the client is seeking a Head of U.S. Customs, Trade & Compliance to lead its national strategy across regulatory compliance, customs brokerage, and trade operations. This executive role will drive enterprise-wide compliance, optimize operational performance, and ensure alignment with evolving U.S. customs and tariff regulations. The position carries full ownership of customs-related performance, including risk management, operational excellence, and financial outcomes.
Key responsibilities include leading national strategy for customs, tariffs, and trade compliance across the U.S. network; serving as the organization’s licensed U.S. Customs Broker and national permit holder; ensuring compliance with U.S. import and export regulations; and partnering with senior leadership, legal, and government affairs to anticipate regulatory changes. The role also includes identifying and mitigating regulatory, financial, and operational risks; translating complex regulatory requirements into scalable business processes; overseeing brokerage operations across multiple hubs and gateways; improving clearance speed, first pass yield, and operational efficiency; and owning and managing customs-related P&L performance.
The successful candidate will develop and implement compliance programs, policies, and internal controls, and lead audit and governance activities to support strong compliance outcomes. They will maintain relationships with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and other regulatory bodies, and drive continuous improvement through automation and modernization initiatives while building and leading a high-performing national compliance organization. Qualifications include a bachelor’s degree, an active U.S. Customs Broker License, and 10+ years of leadership experience in customs, trade compliance, or international logistics, along with strong knowledge of U.S. customs regulations, tariffs, and global trade frameworks, demonstrated stakeholder influence and analytical decision-making, and a track record of leading large-scale compliance programs and teams.