Associate Director, Trade Compliance

About the role

The Associate Director Trade Compliance leads the trade compliance and governance of U.S. and global trade import/export activities for a leading medical device manufacturing organization, alongside trade strategy and trade operations. This role ensures uninterrupted global supply chain flows and patient access while maintaining strict adherence to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Partner Government Agency (PGA) regulations, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A valid Licensed Customs Broker (LCB) credential is required to sign customs business, direct broker management, and act as the internal authority on tariff classification, valuation, and compliance frameworks.

Details: Location: US - Franklin Lakes or San Diego

Responsibilities

• Serve as the company's qualified Licensed Customs Broker (LCB) responsible for supervising formal customs entries, binding rulings, protests, post-entry amendments, and prior disclosures.
• Design, implement, and scale end-to-end trade compliance policies, work instructions, and internal controls across global manufacturing sites and distribution hubs.
• Coordinate closely with Regulatory Affairs and Quality teams to manage FDA Notice of Arrival (NoA) requirements, product drop-codes, and other PGA import compliance obligations.
• Oversee accurate Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) classifications, country-of-origin markings, FTA, preferential and non-preferential Certificates of Origin and complex valuation determinations (including assists, royalties, and reconciliations), transfer pricing value and FTA reconciliations.
• Direct performance management of third-party customs brokers, freight forwarders, and overseas contract manufacturing partners to minimize risk and optimize clearance times.
• Implement and manage cost-saving tariff mitigation strategies and programs, such as Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), TIB, USMCA, duty drawback, First Sale, and Reconciliation programs.
• Manage regulatory requirements for duty-free temporary imports, inventory controls, and virtual transfers specific to maquiladora operations.
• Trade data creation and management (HS, COO, ECCN).
• Trusted Trader – Partner programs (AEO, CTPAT) that confer commercial benefits.
• Conduct ongoing internal trade import/export assessments, manage external CBP audits, and drive robust corrective action plans.
• Partner with Business Units, Logistics, Procurement, Supply Chain and Legal teams to identify duty mitigation opportunities, deliver continuous compliance training and operational alignment.

Requirements

Active U.S. Customs Broker License (LCB) issued by CBP is strictly required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, International Business, Logistics, or a related field (Advanced degree or legal certification is a plus).
• Minimum of 8–10 years of progressive international trade compliance experience, with at least 5 years managing import & export operations within a multinational, FDA-regulated medical device, diagnostics, or pharmaceutical manufacturing environment.
• Deep expertise in 19 CFR (U.S. Customs Regulations), HTSUS classification, customs valuation, Incoterms® 2020, and C-TPAT supply chain security frameworks.
• Demonstrated experience working with major ERP systems (e.g., SAP, GTS) and automated customs data entry/filing environments (ACE).
• Proven ability to lead in a matrixed corporate structure, communicate risk effectively