Director - Shipping and Customs Clearance Job Snapshot
Role: Director - Shipping and Clearance
Location: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Logistics and Supply Chain
Function: Logistics-Transportation
Experience: Minimum 15 years in shipping, logistics, and supply chain operations in the UAE, including at least 8 years in senior management or leadership
Job Type: Full Time
Position Overview
Azizi Group is seeking a Director - Shipping and Customs Clearance in Dubai, UAE to lead international and local shipping, customs clearance, transportation, and project logistics operations. Supporting a large portfolio of real estate developments, this leadership role will establish shipping and clearance strategy, manage the movement of construction materials, equipment, and machinery across sea, air, and land, and maintain compliance with UAE customs and regulatory requirements. The position carries responsibility for logistics budgets, freight negotiations, shipment visibility, cost optimization, operational risk, and the leadership of Shipping, Logistics, Customs, and Clearance teams.
Job Details
Country: UAE
City: Dubai
Industry: Logistics and Supply Chain
Function: Logistics-Transportation
Salary: Not disclosed
Gender: No Preference
Candidate Nationality: Not specified
Job Type: Full Time
Work Arrangement: On-site
Strategic Leadership
The role requires an experienced logistics leader capable of managing complex project-driven supply chains while maintaining visibility over international shipments, local transportation, customs processes, commercial commitments, and delivery priorities.
Shipping and Project Logistics
- Lead international and local logistics operations across sea, air, and land.
- Plan shipping activities around construction schedules and project material requirements.
- Monitor vessel schedules, ETAs, shipment status, and overall shipment visibility.
- Ensure materials, machinery, and equipment reach projects within required timelines.
- Oversee transportation planning and local clearance operations.
- Coordinate closely with suppliers, Procurement, Finance, Warehouse, and Project teams.
- Identify logistics risks and establish appropriate mitigation and recovery plans.
- Maintain effective operational coordination across complex project logistics requirements.
Customs and Clearance Operations
- Manage import and export activities in accordance with UAE Customs regulations and applicable government requirements.
- Oversee customs clearance, port operations, and required government approvals.
- Coordinate with customs brokers, ports, transport companies, and relevant authorities.
- Ensure shipping activities comply with applicable customs procedures and regulatory requirements.
- Minimize delays that could affect material availability or construction schedules.
Shipping Documentation and Compliance
- Review Bills of Lading for accuracy and completeness.
- Verify Commercial Invoices, Packing Lists, Certificates of Origin, and other required shipping documents.
- Ensure compliance with applicable Incoterms.
- Maintain appropriate controls around Letters of Credit.
- Oversee relevant import and export documentation requirements.
- Manage cargo insurance claims when required.
- Address applicable war-risk charges where relevant.
- Maintain compliance with company policies and applicable regulatory requirements.
Commercial Management and Cost Control
- Negotiate freight, shipping, and transportation contracts.
- Secure competitive commercial terms with logistics service providers.
- Minimize demurrage, detention, port storage, and other avoidable logistics costs.
- Prepare and manage annual shipping and logistics budgets.
- Identify and deliver measurable logistics cost savings.
- Monitor freight and transportation expenditure against approved budgets.
- Drive continuous improvements that increase operational and commercial efficiency.
Service Provider and Stakeholder Management
Build and maintain strategic relationships with shipping lines, freight forwarders, customs brokers, transport companies, ports, and relevant authorities. The Director will also coordinate extensively with internal stakeholders to align procurement, finance, warehousing, shipping, and project delivery requirements.
Performance and Operational Governance
- Develop shipping and logistics KPIs.
- Produce management reports and operational dashboards.
- Monitor logistics performance and identify areas requiring corrective action.
- Strengthen shipment visibility and operational control.
- Drive process improvement across shipping, customs, clearance, and transportation activities.
- Maintain HSE compliance across logistics operations.
Team Leadership
Lead and develop the Shipping, Logistics, Customs, and Clearance teams, establishing clear operational responsibilities and supporting effective decision-making across day-to-day and strategic logistics activities. The role requires strong leadership and the ability to manage multiple stakeholders, priorities, service providers, and project requirements simultaneously.
Qualifications and Experience
- Bachelor 's degree in Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
- MBA or another relevant postgraduate qualification is an advantage.
- Professional certification such as CSCP, CMILT, or equivalent is preferred.
- Minimum 15 years of experience in shipping, logistics, and supply chain operations in the UAE.
- At least 8 years of experience in a senior management or leadership position.
- Proven experience with UAE real estate developers, major construction contractors, or large project-based organizations.
- Demonstrated experience supporting complex logistics requirements for large-scale construction projects.
- Strong knowledge of international shipping, UAE customs regulations, ports, freight forwarding, transportation, warehousing, and project logistics.
- Strong understanding of Incoterms, Letters of Credit, customs procedures, import-export documentation, and cargo insurance.
- Experience negotiating freight contracts and optimizing logistics costs.
- Practical experience minimizing demurrage and detention exposure.
- Experience with SAP, Oracle, or a similar ERP platform.
- Fluency in English.
Leadership Capabilities
- Strong commercial negotiation skills.
- Effective stakeholder management.
- Sound decision-making and problem-solving ability.
- Ability to lead complex shipping and logistics operations.
- Strong management reporting capability.
- Ability to manage operational risk and recovery planning.
- Strong focus on cost, service performance, compliance, and project delivery.
About Azizi Group
Azizi Group is a UAE real estate development group delivering residential, commercial, hospitality, and mixed-use developments across Dubai. Its operations include supply chain, procurement, shipping, and logistics activities supporting the delivery of its development portfolio.
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