Director Of North America Trade Compliance And Programs
Automate your job search with Sonara.
Submit 10x as many applications with less effort than one manual application.1
Reclaim your time by letting our AI handle the grunt work of job searching.
We continuously scan millions of openings to find your top matches.
Overview
Job Description
As Director of North America Trade Compliance and Programs you will lead programs to ensure compliance with international trade regulations with particular focus on US, Mexico and Canada. This position reports to the General Counsel for Supply Chain and is responsible for US Customs compliance programs and IMMEX compliance including, origin determinations, customs and export classifications, customs valuation, duty analytics, and free trade agreement qualifications and certificates. You will drive strategy to optimize duty savings, and customs and export compliance standards along with building improved process for IMMEX compliance. The role bridges supply chain, engineering, and legal teams to translate complex customs regulations into scalable operational programs.
JOB DUTIES:
Tariff Classification: Oversee the accurate assignment of Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) and Schedule B codes, establish defensible rationales for product classifications and prepare for customs audits.
Free Trade Agreements (FTA): Develop and audit qualification strategies for FTAs (e.g., USMCA, AGOA), manage supplier solicitation, validate origin determinations, and maximize duty savings.
Leadership: Lead and mentor a team of customs professionals, ensuring continuous development and high performance.
IMMEX Regulatory Reporting: Ensure accuracy of Annex 24 (inventory control) and Annex 30 (VAT/IEPS certification) across all Mexico facilities for the company to comply with tax obligations. Stay abreast of industry developments and regulatory changes affecting customs operations.
Master Data Governance: Enforce compliance within ERP and Global Trade systems (e.g., SAP, Trade Flow, Thomson Reuters, etc.), ensuring seamless integration of HTS, ECCN, and Country of Origin (COO) data.
Risk Management: Mitigate risk regarding Sections 232/301 tariffs, anti-dumping duties (AD/CVD), and denied party screenings. Monitor and calibrate screening requirements and tools.
Policy & Reporting: Define global trade strategy for subject areas, set internal controls and KPIs, and serve as liaison with third-party customs brokers.
Ability to travel up to 10% or as business needs require.
YOU MUST HAVE:
10+ years of progressive experience in international trade, customs brokerage, or supply chain.
Deep understanding of the Harmonized Tariff System (HTS), U.S. Customs Regulations (19 CFR), and USMCA origin rules.
Significant experience with IMMEX (Annex 24 and SAT) compliance, audit and systems.
Working Knowledge and experience with ECCN classification, CCATs and BIS regulations.
A U.S. Customs Broker License and/or Project Management Professional (PMP) certification are heavily preferred.
SAT IMMEX audit experience is highly valued.
Bi-lingual (Spanish and English)
Proven people leader
WE VALUE:
Experience working in a multinational, matrixed environment that values collaboration and relationship building.
Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate complex data into clear insights and practical actions.
Expertise working with trade systems, analytics tools, and emerging technologies.
Track record of developing high performing teams and encouraging curiosity, innovation, and continuous learning.
Electronics and software experience.
Manufacturing industry experience.
#LI-CF1
#LI-HYBRID
Automate your job search with Sonara.
Submit 10x as many applications with less effort than one manual application.
