Director, Global Trade Compliance
Job Purpose
The Director, Global Trade Compliance will lead and continuously evolve the company’s global trade compliance program across imports, exports, sanctions, forced-labor compliance, customs governance, and emerging international trade regulatory requirements.
About the Role
This role is accountable for setting the enterprise trade compliance strategy, establishing global governance, strengthening controls, enabling scalable processes and systems, and leading the team responsible for compliant movement of goods, technology, technical data, and services across borders.
Key Job Elements
Lead the global trade compliance strategy across all applicable regions, including the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific.
Develop, maintain, and continuously improve the company’s global trade compliance framework, including policies, standards, procedures, internal controls, training, monitoring, and reporting.
Establish practical, risk-based governance processes that support compliant business execution while enabling operational efficiency and commercial objectives.
Serve as a strategic advisor to senior leadership on trade compliance risks, regulatory developments, and business impacts.
Maintain alignment with applicable laws, enterprise procedures, internal controls, and Internal Audit expectations.
Develop and maintain relationships with key internal stakeholders to provide visibility to trade compliance risks, drive accountability, and support compliance from the top down.
Oversee global import and export compliance activities, including classification, country of origin, valuation, marking, recordkeeping, licensing, restricted-party screening, and government reporting.
Provide executive oversight of HTS and ECCN classification processes, including governance over classification data, documentation, quality review, and escalation.
Lead compliance with U.S. Customs and Border Protection requirements, Export Administration Regulations, Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions requirements, and applicable foreign trade regulations.
Manage sanctions and export control compliance, including foreign direct product rule analysis, end-use and end-user screening, license strategy, license exception use, deemed exports, technology transfers, and controlled technical data.
Monitor and advise the business on regulatory changes affecting global trade, including developments involving Russia, Belarus, China, restricted parties, high-risk jurisdictions, and emerging export control regimes.
Provide oversight of customs audits, government inquiries, requests for information, notices of action, penalty notices, disclosures, and mitigation responses.
Track and report the business impact of Section 232, Section 301, and other tariff actions, including rate changes, timing, sourcing impacts, and pricing considerations.
Advise sourcing, commercial, finance, and pricing teams on duty exposure, tariff mitigation opportunities, exclusion availability, and customs planning considerations.
Partner with tax, finance, and supply chain leadership to support compliant duty management and cost optimization strategies.
Provide oversight of customs brokers, freight forwarders, carriers, consultants, and other third-party trade compliance service providers.
Establish performance expectations, statements of work, rate structures, operating procedures, escalation paths, and compliance requirements for third-party providers.
Cook up coordination with transportation and logistics leadership to ensure broker and forwarder activities align with company procedures, regulatory expectations, and business needs.
Maintain effective governance over provider performance, issue resolution, audit support, and corrective action plans.
Lead trade compliance process improvement across import, export, customs, and regulatory reporting activities.
Partner with IT and business process owners on trade-related systems, ERP transformation initiatives, master data governance, automation, reporting, and system controls.
Implement, test, and post-go-live support for trade compliance systems and processes.
Manage acquisitions, divestitures, bids, and commercial transactions from a trade compliance perspective.
Train, communicate, and lead change within the organization.
Lead people and foster a culture of inclusion and respect.
Qualifications / Experience / Education / Training
Licensed U.S. Customs Broker required.
Bachelor’s degree required.
Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in import, export, customs, sanctions, or global trade compliance, preferably with an importer, exporter, manufacturer, customs broker, consulting firm, or managed services provider.
Demonstrated experience leading trade compliance programs in a complex, multinational business environment.
Strong working knowledge of U.S. Customs and Border Protection requirements, Export Administration Regulations, Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions requirements, and related global trade laws.
Demonstrated understanding of restricted-party screening, sanctioned countries, export licensing, technology transfers, deemed exports, end-use and end-user controls, reporting, and documentation requirements.
In-depth experience with Harmonized Tariff Schedule classification, Explanatory Notes, customs valuation, country of origin, import data management, and customs recordkeeping.
Experience building or improving departmental and cross-functional trade compliance governance structures.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, regulatory issues, and stakeholder expectations in a fast-paced business environment.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex regulatory requirements in clear, practical terms.
Demonstrated strength in change leadership, executive communication, risk-based decision-making, and cross-functional influence.
Other Preferred Experience
Emerging Trade Regulatory Requirements
Acquisitions, Divestitures, Bids, and Commercial Transactions
Training, Communication, and Change Leadership
People Leadership
Benefits
Compensation and benefits offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, job level, market location, job-related knowledge, skills, individual performance, and experience. Please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Progress Rail. **Competitive Salary 401(k) plan with up to 6% company match (no waiting period with immediate vesting) Medical/Dental/Vision/Life/Disability Insurance Supplemental Accident, Critical Care, and Hospital Insurance available along with an HDHP and HSA with seed money Flexible Spending Accounts Paid Vacation Paid Holidays Paid Time-Off (PTO) Employee Assistance Plan Education Assistance Program Employee Recognition Programs Site specific Production and Incentive Plans Site specific Step and Skill Level Wage Adjustment Plans Site Specific Relocation and Sign-on Bonus Programs Benefits eligibility varies by job position, full-time/part-time and regular/temporary status. The provisions of the plan documents control such benefits. Subject to position, eligibility, and plan guidelines. EEO Progress Rail is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities. Job Category Compliance/Legal PRS Facility Location Albertville, AL (PRSC Corp HQ) - 001