Trade and Compliance Manager

Hermès, the iconic luxury house, is seeking a Trade and Compliance Manager to lead its import/export operations from Dubai. This full-time, on-site position focuses on coordinating shipments and ensuring compliance with UAE regulations so goods move smoothly from production to distribution.

Based in Dubai, the role partners with the Local Distribution Center and the central warehouse to manage airfreight bookings, delivery schedules, and customs clearance with freight forwarders. It’s a fit for someone who enjoys cross-team coordination, problem solving, and keeping complex schedules on track in a fast-moving environment.

With a global footprint and a commitment to meticulous logistics, Hermès looks for a candidate who can bring strong compliance focus, clear communication, and hands-on experience in import/export operations to the Dubai team.

Moving import and export shipments smoothly

You will handle day-to-day import and export shipments to and from the Local Distribution Center, ensuring a smooth flow of goods to and from the central warehouse and coordinating airfreight bookings, delivery windows, and customs clearance with freight forwarders.

On the customs and documentation side, you will prepare, verify, and reconcile shipping documents and invoices, and issue clearance instructions to maintain accuracy and regulatory compliance. You will liaise with customs brokers and authorities to support timely clearance.

Maintaining proactive communication with freight partners, internal teams, and external stakeholders is key to avoiding delays and resolving issues. You will provide regular updates on shipment status and escalate concerns when necessary.

You will assist the Import Export Manager in executing logistics plans and maintaining service levels, while tracking partner performance against SLAs and supporting KPI monitoring.

All activities must conform to UAE customs regulations, Dubai South Free Zone requirements, VAT and duty rules, and internal corporate policies. You will coordinate with Finance for timely duty top-ups and accurate VAT/costing submissions for UAE.

When problems occur, delivery delays, damaged goods, scheduling conflicts, you respond quickly and work with relevant teams to resolve issues and minimize operational disruption.

Close work with the local warehouse team ensures stock movements align with shipment schedules, while coordinating at the LDC level to guarantee accurate and timely handling of goods.

In practice, success is measured by timely and accurate execution of import and export shipments, zero discrepancies in shipping documentation, accurate reconciliation of inventory across systems and physical stock, and consistent compliance with UAE regulations. Positive feedback from internal stakeholders and freight partners and minimal delays or disruptions also mark top performance.

Must-have and nice-to-have capabilities

• Bachelor’s degree in Logistics, Supply Chain, or related field
• About six years of hands-on experience in import/export logistics or freight operations
• Strong knowledge of air freight, customs procedures, and relevant shipping documentation
• Experience with duty-paid or unpaid stock and freezone operations, with Dubai South Free Zone familiarity preferred
• Excellent organizational and communication skills, plus the ability to work under pressure and manage multiple priorities
• Proficiency with logistics systems (ERP, WMS) is a plus

• Additional language skills beyond English
• Track record of driving process improvements that reduce delays or improve KPI performance
• Ability to analyse basic logistics data and produce simple reports to support decisions

Coach tips for applicants

Lead your resume with a concise summary that calls out six years of import/export logistics experience, your air freight and customs expertise, and a proven ability to move shipments on time with clean documentation.

Back up the must-have skills with concrete examples showing how you’ve prepared shipping documents, reconciled inventory across systems, and kept UAE compliance records up to date. Include numbers where you can to demonstrate impact, like on-time shipments and zero discrepancies.

Be ready to discuss a time you resolved a shipment issue, how you collaborated with customs brokers and internal teams, and how you maintained service levels and KPIs even under pressure.

Ask a smart question about how Dubai South Free Zone regulations shape daily decisions, and what metrics Hermès Dubai uses to measure success in this role.