Customs and Trade Compliance Manager

American Tire Distributors•Huntersville, NC

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Customs & Trade Compliance Manager plays a critical leadership role in ensuring full regulatory compliance and risk mitigation across all U.S. import activities. This position is responsible for designing, implementing, and sustaining a best in class customs compliance operating system that ensures all inbound shipments meet U.S. Customs and Partner Government Agency (PGA) requirements while enabling efficient inventory flow into company networks. This role provides strategic oversight, subject matter expertise, and operational leadership across customs compliance, broker management, audit readiness, and trade related risk management. As the company expands the use of Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) and other supplier controlled import models, the Customs & Trade Compliance Manager ensures continued compliance visibility, importer of record accountability, and adherence to “reasonable care” standards despite third party execution of customs activities.

Requirements

7–10+ years of experience in customs compliance, international trade, or import operations
Strong understanding of U.S. Customs regulations, including classification, valuation, and entry processes
Experience managing customs brokers and third-party service providers
Demonstrated experience driving compliance programs, audits, and process improvements
Bachelor’s Degree required
Strong knowledge of U.S. Customs regulations, including HTS classification, valuation, country of origin, and entry processes
Ability to develop compliance metrics, KPIs, and reporting dashboards
Strong written, verbal, and presentation communication skills
Experience with audit management, prior disclosures, and regulatory inquiries
Ability to balance regulatory compliance with operational efficiency

Nice To Haves

Licensed Customs Broker (LCB) preferred
Experience with FTZ, drawback, or duty optimization programs a plus

Responsibilities

Develop, implement, and continuously improve the company’s customs compliance operating system, including policies, procedures, standard work, and governance frameworks aligned with U.S. Customs “reasonable care” expectations.
Ensure all import transactions comply with regulatory requirements related to tariff classification, valuation, country of origin, documentation accuracy, and Partner Government Agency regulations.
Serve as the primary subject matter expert on U.S. Customs and international trade regulations, providing guidance to internal stakeholders, suppliers, and external service providers.
Manage customs broker relationships, including performance management, KPI development, scorecards, issue resolution, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Lead audit readiness and compliance monitoring activities, including entry reviews, internal controls, data validation routines, and response management for Customs inquiries (CF28s, CF29s, audits, and prior disclosures).
Design, implement, and enforce compliance controls for Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) and other supplier‑controlled import models to maintain visibility, accuracy, and regulatory accountability.
Partner cross‑functionally with Sourcing, Logistics, Finance, Legal, and suppliers to ensure accurate commercial documentation at origin and proper execution of importer‑of‑record responsibilities.
Identify and execute duty optimization and landed cost improvement opportunities through classification accuracy, valuation strategies, and utilization of trade programs such as FTZ, drawback, or duty deferral initiatives.
Monitor regulatory and trade policy changes (tariffs, AD/CVD, trade agreements) and proactively assess business impact, risks, and mitigation strategies, communicating recommendations to leadership.
Develop reporting and visibility tools that track customs compliance KPIs, broker performance, financial exposure, post‑entry activity, and audit outcomes, driving corrective actions and continuous improvement.