross-border US-Mexico trade. We combine technology, carrier relationships, and operational expertise to help shippers move goods smarter across one of the world's most complex freight corridors. Our customs brokerage team is a critical capability — and we're building it to be best-in-class.
The RoleWe're looking for a licensed, bilingual customs broker to lead Nuvocargo's customs brokerage practice. This is a player-coach role: you'll own the operational execution of customs clearance while building and mentoring a small, growing team across Laredo and Mexico City. You'll serve as the subject matter expert on compliance, classification, and documentation — and be the escalation point when the complexity exceeds what the team can handle independently. You'll report directly to the COO and work cross-functionally with our cross-border, carrier, and managed transportation teams. This is a rare opportunity to shape the customs function at a well-capitalized, technology-forward freight company that's growing fast.
What You'll DoOperations & Compliance
- Own day-to-day customs clearance operations for US imports and exports across the US-Mexico border
- Serve as the primary escalation point for complex entries, compliance issues, and time-sensitive shipments
- Ensure all clearance activity meets CBP, ACE, ABI, and USMCA requirements
- Maintain and enforce internal compliance standards, SOPs, and documentation protocols
- Oversee classification (HTS), valuation, and admissibility determinations
- Lead and develop a team of 4 — 2 US-based (Laredo) and 2 in Mexico City — with a player-coach orientation
- Build operational capacity and create a path for the team to handle higher complexity over time
- Hire, onboard, and develop team members as the business scales
- Serve as the senior point of contact for customs-related customer communications
- Own 100% customer retention and identify expansion opportunities in partnership with sales and account management
- Build trusted relationships with key shipper contacts, particularly those with high-frequency or high-complexity border programs
- Travel to customer sites as needed for relationship management and onboarding
- Partner with Nuvocargo's product and ops teams to improve customs workflows within NuvoOS, our native TMS
- Identify automation opportunities and help define how AI tooling can reduce manual work in the clearance process
- Maintain accurate records and ensure data integrity across entries and filings
Required
- Active Licensed Customs Broker (CHB) — non-negotiable
- Bilingual in English and Spanish — professional fluency required
- 3–10 years of experience in customs brokerage, with meaningful US-Mexico cross-border exposure
- Hands-on experience with ACE, ABI, HTS classification, C-TPAT, FAST lanes, and related compliance frameworks
- Strong working knowledge of USMCA, DODA, PAPS/PARS, and Carta Porte
- Proven ability to manage customer relationships and escalations with a high degree of professionalism
Preferred
- Based in or deeply familiar with the Laredo, TX border market
- Cross-border (MX-US) customs / operational knowledge
- Experience leading or mentoring a customs team, even informally
- Familiarity with TMS platforms and an interest in technology-forward operations
- Commercial exposure — existing customer relationships or a track record of supporting business development are a plus
- Experience with alcohol, food, or other regulated commodity clearances
- Competitive base salary (range discussed during the interview process) plus performance-based bonus
- Opportunity to build and lead a function from a relatively early stage at a growing company
- Direct access to and partnership with company leadership
- A technology-forward environment — we invest in tools that reduce manual work and create leverage for our team
- Health, dental, and vision benefits
- Flexible PTO
- Nuvocargo is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive