Head of Affiliate Customs

Who are we?
Volvo Cars is a company on a mission; to bring traditional car manufacturing into a connected, sustainable and smart future.
Since 1927, we have been a brand known for our commitment to safety, creating innovative cars that make life less complicated for our consumers. In 2010, we decided to transform our business, resulting in a totally new generation of cars and technologies, as well as steady growth and record sales. Today, we’re expanding our global footprint in Europe, China and the US, and we’re on the lookout for new talent.
We are constantly pushing our own skills and abilities to drive change in the automobile industry like never before. We are looking for innovative, committed people to join us in this endeavour and create safe, sustainable and connected cars. We believe in the power of people and will challenge and support you to reach your full potential. Join us and be part of Volvo Cars’ journey into the future.

What’s in it for you? 
Customs and Trade are, of course, fundamental to Volvo Cars’ success. If you are the right person for this job, you will realise the opportunity to play a key role for the company’s performance in this area. You’ll see how leveraging on the right tools, methods, processes, targets, will drive positive change in all parts of the company. How the organisation can be challenged to continuously improve, and how the results in terms of customs and trade will contribute both to the company’s growth and to your own professional development. Your work will drive the profitability of the affiliates and Volvo Cars through driving Customs & Trade as the strategic question it deservedly is and by leveraging resources across the group.

What you’ll do 
As the Head of (Director) Affiliate Customs you will be the owner of the Customs & Trade facilitation in Volvo Cars’ strategic affiliates – primarily Polestar and Lynk&Co.
You will be the main voice of Customs & Trade within the affiliates and as such it will be up to you to network with the relevant people and functions to create understanding of abilities, track opportunities for savings for the affiliates and Volvo Cars or for the affiliates alone.
You will be responsible for identifying ideas, methods and opportunities arising from the business plans and programs pursued within the affiliates. In other words, your job will be to know their business and generate the ideas where Customs can contribute positively to the business case or identify the actions that can lift customs roadblocks for ideas in the business.
Once identified and sold, you will be responsible for delivering the necessary ideas through project management making use of existing internal resources or bought capacity.
You will be hired in Volvo Cars and will mainly be working for and with the affiliates. Your ability to balance stakeholders, engage and drive decisions outside of your own authority will be essential for your success in this role.
You will be part of the management team of Volvo Cars’ Global Customs & Export Controls and will report to the Head of Global Customs & Export Controls.

Do you fit the profile? 
You have several years of experience in international Trade advisory, either as a consultant or in-house where you have a track record of identifying value propositions and turning them into real value.
You’re in a place in your career and development where you are comfortable taking a leadership role based on your experience and your knowledge. Your ability to engage with people and activities is steadfast even where they are C-Suite, Vice presidents, accountants, or the youngest intern – also where they are not ready to listen.
You believe that your next step after this role naturally would either be a combined leadership/manager role in one of the specialized Trade compliance functions or for the entire Global Customs & Export Controls function.
You follow through on your ideas and your commitments. People around you see you as trustworthy, dependable and a collaborator. You balance the interests of everyone, and you are proactive in shaping expectations from stakeholders as well as communicate your expectations clearly.
You keep abreast with what is happening around you both in your job and in the wider world and you work to anticipate the implications of those developments, business ideas or changes to legislation and you create the strategy to address that future.  You map the steps needed to achieve those strategies keeping it simple instead of rushing into unplanned activities.
Expect some travel in the role. 

How to learn more and apply 
For questions about the position please contact Head of Global Customs & Export Controls, Morten Steen Jensen at email: Morten.steen.jensen@volvocars.com or telephone + 46 723 71 78 72. For questions regarding the recruitment process, please contact recruiter Heléne Stigsson at Helene.stigsson@volvocars.com. We want your application at the latest 2nd of August 2021. Please note that applications via email will not be accepted.