Head of customs affairs

Introduction to the job 

As a head of Customs Affairs, you will be leading a team of customs experts and country leads and manage ASML’s global customs portfolio. Through close collaboration with key stakeholders such as Tax, Customs Operations, Export Controls, Legal & Compliance, Strategic Sourcing & Supply Chain, Data Management, you will act as ASML’s global senior customs expert.  

In this role, you will be responsible for developing, implementing, and governing ASML’s global customs strategy. You will oversee the day-to-day Customs activities, ensure continuous risk management and guide the organization through regulatory complexity. In doing so, you will support business growth while ensuring full compliance across all customs relevant processes, systems, and decisions. 

With support from your team and colleagues from Customs operations within the Planning & Delivery organization, you will oversee the compliance aspects of customs activities. This includes engaging with local Customs authorities and other regulatory bodies to safeguard ASML’s position,  apply for rulings and manage inquiries or audits from Customs Authorities when required. 

Role and responsibilities  

As a head of customs, you will be part of the Tax & Customs organization within the broader Finance function. The Tax & Customs organization is responsible for managing ASML’s tax and customs position and tax operating model and consists of approximately 45 professionals. These experts cover besides Customs also Direct tax, Indirect Tax incl. Sales & Use Tax, Transfer pricing and Wage Tax and are located in China, Korea, Taiwan, the Netherlands and in the US. 

Based at ASML’s Headquarters (NL), you will lead a team of 8 customs experts located across the regions and will report  into the head of Trade Taxes (Customs & Indirect Taxes), member of the Tax & Customs Leadership team.  

In this role, you will:

• Lead and inspire a global Customs Affairs team across EMEA, APAC, and the US
• Grow team capabilities through coaching, training, knowledge-sharing, and structured development plans
• Strengthen collaboration across regional teams and ensure clear ownership, accountability, and alignment
• Act as a strategic advisor to senior leadership on customs-related risks, opportunities, operating models, and governance frameworks
• Define and continuously refine ASML’s global customs strategy, in alignment with corporate objectives and the evolving international regulatory landscape
• Own the global customs policy framework, standards, internal governance mechanisms, and compliance controls and ensure consistent implementation across all ASML entities and regions, based on clear guidelines, assessments and monitoring ​
• Safeguard ASML’s audit readiness and oversee strategic interactions with customs authorities worldwide

Education and experience 

To be successful in this role, you bring the following:

• Master’s degree in tax, trade law, economics, compliance, auditing or a comparable field
• 12+ years of work experience in Customs and/or Trade Compliance
• Demonstrated leadership experience within a complex, matrix-driven organization, ideally in a mid-to-large international industrial company (preferably within a technology driven environment)
• Experience with managing Customs topics in APAC/US is beneficial
• Experience within the semi-conductor, technology or machinery industry is a plus

Working at the cutting edge of tech, you’ll always have new challenges and new problems to solve – and working together is the only way do that. You won’t work in a silo. Instead, you’ll be part of a creative, dynamic work environment where you’ll collaborate with supportive colleagues. There is always space for creative and unique points of view. You’ll have the flexibility and trust to choose how best to tackle tasks and solve problems.  

To thrive in this job, you’ll need the following skills: 

• Sound judgment when it comes to setting and executing strategy and policies in the area of Customs and Trade compliance
• Leadership skills and ability to successfully lead multinational, cross-border teams 
• Strong stakeholder management skills (both within the organization and externally) and ability to collaborate effectively, communicate clearly, and balance diverse stakeholder interests
• Create strong business insights and a strategic mindset to manage complexity and drive results
• Skilled in optimizing work processes and making high-quality, data -informed  decisions
• Functional expertise in compliance management, problem-solving, and project management
• Solid Tax & Customs knowledge combined with strong technology savviness to support digital compliance