Assistant Manager, Import

LUXASIA is the leading and largest beauty omnichannel brand-builder of Asia Pacific. Since 1986, it has successfully enabled market entry and brand growth for more than 100 luxury beauty brands, the likes of Albion, Aveda, Bvlgari, Calvin Klein, Creed, Diptyque, Hermes, La Prairie, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Montblanc, Rabanne, Ferragamo, and SK-II. LUXASIA has established Joint Ventures with the likes of LVMH Group, Revlon (for Elizabeth Arden), Puig, Shiseido, and Orveon (for Laura Mercier).  The Group's integrated brand-building capabilities include luxury retail, online commerce, consumer marketing & analytics, and supply chain management. LUXASIA is powered by a diverse and dynamic #OneTeam of 2700 talents across a growing footprint of 15 markets.

Why Join Us

At LUXASIA, we believe there is beauty within every talent – that is you.

We grow you by building your competencies and unleashing your potential. We have curated a vast portfolio of over 100 luxury brands across Asia Pacific and growing. Your work will enrich the lives of millions of consumers across the region. With us, you get to be an entrepreneur, running the business like it is your very own. We give you autonomy but not without guidance and genuine care. We are a diverse and inclusive team that is courageously innovative. Together as #OneTeam, we celebrate differences, embrace change, explore new ideas, take risks, fail fast, and drive results. While challenges at work are inevitable, the journey promises to be fulfilling.

With LUXASIA, an exciting career filled with robust professional growth awaits you. Isn’t that beautiful?

Overall Role Purpose:

The Assistant Manager, Import provides operational leadership and oversight of the end-to-end import function in Malaysia, covering both distribution and retail channels. The role is accountable for ensuring full compliance with Malaysian customs regulations — including the Customs Act 1967, Sales Tax Act 2018, and applicable product certification requirements under SIRIM and MCMC — while driving process

efficiency, accurate documentation, and timely customs clearance. In addition to managing day-to-day import operations, the Assistant Manager supervises and develops the Import Executive(s), acts as the primary liaison with customs authorities, freight forwarders, and regulatory bodies,

Key Roles & Responsibilities:

Import Operations Oversight

• Oversee and review all import declarations (K1 / K8) submitted via the uCustoms / SMK system, ensuring accuracy of HS tariff codes, declared values, and quantities before submission to RMCD

• Review and approve import documentation packages — commercial invoice, packing list, B/L / AWB, Certificate of Origin (COO), and product certifications — prior to customs clearance

• Manage the end-to-end import cycle for all electronics shipments, from PO placement through to goods receipt at the warehouse, ensuring alignment with business lead time requirements

• Reconcile and validate PO data in SAP against supplier invoices and shipping documents; resolve discrepancies and escalate where necessary

• Monitor shipment ETD/ETA schedules and proactively manage exceptions, delays, or priority clearances to protect stock availability

Regulatory Compliance & Licensing

• Ensure all electronics imports comply with applicable Malaysian product approval requirements, including SIRIM type approval and MCMC dealer / importer registration obligations

• Oversee the preparation, submission, and renewal of import licences and permits (e.g. Customs (Prohibition of Imports) Order approvals, Surat Kebenaran Import (SKI)) through MyTradeLink and relevant government portals

• Monitor the validity of all import licences, product certifications, and regulatory authorisations; maintain a forward-looking renewal calendar to prevent lapses
Interpret and apply changes in trade regulations, tariff classifications, or customs policy to operational procedures; brief team members and stakeholders on regulatory updates in a timely manner

• Act as the company's principal point of contact with RMCD, SIRIM, MCMC, and other regulatory authorities for import-related enquiries, audits, or inspections

Customs Duties, Taxes & Cost Management

• Ensure accurate computation of customs duties, Sales Tax, and other applicable import levies; review declarations for duty optimisation opportunities within regulatory bounds

• Monitor and reconcile duty and tax payments; work with Finance to manage import cost accruals and budget alignment

• Identify and apply for applicable duty exemptions, Sales Tax exemptions, or relief schemes where relevant to the product portfolio

• Maintain records of all duty payments, tax invoices, and customs receipts for audit and financial reporting purposes

Vendor & Stakeholder Management

• Manage relationships with appointed licensed customs agents, freight forwarders, and third-party logistics (3PL) providers; monitor service levels and escalate performance issues

• Coordinate with regional supply chain teams and brand principals on shipment scheduling, documentation requirements, and market-specific import compliance needs for the priducts

• Liaise with internal stakeholders — Supply Logistics/Freight, Finance, Warehouse, and Retail Operations — to communicate shipment status, resolve supply disruptions, and align on import priorities

• Evaluate and onboard freight forwarder or customs broker partners as required; support tender processes and vendor assessments

Team Leadership & Development

• Supervise, mentor, and develop Import Executive(s), providing day-to-day guidance on customs procedures, documentation standards, and problem resolution

• Conduct regular performance reviews, set clear objectives aligned to department KPIs, and identify training and development needs for the team

• Allocate workload across the team to ensure coverage and efficiency during peak shipment periods or regulatory submission deadlines

• Foster a compliance-first, continuous improvement mindset within the team

Process Improvement & Systems

• Identify and implement process improvements across the import cycle to reduce lead times and minimise errors

• Maintain and enhance the Import Master Data file, Import Status Monitoring tracker, and licence / permit registry for accuracy and accessibility

• Support the rollout or optimisation of ERP / SAP import modules; ensure data integrity across system entries made by the team

• Develop and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all key import processes, ensuring they are current with regulatory requirements and company policy

Reporting & Governance

• Prepare regular import performance reports covering shipment status, clearance lead times, duty costs, and compliance metrics for stakeholders

• Support internal and external audit readiness; ensure all import files are properly maintained, retrievable, and compliant with RMCD record-keeping requirements

• Flag regulatory risk, shipment anomalies, or compliance gaps to the Import & Regulatory Manager promptly with recommended mitigation actions

Requirements

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Supply Chain Management, International Trade, Business Administration, Logistics, or a related discipline

• Minimum 4–6 years of progressive experience in import operations, customs brokerage, freight forwarding, or trade compliance, preferably with at 1–2 years in a supervisory or team lead capacity

• Demonstrated hands-on experience with Malaysian customs procedures, including K1/K8 submissions via SMK / uCustoms, and engagement with RMCD

• Experience in electronics importation, including familiarity with SIRIM type approval and MCMC regulatory requirements preferred

Knowledge & Skills

• Strong working knowledge of the Customs Act 1967, Sales Tax Act 2018, and the regulatory framework governing electronics imports in Malaysia

• Proficient in HS tariff classification under Malaysia's Customs Tariff; able to independently assess classification and advise the team

• Familiarity with import duty exemption schemes, Sales Tax exemptions, and Free Trade Agreement (FTA) preferential tariff applications

• Experience with SAP or equivalent ERP system for PO management, goods receipt, and landed cost processing

• Good command of MyTradeLink, RMCD portal, and relevant government e-services portals

• Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills; able to work effectively across functions and with external authorities

• Analytical and solution-oriented; able to manage competing priorities and resolve complex customs or logistics issues under time pressure

• Proficient in Microsoft Excel for data tracking, reporting, and cost analysis

• Fluent in English and Bahasa Malaysia, both written and spoken