Trade Compliance Director, Import & Customs
Lead customs compliance across the Americas for a global, highly regulated organization.
This senior leadership role is responsible for owning the strategy, governance, and day-to-day execution of a regional customs compliance program across multiple business units and jurisdictions. You'll work closely with senior leadership and cross-functional partners (legal, supply chain, finance) to manage risk, optimize duty spend, and ensure alignment with evolving global trade regulations.
Acting as a key advisor to the business, you'll translate complex customs requirements into clear, practical, and commercially sound solutions. This role also carries leadership responsibility, overseeing a regional team and external partners while driving consistency, accountability, and continuous improvement across operations.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead and enhance a multi-country customs compliance program, ensuring consistency across jurisdictions
- Oversee classification, valuation, country of origin determinations, and FTA utilization
- Advise senior leadership on regulatory risk, cost exposure, and tariff mitigation strategies
- Manage audits, government inquiries, disclosures, and corrective action plans
- Oversee customs brokers, filings, and day-to-day operational compliance processes
- Drive standardization, internal controls, and process improvements across the region
- Lead, mentor, and develop a small but high-impact regional team
- Partner cross-functionally to align trade compliance strategy with broader business objectives
Requirements:
- 10+ years of experience in customs or trade compliance, with a strong leadership component
- Deep expertise in classification, valuation, origin, and tariff regimes (e.g., Section 301/232)
- Proven experience managing audits and working with customs authorities (e.g., CBP)
- Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence senior leadership
- Customs Broker License preferred
- Experience operating within a multinational, highly regulated environment
- Track record of building or improving scalable compliance programs and processe
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