Associate Director – Global Customs & Trade Counsel

GM • Detroit, MI

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Director – Global Customs & Trade Counsel serves as General Motors’ senior legal and compliance advisor for global customs and North American export-control matters. The role establishes enterprise legal strategy, risk governance, policies, and controls; leads significant regulatory controversies, disclosures, appeals, investigations, and audits; advises senior business and Legal leaders on complex commercial arrangements; and oversees continuous improvement across the Customs organization’s Controls & Compliance and Entry Broker Management centers of excellence. The position exercises broad influence across regions and business units, including Legal, Finance, Purchasing, Engineering, Supply Chain, and other business partners.

The role serves as the North American Export Compliance Officer for the Customs organization and ensures that the Global Customs Group understands and complies with applicable export-control laws and regulations. It has enterprise-wide accountability for customs and trade legal matters, regulatory controversies and appeals, complex contract review, the Controls & Compliance Center of Excellence, and the Entry Broker Management Center of Excellence. The Associate Director reports directly to the General Director – Global Customs.

This is a hybrid role, with the selected candidate expected to report to the Global HQ Hudson Building in Detroit, Michigan, or the GM Public Policy Office in Washington, DC, at least three times per week, or at another frequency set by the business or manager. Travel is expected to be less than 25%. Relocation benefits are available to candidates who qualify under company policy. GM does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.
• Active license to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction and ability to maintain that license in good standing.
• 10 or more years of legal, customs, international trade, export-control, or closely related experience, including significant experience advising multinational companies.
• Substantial experience with customs and trade legal matters, including valuation, classification, country of origin, admissibility, entry and export compliance, free trade agreements, duty-benefit programs, corporate compliance, self-assessment, and transfer pricing interactions.
• Demonstrated experience managing regulatory audits, investigations, disclosures, protests, appeals, enforcement matters, and outside counsel.
• Experience developing and implementing enterprise policies, compliance programs, controls, risk assessments, and governance frameworks.
• At least 5 years of demonstrated leadership experience developing high-performing teams and influencing through direct and indirect leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally and globally with senior executives, business leaders, Legal, Finance, Supply Chain, Purchasing, Engineering, and external stakeholders.
• Excellent written, oral, negotiation, and presentation skills, with the ability to translate complex legal requirements into clear, practical business guidance.
• Strong executive presence, judgment, problem-solving ability, and ability to initiate and implement continuous improvement.
• Self-motivated, collaborative, and effective in a highly complex, global, and rapidly changing environment.

Nice To Haves

• Licensed Customs Broker credential.
• Experience with automotive manufacturing, global supply chains, contract manufacturing, technology licensing, joint ventures, or complex commercial agreements.
• Experience leading compliance automation, data governance, or process-transformation initiatives.
• Experience working with major law firms, customs brokers, consultants, and other external service providers.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the senior legal and compliance authority for the Customs organization’s understanding of and compliance with applicable export-control laws and regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations, International Traffic in Arms Regulations, and Office of Foreign Assets Control requirements.
• Establish and maintain the Customs organization’s legal and compliance strategy, risk priorities, policies, procedures, and governance framework.
• Advise senior executives, business leaders, Legal, Finance, Purchasing, Engineering, Supply Chain, and other stakeholders on material customs, trade, export-control, and regulatory risks.
• Lead legal strategy for customs and trade audits, investigations, disclosures, protests, appeals, enforcement matters, and other regulatory controversies.
• Draft, review, and oversee the submission of U.S. Customs and Border Protection protests, appeals, prior disclosures, voluntary disclosures, and other regulatory filings.
• Maintain a globally consistent GM position on customs topics including valuation, classification, country of origin, admissibility, transfer pricing, free trade agreements, and duty-benefit programs.
• Partner with the Transfer Pricing team to align customs valuation positions with applicable legal, regulatory, and financial requirements.
• Represent or support GM’s engagement with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Bureau of Industry and Security, other regulators, industry associations, and external stakeholders.
• Select, direct, and manage outside counsel, consultants, and technical experts for significant matters.
• Provide timely, practical, forward-looking legal guidance on customs and trade requirements in complex contracts, new business lines, global deployments, and evolving supply-chain models.
• Develop and publish legal memoranda, guidance, and communications for Customs and business partners.
• Serve as the accountable legal partner to the Office of Export Compliance and facilitate quarterly export-compliance meetings with Customs Regional Sub-Export Compliance Officers.
• Participate in Office of Export Compliance meetings and partner on policies, training, investigations, corrective actions, and responses to potential violations.
• Oversee Customs compliance exercises, including annual validations, biennial questionnaires, heat maps, audits, and other risk assessments.
• Establish and monitor controls to identify, escalate, remediate, and prevent compliance issues.
• Partner with global teams to continuously improve and simplify compliance controls, processes, and documentation.
• Develop and implement standardized customs service-provider bid, contracting, transition, performance-monitoring, and governance processes.
• Leverage automation, data, and technology to improve the efficiency, accuracy, transparency, and sustainability of the Controls & Compliance and Entry Broker Management centers of excellence.
• Provide direct and indirect leadership to Customs professionals, with a focus on capability development, engagement, inclusion, succession planning, and high performance.
• Develop basic Customs and import training materials to increase employee awareness and baseline knowledge of the Customs function and its strategic role.
• Exercise sound, independent legal judgment in situations involving ambiguity, competing priorities, significant financial exposure, or potential regulatory and reputational risk.

Benefits

• Relocation benefits for candidates who qualify under company policy.
• GM describes day-one support for employee well-being at work and at home; specific benefit plans are available through its Total Rewards resources.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree