Senior Customs Officer

JOB PURPOSE

Under the direct supervision of the Supervisor, the Senior Customs Officer is responsible:

• To perform functions relating to the entry and clearance of air-crafts, inspection of persons, carriers and baggage.
• To conduct all Customs activities in accordance with Customs policies and regulations.
• For forming the inspection and control functions pertaining to the loading entry clearance and export of cargo
• Expediting the processing of incoming passengers while at the same time enforcing the Customs Acts and Regulations and also other related Acts and Legislations.
• Directing and controlling the service environment in “Baggage Hall”.
• Performing intelligence gathering, and passenger clearance.
• To supervise entry documentation processing for commercial cargo shipments arriving by all modes of transportation in accordance with Customs Acts, its regulations and other relevant legislation;
• To provide adequate systems and measures to consolidate and appropriately apply information on duty waivers and exemption authorizations related to specified goods importation in compliance with the Customs Act, its regulations and related legislation;
• To assist with providing technical guidance to staff.
• To conduct customs administrative and border security activities for importation and/or exportation of goods that support the enforcement of the Customs Act and Regulations, and, other relevant legislation;
• To assist with optimizing revenue by ensuring adequate systems and measures are in place that facilitate the declaration and/or application and payment of correct duties and taxes on goods and other items imported and exported
• To assist with protecting Jamaica’s borders and her society by providing direction and collaboration on activities aimed at detecting and seizing illegally imported goods and other items.

KEY RESPONSIBILITY AREAS

Technical/Professional Responsibilities

• Processes Parcels and Packets within 24 hours of receipt compliant with the required standards by:
  • Escorting Postal employee to loading bay to oversee the offloading of the mail
  • Conducting verification checks on the seal number and container number and size of the container against bill of laden and verify along with the postal employee.
  • Removing seal from container and lock from truck where the numbers correspond and supervise the opening of the container.
  • Ensuring the area remains sterile and that the packages are secured and not tampered with.
• Practices good records keeping by logging accurate information within 24 hours of receipt.
• Conducts accurate Assessment and Classification of imports.
• Conducts Sorting of Packages within 24 hours of receipt compliant with the required standards and operational procedures by supervising the opening of mailbags and sends packages labelled ‘open for customs’ to the parcels table for assessment.
• Liaising with airline personnel in order to compile and maintain a daily incoming flight schedule;
• Checking legitimacy of and ensuring that all high duty stored placed in airline bond store are accounted for;
• Entering all aircraft landing at the Airport by checking and ensuring that the required items are in place;
• Giving clearance to all aircraft departing the Port of Kingston & Montego Bay;
• Computing and collecting duties of goods;
• Releasing detained goods;
• Monitoring and export of goods previously released for temporary use in the island;
• Monitoring the daily recording of fuel delivered to each aircraft departing the island;
• Deploying staff to perform overtime work and calculating the amount of overtime to be paid;
• Conducts roving exercises according to the established standards and operational procedures:
  • monitor passenger Pier;
  • process passengers from the floor and assists line officers in processing passengers from the queue;
  • observes the queues of passengers and decides which ones can be checked while in line;
  • ensures that the declaration form is properly and completely filled out and that the passenger enters the correct line;
• Offers special attention to persons identified as Diplomats, extend the usual courtesies and make an effort to expedite the clearance process for these individuals;
• Processes each passenger within the set time according to the standard operational procedures;
• Interviews passengers to determine ports of embarkation, place of residence duration of stay abroad (in cases of Returning Residents), reason for visit and contents of luggage;
• Guide passengers in completing unaccompanied baggage declarations;
• Scrutinizes invoices, bills, permits and other relevant documents to establish validity, authenticity and to ensure that the permits are applicable to the goods being examined;
• Conducts personal search of passengers if there are any reasonable doubts that uncustomed, prohibited or restricted goods and documents are concealed and carries out drug tests on any substance suspected to be dangerous drugs or narcotics;
• Detains dutiable and/or restricted items of which the necessary requirements are not met and ensures that the items are checked, recorded and securely stored;
• Ensures that passengers who commit breach(es) of the Customs Act are dealt with in accordance with requirements of regulations;
• Participates in rummaging exercises on Aircrafts with special emphasis on the detection of illegal imports of drugs, firearms and ammunitions and records findings in the rummage register;
• Boards incoming commercial Aircraft with a view to detecting items left on board under circumstances deemed to be suspicious;
• Monitors the Baggage Hall exists to ensure that passengers with goods leaving the Customs area are properly processed;
• Detects violations and cite breaches in keeping with the standard operational procedures;
• Secures detained goods by:
  • Monitoring the movement of goods to and from the bond room and ensure that proper record is kept in the Detention Register and Bond Room Register; and
  • Monitoring the movement of goods to Queens Warehouse: Ensure that midnight officers, compile a list for goods to be warehoused;
  • Ensuring that the Detention Notice Register is updated with the Queens Warehouse rotation number;
• Maintains record of the Duty Officer’s Register as well as officers working overtime;
• Ensures that re-exportation of goods are verified by airlines, by their endorsement of customs document;
• Updates aircraft log immediately upon notice from the Ramp Office and ensure officers are at their assigned post within after flights’ arrival and remains there for the duration;
• Conducts attendance record keeping by maintaining a correct staff to passenger ratio for extra attendance.  Also accurate record of all officers at work, aircraft registration and number of passengers at all times.
• Supervise the loading of all cargo entering the island and ensure proper storage by:
  • Ensuring that all goods loaded are accounted for and relevant cargo placed in in-transit sheds and/or special locker;
  • Examining the bad list and goods short landing for completeness and accuracy.
• Ensures Customs Entries presented have all relevant information for the release of imported goods and authority given by the Proper Officer for the release of these goods.
• Maintains import control over prohibited and restricted goods by:
  • Ensuring that all required imports permits and license submitted, and relevant authorized signature description and expiry date are affixed to document
  • Issuing seizure notices to importers for goods which are prohibited and handing those over to the proper authority.
• Collects correct duties (if any) on goods which are properly invoiced prior to release by:
  • Carrying out physical examination on all or some of these packages;
  • Checking tariff rates and computing of duties and other taxes;
  • Examining and valuing personal effects
• Carries out examination of passenger’s crew and baggage arriving on ships by scrutinizing all relevant documents and computing and collecting all required duties.
• Monitors the exportation of goods by:
  • Examining goods to be exported and relevant entry forms, permits and licences;
  • Ensuring the packages are sealed after examination and signature is affixed to verify certification of shipment and entry form.

Customer Service Responsibilities

• Maintains customer service principles, standards and measurements;
• Identifies and incorporates the interests and needs of customers in business process design;
• Ensures critical success factors are identified and meets expectations;
• Prepares quarterly and/or annually Customer Service reports in accordance with established standards.

Other Responsibilities

• Performs all other duties and functions as may be required from time to time.
   

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

Core

• Excellent interpersonal, communication and human relations skills
• Excellent analytical, decision making, planning and organizing skills
• Excellent negotiating skills
• Good judgment and analytical skills
• High confidentiality, integrity and professionalism
• Ability to communicate, interact and work effectively and cooperatively with all people including those from diverse ethnic and educational backgrounds
• Excellent observational skills, particularly with the ability to review documents for evidence of fraud and/or manipulation

Technical

• Expert knowledge and understanding of Customs Act and other tax laws and their impact on business, international trade and economics.
• Expert knowledge and understanding of Customs Operations.
• Comprehensive technical knowledge of classification and valuation systems and procedures.
• Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of applied risk assessment.
• Sound understanding and experience in the management of limited resources in order to achieve challenging output targets.
• Excellent understanding of international trade practice and processes.
• Understanding of the application of information technology solutions to organizational problems and the fundamentals of ICT based analytical tools.

MINIMUM REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• First degree in Public Administration or equivalent qualification in the Social Sciences.
• Three (3) years’ experience in an operational position, including experience in the application of the Customs Act and related legislation.
• Specialized training and knowledge of customs administration and operations.
• Specialized training and knowledge of classification and valuation systems.
• and classification and valuation systems

SPECIAL CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE JOB

• Work will be conducted in an office outfitted with standard office equipment and specialized software.
• The environment is fast paced with on-going interactions with critical stakeholders and meeting tight deadlines which will result in high degrees of pressure, on occasions.
• May be required to work long hours (>40 hours weekly) over protracted periods.
• Strenuous job involving a high degree of interaction with and responsibility to the public.
• Enclosed working environment but with strenuous physical requirements
• Irregular working hours
• Frequent outdoor assignment

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted by HRMD