Director, Global Trade Compliance

Abercrombie & Fitch•Columbus, OH

17h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, Global Trade Compliance leads Abercrombie & Fitch Co.’s global trade compliance and Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) strategy, governance, and execution. The role ensures compliance with U.S. Customs and international trade regulations while improving operational efficiency, speed to market, supply chain resilience, and landed cost. As the company’s primary trade expert and a strategic advisor to executive leadership, the Director partners across Finance, Tax, Technology, Sourcing, Transportation, Planning, International, Franchise, and Wholesale to incorporate trade considerations early, balance compliance with commercial agility, and support evolving sourcing and growth strategies. The Director builds scalable capabilities and future leaders, using analytics, automation, and process modernization to reduce risk, strengthen business continuity, and identify financial opportunities. The position oversees trade compliance and FTZ operations, including product classification, customs valuation, country-of-origin determinations, broker management, recordkeeping, FTZ inventory controls, regulatory reporting, and audit readiness. It identifies opportunities to improve FTZ utilization, duty savings, tariff mitigation, and landed-cost performance. The Director also leads trade program utilization, such as free trade agreements, duty drawback, First Sale opportunities, and supply-chain security initiatives including C-TPAT. The role establishes metrics, dashboards, controls, and reporting for executive visibility into compliance, FTZ performance, savings, liabilities, and risk. It leads GTM and FTZ transformation initiatives involving automation, systems integration, workflow redesign, control development, and data-quality improvements. It also builds and develops a high-performing trade compliance and FTZ team, establishes repeatable processes and knowledge sharing, and educates stakeholders on trade compliance, FTZ operations, and changing regulations.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive experience in global trade compliance, customs, international logistics, or related functions.
Deep expertise in global trade compliance, including U.S. import regulations, customs regulations, HTS classification, customs valuation, country of origin, tariff strategy, duty optimization programs, FTZ operations, broker management, audits and controls, regulatory interpretation, and international trade program administration.
Experience supporting international sourcing operations in retail, apparel, footwear, consumer products, or another high-volume global supply chain environment.
Demonstrated experience leading enterprise-wide compliance programs and influencing executive stakeholders in complex, matrixed organizations.
Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives that balance compliance rigor with business enablement, operational agility, and speed to market.
Strong understanding of sourcing strategies, merchandise flow, inventory management, and supply chain operations, with the ability to translate regulatory requirements into business solutions.
Experience managing customs brokers, audits, regulatory inquiries, disclosures, and compliance investigations.
Curiosity, continuous learning, and the ability to work effectively amid ambiguity and rapidly changing regulations while balancing compliance risk with business growth.
Demonstrated success transforming or modernizing a trade compliance capability, including process redesign, technology implementation, systems integration, control framework development, and change management.
Demonstrated success building, developing, and leading high-performing teams.
Exceptional executive communication, presentation, collaboration, and stakeholder-management skills, including the ability to simplify complex trade and tariff issues, connect them to financial and business outcomes, and influence decisions across a matrixed organization.

Nice To Haves

Licensed Customs Broker certification.
Experience with apparel and textile trade compliance requirements.
Knowledge of free trade agreements, duty drawback, tariff mitigation programs, and First Sale methodologies.
Experience implementing or optimizing FTZ programs within distribution center operations.
Familiarity with trade compliance and supply chain systems such as SAP, Descartes, GTM platforms, or automation tools.
Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, International Business, Logistics, or a related field.

Responsibilities

Develop and lead the enterprise-wide global trade compliance strategy, governance framework, and operating model.
Advise executive leadership on trade risks, regulatory and tariff developments, sourcing impacts, and optimization opportunities.
Monitor geopolitical, regulatory, tariff, and trade developments; assess potential impacts and provide timely business recommendations.
Lead trade compliance governance, audit readiness, internal controls, and corrective action initiatives.
Assess and use AI, predictive analytics, and automation to identify compliance risks, monitor regulatory changes, and improve trade operations.
Ensure compliance with U.S. Customs and Border Protection regulations and other applicable import and export requirements.
Oversee product classification, customs valuation, country-of-origin determinations, broker management, recordkeeping, and post-entry compliance.
Direct FTZ operations, administration, inventory controls, admissions, weekly entries, regulatory reporting, recordkeeping, and audit readiness.
Identify and implement opportunities to optimize FTZ utilization, duty savings, tariff mitigation, and landed-cost performance.
Partner with cross-functional teams to incorporate trade considerations into sourcing, market expansion, inventory flow, and operational strategies.
Lead trade program utilization strategies, including free trade agreements, duty drawback, First Sale opportunities, and C-TPAT initiatives.
Manage relationships with customs brokers, FTZ authorities, consultants, carriers, government agencies, and external compliance partners.
Establish metrics, dashboards, controls, and reporting for trade compliance, FTZ performance, savings, liabilities, and risk.
Improve duty liability forecasting and ensure duty data loaded in systems is accurate and trusted by Planning and Finance.
Lead GTM and FTZ transformation initiatives, including automation, systems integration, workflow redesign, control development, and data-quality improvements.
Define and monitor KPIs for compliance, controls, audit readiness, duty accuracy, savings, broker performance, and operational effectiveness; assign corrective actions and drive continuous improvement.
Build, develop, and lead a high-performing trade compliance and FTZ team through coaching, mentoring, exposure opportunities, and succession planning.
Create documented, repeatable processes, robust controls, and cross-functional knowledge sharing.
Provide guidance, education, and training to stakeholders on trade compliance requirements, FTZ operations, and evolving regulations.