Lead Trade Compliance Specialist

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and rebuild the day-to-day activities of S&C’s trade compliance function.
• Establish procedures, refine those that are outdated, and serve as the primary subject-matter expert on complex trade and compliance matters.
• Create and standardize classification processes for goods using the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS), Schedule B, and Harmonized System codes.
• Review and clean existing classification data to ensure accuracy, consistency, and duty-savings optimization.
• Provide hands-on guidance and training to internal teams on export and import requirements while building cross-functional understanding and alignment across the organization.
• Create, implement, and maintain new documentation workflows for Certificates of Origin, Manufacture Affidavits, and other required trade documents.
• Identify gaps in current documentation practices and drive improvements.
• Evaluate and correct existing import/export documentation, identifying inaccuracies, inconsistencies, and duty drawback opportunities.
• Build and implement improved processes for documentation management and related Oracle ERP transactions.
• Overhaul and support post-entry correction processes, ensuring all historical and future documentation is complete, accurate, and audit ready.
• Design, build, and maintain reporting metrics for internal trade compliance audits—including clearance accuracy, duty/tax visibility, and other key indicators.
• Collaborate closely with the Manager – Global Trade Compliance to prepare for internal and external audits.
• Drive corrective actions stemming from audits or compliance issues, establishing sustainable processes to prevent recurrence.
• Monitor legislative and regulatory changes and proactively recommend updates to internal processes and compliance controls.
• Partner with Legal Services and other internal groups to ensure sales and vendor transactions meet sanctioned-party screening and other regulatory requirements.
• Escalate complex issues appropriately while improving cross-functional compliance awareness.
• Manage and formalize Power of Attorney processes with customs brokers and freight forwarders, ensuring documentation is current, accurate, and aligned with new procedures.
• Adhere to all applicable company policies and rules while helping shape new compliance standards and expectations for this newly established function.
• Develop, implement, and manage KPIs that measure trade compliance performance, highlight risk areas, and track process efficiency.
• Build clear reporting tools and dashboards that provide leadership with ongoing visibility into compliance trends and continuous improvement opportunities.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, International Business, Supply Chain Logistics, or related field.
• Certified Customs Specialist (CCS) or Licensed Customs Broker.
• Strong Excel or data analysis capability (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, data cleansing).
• 7+ years of experience in an logistics role with specific experience in trade compliance, such as with import/export regulations.
• Expertise in HTS, Schedule B, and HS classification, including building and maintaining accurate classification databases.
• Ability to clean, validate, and organize large, complex datasets (broker data, ERP data, classification records).
• Experience creating new trade compliance processes, SOPs, workflows, and controls from the ground up.
• Proven success improving or rebuilding compliance programs, documentation flows, and audit readiness.
• Experience working in Oracle, SAP, or similar ERP systems, especially trade compliance modules.
• Experience designing and maintaining compliance reporting, dashboards, and audit metrics.
• Experience managing import/export documentation (COOs, affidavits, commercial invoices, packing lists).
• Knowledge of duty drawback, post entry corrections, PSCs, protests, and reconciliation processes.
• Familiarity with sanctioned party screening, restricted party lists, and escalation procedures.
• Strong problem-solving skills with a continuous improvement mindset (root cause analysis, corrective actions).
• Ability to work in an unstructured environment and bring order, clarity, and standardization.
• Proven success in training, educating, and influencing cross functional teams on compliance requirements and new processes.
• Strong communication skills for explaining complex regulatory topics to non-experts.
• Experience supporting internal and external trade compliance audits.
• Ability to manage relationships with customs brokers, freight forwarders, and government agencies.
• High attention to detail, accuracy, and documentation quality.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple competing tasks in a fast changing environment.