Senior Manager Global Trade & Customs (APAC)
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Opportunity to work in a world class organisation
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Key influencing role in our customs, tariffs management and trade compliance
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Based in Perth, Australia
About the Team
The Global Trade Compliance team supports compliant and efficient international trade operations across the organization’s global supply chain network. The team partners with procurement, logistics, legal, finance, and external customs authorities to ensure alignment with international trade regulations while supporting operational continuity and business growth throughout APAC markets.
About the role
The Senior Manager Customs & Global Trade Manager, is responsible for leading customs operations, tariff management, and trade compliance initiatives across Australia and the broader Asia-Pacific region. This role serves as a regional subject matter expert in tariff classification, origin determination, free trade agreements (FTAs), customs valuation, and operational customs compliance.
The successful candidate will oversee customs compliance workflows, duty optimization strategies, broker management, and regional trade initiatives while supporting operational excellence and minimizing regulatory risk.
Key Responsibilities
Tariff Management & Trade Strategy
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Lead tariff classification activities using Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) and Australian customs frameworks.
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Manage duty optimization initiatives including FTAs, duty drawback opportunities, preferential trade programs, and tariff management strategies.
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Conduct origin analysis and support FTA qualification across APAC trade lanes.
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Assess tariff and landed cost impacts related to sourcing and supply chain strategies.
Customs Operations
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Oversee import and export customs operations across Australia and APAC markets.
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Manage customs brokers, freight forwarders, and external logistics providers to ensure compliant and timely customs clearance.
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Resolve customs disputes, valuation issues, cargo holds, and regulatory escalations.
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Ensure accurate customs documentation, recordkeeping, and operational compliance procedures.
Trade Compliance & Governance
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Conduct and support customs and trade compliance audits across regional operations.
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Develop and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for trade compliance activities and systems.
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Monitor regulatory developments, sanctions, tariff changes, and trade restrictions impacting APAC operations.
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Identify compliance risks and implement mitigation and corrective action plans.
Stakeholder Engagement & Continuous Improvement
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Partner closely with sourcing, procurement, logistics, and legal teams on trade compliance initiatives.
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Act as a technical resource for customs and trade compliance matters, providing guidance and subject matter expertise.
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Monitor Trade KPIs and deliver reporting and insights to support operational and strategic decision-making.
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Drive process improvement initiatives and support automation of customs and compliance workflows.
What you will bring
To be successfully considered for this role;
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5-10+ years of experience in customs operations, global trade compliance, or international logistics.
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Strong knowledge of Australian customs regulations, tariff classification, customs valuation, FTAs, and origin determination.
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Experience supporting APAC or SEA markets preferred.
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Experience managing customs brokers and regulatory stakeholders.
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Familiarity with ERP systems.
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Strong analytical and investigative skills.
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Excellent communication and stakeholder management capabilities.
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High attention to detail and compliance mindset.
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Ability to lead cross-functional initiatives in fast-paced global environments.
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Strong leadership and organizational skills.
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Continuous improvement and operational excellence focus.
What we offer:
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A work environment where safety is always the number one priority
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Flexible working from home arrangements as per operational requirements
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18 weeks of gender-neutral and equal paid parental leave, with continued superannuation contributions whilst employees are on unpaid or half paid parental leave
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A competitive base salary reflective of your skills and experience with annual incentive program
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Comprehensive medical benefits including subsidised private health insurance for employees and immediate family
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Attractive share ownership plan
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Company provided insurance cover
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Extensive salary sacrifice & salary packaging options
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Career development & education assistance to further your technical or leadership ambitions
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Ongoing access to family-friendly health and medical wellbeing support
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Leave for all of life’s reasons (vacation/annual, paid parental, sick leave)
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Exclusive employee discounts (banking, accommodation, cars, retail and more);
Application Deadline: 2nd June 2026
(Rio Tinto reserves the right to remove advertised roles prior to this date)
Please note, in order to be successfully considered for this role you must complete all pre-screening questions.
Rio Tinto does not accept unsolicited CVs or candidate profiles from recruiters or employment agencies. Rio Tinto will not consider or agree to payment of any referral compensation or recruiter fee relating to unsolicited CVs or candidate profiles. Rio Tinto reserves the right to hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. Any unsolicited CVs or candidate profiles, including those submitted to hiring managers, are deemed to be the property of Rio Tinto.
About Rio Tinto
Rio Tinto is a leading global mining and materials company. We operate in 35 countries where we produce iron ore, copper, aluminium, critical minerals, and other materials needed for the global energy transition and for people, communities, and nations to thrive.
We have been mining for 150 years and operate with knowledge built up across generations and continents. Our purpose is finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs – striving for innovation and continuous improvement to produce materials with low emissions and to the right environmental, social and governance standards. But we can’t do it on our own, so we’re focused on creating partnerships to solve problems, create win-win situations and meet opportunities.
Respect and Inclusion
At Rio Tinto, we particularly welcome and encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, the LGBTI+ community, mature workers, people with disabilities and people from different cultural backgrounds.
We are committed to an inclusive environment where people feel comfortable to be themselves. We want our people to feel that all voices are heard, all cultures respected and that a variety of perspectives are not only welcome – they are essential to our success. We treat each other fairly and with dignity regardless of race, gender, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, age, sexual orientation or anything else that makes us different.
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Rio Tinto is a leading global mining and materials company. We operate in 35 countries where we produce iron ore, copper, aluminum, critical minerals, and other materials needed for the global energy transition and for people, communities, and nations to thrive.
We have been mining for 150 years and operate with knowledge built up across generations and continents. Our purpose is finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs—striving for innovation and continuous improvement to produce materials with low emissions and to the right environmental, social and governance standards. But we can’t do it on our own, so we’re focused on creating partnerships to solve problems, create win-win and meet opportunities.
At Rio Tinto, we particularly welcome and encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, women, the LGBTQIA+ community, mature workers, people with disabilities, and people from different cultural backgrounds.
We are committed to an inclusive environment where people feel comfortable being themselves. We want our people to feel that all voices are heard, all cultures respected and that a variety of perspectives are not only welcome – they are essential to our success. We treat each other fairly and with dignity regardless of race, gender, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, or anything else that makes us who we are.
Start your application
Take your leadership career to the next level.
Where can Rio Tinto take you?
You’re passionate and ambitious with tremendous career aspirations. The breadth and growth of our organisation empowers you to define your ideal career path.
Take a look at Katie’s career journey
Take a look at Katie’s career journey
- 2022 - PresentManager Projects - Energy DevelopmentBrisbane, Queensland, Australia
- 2021Superintendent Operations CentreBrisbane, Queensland, Australia
- 2020Development / Drill and Blast SuperintendentPilbara, Western Australia
- 2019Deputy Quarry ManagerPilbara, Western Australia
- 2018Development SupervisorPilbara, Western Australia
- 2017Senior Engineer of Drill, Blast and SurveyPilbara, Western Australia
- 2016Production EngineerPilbara, Western Australia
- 2015Mine scheduler - 2 week plannerPilbara, Western Australia
- 2014Drill and Blast EngineerPilbara, Western Australia
- 2012Graduate Mining EngineerPilbara, Western Australia
- 2022 – PresentManager Projects – Energy DevelopmentBrisbane, Queensland, Australia
- 2021Superintendent Operations CentreBrisbane, Queensland, Australia
- 2020Development / Drill and Blast SuperintendentPilbara, Western Australia
- 2019Deputy Quarry ManagerPilbara, Western Australia
- 2018Development SupervisorPilbara, Western Australia
- 2017Senior Engineer of Drill, Blast and SurveyPilbara, Western Australia
- 2016Production EngineerPilbara, Western Australia
- 2015Mine scheduler – 2 week plannerPilbara, Western Australia
- 2014Drill and Blast EngineerPilbara, Western Australia
- 2012Graduate Mining EngineerPilbara, Western Australia
Working at Rio Tinto
Help us deliver the materials that make human progress possible.
The plane you’re flying in just landed. You fire up your phone and get your laptop out of the overhead bin. Immediately, you’re in work mode – thousands of miles from your office. Do you ever stop to think about all the materials that make life in the 21st century possible? At Rio Tinto, we discover, develop and deliver the materials that drive human progress. When you work with us, you’ll experience advantages you won’t find anywhere else.
Working in one of our function’s teams
We supply the materials that drive human progress. You make it all possible.
With business operations that stretch from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Perth, Western Australia, we have exciting opportunities in virtually every discipline imaginable. From HR to marketing, finance to technology, infrastructure to supply chain, and much more, the opportunities are endless. Join us and enjoy:
Our application process
01
Apply
The first thing you’ll need to do is apply to the role. You can do this with your LinkedIn profile or you can upload your resume. We’ll also ask you to complete a few questions before you submit your application.
02
Undergo assessments
Our assessments are designed to help us work out whether you are suitable for the role. We will let you know which ones you’ll need to complete.
03
Interview(s)
Our interviews could be in person or online. It’s a great opportunity for us to get to know you a bit better, answer any of your questions and talk about the exciting career opportunity you have applied for.
04
Offers and checks
At this stage, we will let you know if you have been successful. If you have been, we’ll need to conduct a couple of checks, such as a background or security check. You may also need to do a medical assessment depending on the role you have applied for.
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Join the Rio Tinto team
Once the checks have been completed, we’ll be in touch to talk with you about your start date and answer any questions you may have before you start with us.