Sen. Manager: Customs Airport Control at The South African Revenue Service (SARS)

Job Purpose

• To effectively manage an airport in order to ensure optimal trade facilitation, border security and control, compliance and revenue collection.

Education and Experience

Minimum Qualification & Experience Required

• Honours / Postgraduate Diploma (NQF 8) in a Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Business  Management International Trade AND 10-12 years' experience in customs and excise operating environment including trade value chain , of which 3-4 years ideally at middle management level

#ALTERNATIVE

• Bachelor's Degree / Advanced Diploma  (NQF 7) , Business Management International Trade AND 12 - 15 years’ experience in customs and excise operating environment including trade value chain , of which 3-4 years ideally at middle management level.  

Minimum Functional Requirements

• Strategic management of Customs and create seamless process with border/ ports operations.
• Strategic Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement – Fostering strong partnerships with trade bodies, logistics service providers, the business community, government agencies, and airport stakeholders to improve service delivery, enhance operational coordination, support compliance, and contribute to secure and efficient border management through a whole-of-government approach.
• Values-based leadership: Model integrity, accountability, and service excellence as per SARS’s leadership ethos.
• Process optimization: Streamline workflows to reduce delays and enhance compliance monitoring.

Job Outputs:

Process

• Develop operational targets in support of tactical delivery plans and organisational strategic objectives in partnership with divisional leadership.
• Develop tactical strategy and delivery plans in support of functional objectives in partnership with leadership. 
• Direct, control, coordinate and optimise budgeted resources to meet specific objectives and deliver agreed results and productivity requirements. 
• Ensure the development and implementation of multiple practices in alignment with operational policy and procedural frameworks. 
• Identify and recommend opportunities to continuously improve all functions and systems in line with national, regional and organisational changes.
• Identify and recommend opportunities to continuously improve all functions and systems in line with national, regional, and organisational changes. 
• Plan for handling work outputs, pull together interdependent activities and specify priorities, standards and procedures to ensure tactical excellence. 
• Proactively identify interconnected problems, determine its impact and use to develop best fit alternatives, driving best practice solutions.
• Proactively identify interconnected problems, determine its impact and use to develop best fit alternatives; driving best practice solutions. 
• Provide periodic reports on performance against plan and progress on medium-term initiatives and use to realign operating plan and objectives appropriately. 
• Recommend changes to optimise processes, systems, policies and procedures, and direct the implementation of change and innovation initiated by the organisation. 
• Timeously communicate top-down policy modification, objective achievement progress and critical success factors to impacted stakeholders. 
• Use the insights gained through integrated business reports to measure success and realign tactical strategy development objectives appropriately. 

Governance

• Implement governance, risk and compliance policy in own practice areas to identify and manage governance and risk exposure liability. 
• Manage and or advise on the translation and application of policy in a specific functional area.

People

• Plan and develop enhanced organisational efficiency by identifying and addressing development requirements and providing tools for people resources. 
• Translate performance expectations into specific metrics and goals to identify and provide effective services, solve problems and achieve objectives. 
• Create a positive work climate & culture to energise employees & give meaning to work, minimise work disruption and maximise employee productivity.
• Develop & implement appropriate people capacity plans in line with delivery & efficiency targets, on budget & in partnership with specialised areas.

Finance

• Implement and monitor financial control, management of costs and corporate governance in area of accountability
• Draw up a budget aligned to business unit delivery plans, monitor planned vs. actual, minimise expenditure and report on cost efficiency.

Client

• Build and maintain relationships with clients and internal and external stakeholders that promote cross functional process delivery solutions.
• Build strong relationships and develop service level agreements that promote SARS with internal and external stakeholders. 
• Develop and ensure implementation of practices which builds service delivery excellence and encourages others to provide exceptional client service. 
• Manage an integrated service excellence culture, which builds rewarding relationships and provides opportunity for feedback and exceptional service.

Behavioural competencies

• Accountability
• Fairness and Transparency
• Honesty and Integrity
• Problem Solving and Analysis
• Respect
• Trust

Technical competencies

• Border Control and Management
• Business Acumen
• Change Management
• Compliance Inspection
• Customs Knowledge
• Decisiveness
• Effective Business Communication
• Functional Policies and Procedures
• Legislative and regulatory compliance
• Managerial Budgeting
• Planning and Organising
• Planning, Management and Measurement
• Problem Analysis and Judgement
• Strategic Planning

Leadership Competencies

• Ability to translate strategy into execution
• Concern for Impact of own behaviour on others
• Develops teams and nurtures interdependency
• Inspires others to Positive Action
• Nurtures Future Talent
• Stewardship and Service Orientation
• Strong Results Orientation
• Values and Manages Diversity

Deadline:22nd October,2026