Trade Compliance Manager

About the Role

The Trade Compliance Manager will lead a small team compliance analysts while remaining actively involved in day-to-day trade compliance operations. This role is responsible for overseeing global import and export compliance, ensuring adherence to international trade regulations, and optimizing tariff and freight cost strategies. The manager will drive process improvements, implement internal controls, and provide strategic insights to support our multinational supply chain operations.

What You'll Do

Leadership & Team Management

• Manage and mentor a small team of Trade Compliance Analysts, providing guidance, training, and performance feedback.
• Allocate resources and prioritize tasks to ensure timely and accurate compliance activities.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement and compliance excellence.

Operational Responsibilities

• Oversee and participate in record-keeping for import/export filings and day-to-day compliance activities.
• Supervise classification processes for Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS), Schedule B, and Harmonized System Codes (HSC) to ensure compliant imports/exports and maximize duty savings.
• Understand trade restrictions on items under regulatory control, classify ECCN, obtain import/export license as considered necessary
• Manage post-entry corrections and ensure proper record maintenance.
• Develop and monitor reporting metrics for internal audits, clearance accuracy, duty, tax, and compliance visibility.
• Lead corrective action plans resulting from audits and compliance issues.
• Review and audit documentation for import/export shipments, ensuring accuracy and identifying duty drawback opportunities.
• Ensure all transactions comply with applicable international trade laws and regulations.

Strategic & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with internal stakeholders (Supply Chain, Finance, Legal) to align compliance strategies with business objectives.
• Identify and implement process improvements to enhance efficiency and reduce risk.
• Serve as the primary point of escalation for complex compliance issues.

What You'll Bring

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor's Degree in International Business, Finance, Accounting, or related field (International specialization is a plus).
• CCS or CES certifications strongly preferred.
• Customs Broker License highly desired (or willingness to obtain).

Experience

• Minimum of 6-8+ years of experience in trade compliance, freight forwarding, ocean/air logistics, or international transportation.
• 0-3+ years leading and mentoring talent
• Proven experience managing a team and leading compliance initiatives.
• Hands-on experience with global import/export activities and customs compliance.

Technical Skills

• Proficiency in SAP and advanced Microsoft Excel (Pivot tables, VLOOKUPs); Power BI experience highly desirable.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail.

Soft Skills

• Excellent leadership, communication, and presentation skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Bi/multilingual abilities (e.g., Mandarin, Korean, Japanese, Dutch, French, or Spanish) are a plus.

ZT Systems assesses market data to ensure a competitive compensation package is created for all our employees. The typical base salary for this position is expected to be between $118,125 and $173,250 per year. If hired, the final base salary will be determined on an individual basis taking into consideration experience, skills, knowledge, education and/or certifications.

Base salary is just one component of ZT Systems total rewards philosophy. We take pride in offering a wide range of benefits and perks that appeal to the variety of needs across our diverse employee base. Other rewards may include bonus, paid time off, generous 401k match, tuition reimbursement, wellbeing resources, and more.

We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this opportunity but your experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

#LI:SL1, #LI:Onsite

About ZT Systems

At ZT Systems, you'll get to do work you are proud of alongside smart, passionate people. Every day, there are opportunities to collaborate with the best in the industry to design, build, and deliver impactful solutions to world-class customers. Along the way, you will gain hands-on experience in a face-paced environment that's challenging, rewarding, and career-defining.

A culture built around our values we work hard and think fast. We view challenges as opportunities-to do better, push harder, and be faster than we were the day before. When we fail, we learn from it and move on together. And when we succeed, we use the momentum to go even further. We create value with everything we do, building the foundation of today-and transforming the future of tomorrow.

Join ZT Systems and help us build technology infrastructure that connects the world.

What We Offer

At ZT Systems, we believe that investing in our people is key to our continued growth and innovation. When you join our team, you'll gain access to a comprehensive and inclusive benefits package designed to support your well-being, financial security, and professional development-both now and in the future.

Compensation & Financial Security

• Competitive base salary
• Performance-based annual bonus eligibility
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with generous company match
• Tuition reimbursement for eligible education programs

Health & Wellness

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with access to leading providers
• Mental health resources and employee wellness support programs-
• Company-paid life and disability insurance

Time Away & Work-Life Balance

• Generous paid time off (PTO) and company-paid holidays
• Parental leave and family care support programs

Growth & Purpose

• Structured training programs and on-the-job learning opportunities
• Matching gifts and volunteer programs to support causes you care about

These benefits are available to eligible employees and are designed to grow with you as your career evolves. Full benefits and eligibility varies by work location. Learn more about our benefits here.

ZT Group Int'l. is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. ZT Systems provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Please be aware that certain positions may require the applicant to either 1) be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or 2) be eligible to obtain an export control license or license exception from the Bureau of Industry and Science & U.S. Department of Commerce. All offers of employment will be conditional subject to the foregoing.