Clearance Manager (Air Freight – Cross-Border E-Commerce)

Role Overview

The Clearance Manager (Air Freight – Cross-Border E-Commerce) is a managerial role with full supervisory authority over air freight clearance operations supporting cross-border e-commerce flows.

The position is responsible for strategic oversight, regulatory compliance, service quality, and scalability of clearance operations between China-based sellers/platforms and Singapore/regional destinations.

This role functions as a key operational bridge between China Headquarters, air freight partners, customs authorities, and local customer service teams.

Directly manage, supervise, and evaluate customer service and clearance officers handling air freight e-commerce shipments.

Establish operational policies, SOPs, escalation frameworks, and performance standards for clearance and customer service teams.

Authorize clearance decisions, exception handling, dispute resolution, and corrective actions for regulatory or declaration discrepancies.

Lead manpower planning, workload distribution, and capability development to support business growth and peak e-commerce seasons.

Define and monitor KPIs including clearance turnaround time (TAT), first-time clearance success rate, exception rate, and customer resolution SLA.

Design scalable clearance workflows aligned with high-volume, time-sensitive cross-border e-commerce air freight operations.

Drive automation initiatives, including system-based HS classification checks, permit validation logic, and exception flagging.

Coordinate with e-commerce platforms, airlines, freight forwarders, and internal IT teams to ensure seamless system integration and data accuracy.

Continuously assess regulatory changes and implement proactive compliance strategies to mitigate operational and financial risks.

Act as the subject matter expert for air freight clearance in cross-border e-commerce environments.

Manage complex, high-frequency shipments involving mixed SKUs, promotional volumes, and fast delivery timelines.

Support China-based sellers and platforms by translating regulatory requirements into executable operational processes.

Ensure alignment between commercial commitments, platform SLAs, and regulatory clearance feasibility.

Fluency in both English and Mandarin is a business-critical requirement.

Mandarin is required for direct coordination with China Headquarters, sellers, e-commerce platforms, and upstream operational teams.

English is required for engagement with Singapore customs authorities, air freight partners, and internal regional stakeholders.

The role regularly handles bilingual documentation, system data, regulatory explanations, and operational reporting.

Degree or diploma in Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Business, or a related discipline.

Minimum 5–8 years of experience in air freight operations, customs clearance, or cross-border e-commerce logistics.

Proven experience in managing teams, setting KPIs, and driving operational improvements.

Strong understanding of customs regulations, HS classification principles, and air freight documentation.

Demonstrated ability to operate in high-volume, fast-paced e-commerce environments.