Director of Imports and Compliance

POSITION SUMMARY:     

Directs all functions related to import operations and trade compliance for the company’s customs brokerage, freight forwarding, and NVOCC activities. Ensures import and export transactions comply with applicable U.S. and foreign laws, regulations, agency requirements, and company policies. Maintains effective working relationships with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and other regulatory agencies, provides leadership on complex compliance matters, and represents the company’s interests during audits, inquiries, and enforcement-related activities. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability . Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

GEOGRAPHIC REGION: 

Please note applications out of the geographic region for position applied will not be considered. 

QUALIFICATIONS: 

Required 

Preferred  

• Bachelor’s degree.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Primary 

• Serve as the Qualifying Individual for the company’s Customs Brokerage license. 
• Oversee all customs activities of the company including maintaining the company’s permits from US Customs. 
• Establish and supervise all operating and record keeping procedures required by US Customs and FDA ensuring compliance with all federal and foreign regulations governing transactions.  
• Compile and manage all documentation and records to clear goods through US Customs and utilize experience and knowledge of US Customs rules and regulations to classify goods and determine applicable duty and taxes.
• Oversee the system requirements imposed by US Customs to ensure the company complies accordingly and maintains a cohesive and efficient automated environment. 
• Establish, monitor and revise policies, procedures and service standards for customs clearance operations and ensure that all policies and procedures are consistently administered. 
• Monitor Divisional revenue and profit and maintain a consistent growth. 
• Responsible for meeting key performance indicators (KPI) as defined with customers
• Maintain up to date knowledge, including any continuing education of the regulations and procedures of the US Customs rules and regulations for the classification and entry of goods, as well as Trade laws. 
• Manage all the staff within the Import Division by assigning work, setting completion dates, reviewing work and files for compliance and manage performance and productivity in accordance with organizational standards, policies, procedures and performance management processes. 
• Transfer knowledge to staff to ensure compliance with Federal regulations and continuously increase employee productivity through cross-training and innovative strategies.  
• Provide advice to clients on import restrictions and all customs related matters as well as assist with US Customs audits
• Develop and maintain strategies to retain and increase business from clients. 
• Assist in the growth and development of the Customs Brokerage business by identifying, pursuing, and securing new business opportunities through direct client engagement, including travel to customer locations both domestically and internationally.
• Maintain relationships with US Customs agents, in-house counsel and any outside counsel retained by management as needed to carry out duties and responsibilities as stated herein. 
• Maintain management informed of all matters related to Customs contact, audits, regulations that can impact the operations of the company.
• Provide strategic oversight of import and export compliance activities across the company’s customs brokerage, freight forwarding, and NVOCC operations.
• Develop, implement, and periodically review a comprehensive trade compliance program, including written policies, standard operating procedures, internal controls, recordkeeping requirements, training, monitoring, and corrective-action protocols.
• Lead and coordinate regulatory audits, inspections, inquiries, disclosures, and information requests involving U.S. Customs and Border Protection and other applicable government agencies; organize responses, support remediation, and keep executive management informed of material findings and risks.
• Oversee compliance with U.S. Department of Agriculture requirements for regulated agricultural products, including applicable admissibility, documentation, permit, inspection, treatment, and release requirements.
• Oversee Food and Drug Administration compliance for imported and exported regulated products, including applicable registration, prior notice, admissibility, documentation, detention, refusal, and release matters.
• Serve as the company’s lead for Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) requirements, including security profile maintenance, annual reviews, risk assessments, business-partner screening, training, validation preparation, corrective actions, and ongoing program compliance.
• Research, interpret, and communicate tariff classification, valuation, country-of-origin, marking, duty, trade-remedy, licensing, and other regulatory requirements; provide practical guidance to operations, management, and clients.
• Monitor and address compliance obligations arising under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), including applicable sanctions, tariffs, restrictions, executive actions, and related agency guidance, in coordination with legal counsel when appropriate.
• Oversee entry protests, post-entry amendments, post-summary corrections, prior disclosures, reconciliation matters, duty refund opportunities, liquidations, reliquidations, and other post-entry issues; ensure submissions are timely, accurate, complete, and properly documented.
• Establish and execute risk-based internal audits of import and export transactions, customs entries, classifications, valuations, origin determinations, licenses, agency filings, supporting documentation, and record-retention practices; track findings through corrective action and closure.
• Maintain an effective import and export compliance training program for employees whose responsibilities affect customs brokerage, forwarding, NVOCC, documentation, customer onboarding, and cargo movement activities.
• Monitor changes in customs, trade, transportation, USDA, FDA, sanctions, and other applicable regulations; evaluate operational impact and promptly update policies, procedures, systems, controls, and training materials.
• Escalate significant compliance concerns, potential violations, penalties, seizures, liquidated damages, audit findings, or enforcement risks to executive management and legal counsel, as appropriate. 

Secondary 

• Additional duties as assigned by the Sr. Vice President or Executive Management.  

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:  

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use his fingers.  
• The employee frequently is required to talk and/or hear.  
• The employee is continuously required to sit.
• The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk.  
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.  
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. 

SAFETY REQUIREMENTS: 

• Report safety hazards 
• Immediately report incidents involving injury, illness, or property damage
• Wear protective PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) as instructed or necessary
• Comply with all company safety policies, procedures, and rules
• Refuse any unsafe task or operation
• Participate in safety meetings and training
• Be constantly aware of their personal safety and that of their coworkers 

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED:  

Reports directly to the Sr. Vice President. Exercise supervision over managerial and regular staff.  

CONDITIONS:  

• Indoor office environment (80%).
• Outdoors environment driving to visit and meet with customers (20%).
• Exposed to non-controlled temperature and office environment controlled temperature intermittently during the day.  

DISCLAIMER:

• We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws. 
• If an applicant with a disability is unable or limited in their ability to use or access our online application center as a result of their disability, they can request reasonable accommodations by sending an email to [email protected]
• The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position. 
• The job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirements of the job change.