Director of Import Compliance & Customs Brokerage

Seaboard Solutions•Miami, FL

About The Position

Directs 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 relationships with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and other regulatory agencies, leads on complex compliance matters, and represents the company during audits, inquiries, and enforcement-related activities. Serves as the Qualifying Individual for the company’s Customs Brokerage license and oversees customs activities, permits, operating procedures, recordkeeping, systems, and compliance programs. Manages Import Division staff and performance, supports clients, and contributes to customer retention and business growth. Reports directly to the Sr. Vice President and supervises managerial and regular staff. The position is based in an indoor office environment approximately 80% of the time, with approximately 20% outdoors while driving to visit customers. The employee may intermittently encounter non-controlled outdoor temperatures and temperature-controlled office conditions. Domestic and overseas travel may be required, as may extended hours, holidays, or weekends. Physical requirements include regular finger use, frequent talking and/or hearing, continuous sitting, occasional standing and walking, and occasional lifting or moving of up to 10 pounds. The role requires close, distance, color, peripheral, and depth vision, as well as the ability to adjust focus. Safety responsibilities include reporting hazards and incidents, using PPE as instructed or necessary, following safety policies, refusing unsafe tasks, participating in safety meetings and training, and remaining aware of personal and coworker safety.

Requirements

Ten years of import and trade compliance experience.
Five years in a supervisory or management capacity.
Current Customs Brokers License.
Experience importing apparel, perishables, and regulated products, including familiarity with requirements of CBP, FDA, and USDA.
Experience with Customs forms CF28 and CF29.
Demonstrated experience managing import and export compliance for a customs brokerage, freight forwarder, and/or NVOCC.
Working knowledge of CBP, USDA, FDA, CTPAT, IEEPA, tariff and regulatory interpretation, entry protests, and post-entry compliance matters.
Experience leading or supporting government agency audits, internal compliance reviews, corrective actions, and regulatory responses.
Intermediate to advanced computer skills, including MS Word, Excel, Outlook, and ABI.
Advanced communication skills in English and Spanish.
Strong organization and time-management skills.
Ability to communicate effectively in a business environment, verbally and in writing.
Ability to travel domestically and overseas as management deems necessary.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with customers, vendors, and fellow employees.
Ability to work extended hours, holidays, and/or weekends as needed.
Ability to perform the listed essential duties satisfactorily, with reasonable accommodations available for individuals with disabilities.
Ability to meet the stated physical requirements, including occasional lifting or moving of up to 10 pounds and specified vision requirements.
Ability to comply with company safety requirements.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree.

Responsibilities

Serve as the Qualifying Individual for the company’s Customs Brokerage license.
Oversee company customs activities and maintain permits from U.S. Customs.
Establish and supervise operating and recordkeeping procedures required by U.S. Customs and FDA, ensuring compliance with applicable federal and foreign regulations.
Manage documentation and records for customs clearance; classify goods and determine applicable duties and taxes.
Oversee systems required by U.S. Customs and maintain an efficient automated environment.
Establish, monitor, and revise customs-clearance policies, procedures, and service standards, and ensure consistent administration.
Monitor divisional revenue and profit and support consistent growth.
Meet customer-defined key performance indicators.
Maintain current knowledge of U.S. Customs rules, regulations, procedures, goods classification and entry requirements, and trade laws, including through continuing education.
Manage Import Division staff by assigning work, setting deadlines, reviewing work and files for compliance, and managing performance and productivity.
Train and cross-train staff to support regulatory compliance and improve productivity.
Advise clients on import restrictions and customs matters and assist with U.S. Customs audits.
Develop and maintain strategies to retain and grow client business.
Identify, pursue, and secure new business through direct client engagement, including domestic and international customer visits.
Maintain relationships with U.S. Customs agents, in-house counsel, and outside counsel as needed.
Keep management informed about customs contacts, audits, and regulatory matters that may affect company operations.
Provide strategic oversight of import and export compliance across customs brokerage, freight forwarding, and NVOCC operations.
Develop, implement, and periodically review a trade compliance program covering written policies, procedures, internal controls, recordkeeping, training, monitoring, and corrective actions.
Lead and coordinate regulatory audits, inspections, inquiries, disclosures, and information requests; organize responses, support remediation, and inform executive management of material findings and risks.
Oversee USDA compliance for regulated agricultural products, including admissibility, documentation, permits, inspection, treatment, and release requirements.
Oversee FDA compliance for regulated imported and exported products, including registration, prior notice, admissibility, documentation, detention, refusal, and release matters.
Lead the company’s CTPAT program, including security-profile maintenance, annual reviews, risk assessments, business-partner screening, training, validation preparation, corrective actions, and ongoing compliance.
Research, interpret, and communicate tariff classification, valuation, country of origin, marking, duties, trade remedies, licensing, and other regulatory requirements.
Monitor and address IEEPA-related obligations, including sanctions, tariffs, restrictions, executive actions, and related agency guidance, coordinating with legal counsel when appropriate.
Oversee entry protests, post-entry amendments, post-summary corrections, prior disclosures, reconciliation, duty-refund opportunities, liquidations, reliquidations, and other post-entry matters; ensure submissions are timely, accurate, complete, and documented.
Establish and conduct risk-based internal audits of transactions, customs entries, classifications, valuations, origin determinations, licenses, agency filings, supporting documents, and record retention; track findings through corrective-action closure.
Maintain import and export compliance training for employees involved in brokerage, forwarding, NVOCC, documentation, customer onboarding, and cargo movement.
Monitor regulatory changes and assess their operational impact; update policies, procedures, systems, controls, and training materials as needed.
Escalate significant compliance concerns, potential violations, penalties, seizures, liquidated damages, audit findings, and enforcement risks to executive management and legal counsel as appropriate.
Perform additional duties as assigned by the Sr. Vice President or Executive Management.
Follow company safety requirements, including reporting hazards and incidents, using PPE as instructed or necessary, complying with safety rules, refusing unsafe work, and participating in safety training.