Director – Inbound Logistics & Customs

The Director, Inbound Logistics & Customs, APAC provides end-to-end strategic and operational leadership for inbound transportation and customs trade compliance across the APAC platform. The role is accountable for the compliant, reliable and cost-effective logistics flow of finished goods from global origins into APAC.

This position sets the regional strategy, governance model and performance agenda across inbound logistics, customs compliance, broker and service-provider management, systems, data, cost and risk. It connects compliance requirements with physical product flow, planning, capacity, sourcing and serves as the senior APAC partner to Global Logistics, Supply Chain, Finance, Legal, Procurement, Global Trade Compliance, brands and country teams.

The Director leads and develops regional logistics and customs teams, builds succession strength and an inclusive, accountable culture, and represents VF with customs authorities and external partners as appropriate. The role converts enterprise priorities into scalable regional capabilities, disciplined execution and measurable service, cost, compliance and resilience outcomes.

Key Accountabilities

Strategy, Governance & Enterprise Leadership

·       Define and own the integrated APAC inbound logistics and customs strategy, roadmap, operating model and multi-year capability agenda, aligned with global supply chain and business objectives.

·       Provide senior leadership across regional priorities, risk trade-offs and transformation initiatives; establish clear governance, decision rights and escalation paths.

·       Embed customs, logistics, cost, service and resilience considerations into sourcing, network, planning, systems and market-entry decisions.

·       Lead cross-functional governance forums and provide concise executive updates on performance, risk, savings, capacity, major disruptions and regulatory developments.

Inbound Logistics Operations & Network Performance

·       Own regional inbound flow from global suppliers and origin gateways into APAC distribution centers and markets, ensuring reliable, cost-effective and compliant execution.

·       Oversee capacity planning, routing, mode selection, consolidation, container utilization, lead times, delivery performance, exception management and recovery planning.

·       Partner with regional planning, origin logistics, Procurement, Customs and distribution-center teams to align inbound plans with demand, inventory and capacity requirements.

·       Sponsor network optimization, digitalization, automation and process redesign initiatives that improve service, visibility, productivity and scalability.

·       Oversee freight billing controls and audit processes, including exception reduction and disciplined cost governance.

Customs Trade Compliance & Risk

·       Own the APAC customs trade compliance program across VF brands and relevant business entities, with appropriate focus on key markets including Greater China, Japan and South Korea.

·       Establish and maintain policies, procedures, controls and assurance mechanisms covering import and export activities.

·       Provide governance over tariff classification, country of origin, customs valuation, duty-rate assignment, rulings and customs-data integrity.

·       Lead regional risk assessments, audit readiness, internal and external customs audits, authority interactions and timely remediation of findings.

·       Drive Free Trade Agreement utilization, duty optimization, special customs programs and other legitimate trade-preference opportunities while maintaining strong compliance controls.

External Partner, Cost & Performance Management

·       Own regional governance for freight forwarders, carriers, customs brokers, 3PLs, consultants and other service providers, in partnership with Procurement.

·       Set performance expectations, service-level standards, scorecards and corrective-action plans; lead senior performance reviews, escalation management and continuous improvement.

·       Guide sourcing, contracting, rate and commercial discussions, balancing service, compliance, resilience and total landed cost.

·       Own the regional KPI framework and executive dashboards, including on-time delivery, lead time, cost per unit, utilization, demurrage and detention, damage, broker performance, audit findings, duty, savings and compliance indicators.

People & Organizational Leadership

·       Lead, coach and develop regional inbound logistics and customs teams, with accountability for organization design, priorities, objectives, performance, engagement and capability building.

·       Build succession plans and future leadership capability through purposeful delegation, feedback, development planning and cross-functional exposure.

·       Create an inclusive, high-performing culture characterized by clarity, trust, accountability, collaboration, learning and constructive challenge.

·       Lead effectively through change, disruption and competing priorities across countries, cultures and a complex matrix organization.

·       Daily/weekly stakeholder management to be proactive, transparent, and collaborative to achieve key business goals

Decision Scope & Impact

·       Accountable for regional inbound logistics and customs strategy, governance, operating performance and risk management across the APAC platform.

·       Influences regional network, sourcing, systems, service-provider, cost and investment decisions with material impact on product availability, landed cost, compliance exposure and business continuity.

·       Acts as the senior escalation point for significant inbound disruptions, customs matters, authority requests, audit issues and third-party performance concerns.

·       Leads direct reports and broader cross-functional or project teams; final organization size and reporting lines to be confirmed.

Experience, Education & Qualifications

·       Bachelor’s degree in Logistics, Supply Chain Management, International Trade, Customs, Business, Finance or a related discipline. A relevant postgraduate qualification is an advantage.

·       12+ years of progressive experience across international logistics, inbound transportation, customs trade compliance or complex end-to-end supply chain operations, including substantial APAC regional responsibility.

·       7+ years of people-leadership experience, including leadership of managers or senior professionals in a regional, cross-border or matrix environment.

·       Demonstrated success setting regional strategy, leading transformation, managing material operational and compliance risk, and influencing executive stakeholders.

·       Deep practical knowledge of APAC import/export and customs environments; experience in China, Japan and South Korea is strongly preferred.

·       Proven experience managing freight forwarders, carriers, customs brokers, 3PLs and consultants, including commercial governance and performance improvement.

·       Experience with customs audits, authorities, tariff classification, origin, valuation, duty optimization and trade programs.

·       Apparel, footwear, retail, consumer goods or another high-volume, complex global supply chain environment is strongly preferred.

·       Fluent written and spoken English. Practical Chinese-language capability is an advantage.

Leadership & Functional Competencies

·       Enterprise and strategic leadership: connects external trends and business strategy to clear regional choices, priorities and measurable outcomes.

·       Integrated logistics and compliance judgement: balances legal compliance, service, cost, speed, resilience and customer impact without compromising integrity.

·       Executive influence and communication: translates complex operational and customs topics into clear decisions, trade-offs and actions for varied audiences.

·       People leadership: inspires, coaches and empowers diverse teams, strengthens accountability and develops successors and future leaders.

·       Cross-cultural collaboration: builds trusted partnerships across countries, brands and functions and resolves competing priorities constructively.

·       Commercial and analytical acumen: uses data, total landed cost and risk insights to challenge assumptions and improve decisions.

·       Transformation and digital mindset: sponsors scalable solutions, automation, process standardization and effective use of systems and data.

·       Resilience and composure: leads decisively through disruption, urgent shipment issues, audits and regulatory change.

Systems, Data & Working Conditions

·       Strong working knowledge of ERP, transportation, customs and trade-compliance platforms; SAP, Infor and related data environments are advantageous.

·       Advanced capability in KPI design, data analysis, executive reporting and Microsoft 365 tools.

·       Regular engagement with APAC markets, global stakeholders, authorities and external service providers.

·       Travel expected across APAC based on business needs, approximately 20-30%.

Equal Opportunity Statement

VF is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal opportunities in employment and treating associates and applicants without discrimination on the basis of any legally protected characteristic.

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