FTZ Support Engineer Team lead

QAD, Inc.•Houston, TX

7h•$100,000 - $125,000•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a highly specialized FTZ Support Engineer / Team Lead to serve as the primary Tier 2 escalation point and operational leader for our Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) software support division. This is a critical "player-coach" role bridging the gap between complex SaaS technical troubleshooting, global team leadership, and niche regulatory trade compliance. Reporting directly to the Director of Supply Chain Support, you will act as our internal Subject Matter Expert (SME) for U.S. Customs compliance and the strategic gatekeeper for our Engineering backlog. In addition to handling advanced technical escalations, you will lead, mentor, and upskill our frontline Tier 1 support agents while strictly enforcing U.S. data privacy and export control protocols.

Requirements

5+ years of direct experience in Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) operations, Customs Brokerage, or Trade Compliance.
Knowledge of the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) and the Automated Broker Interface (ABI).
Deep operational fluency in the lifecycle of FTZ admissions and entries (E214s, 7501s, 3461s, 7512s/In-bonds) and Partner Government Agency (PGA) reporting.
Understanding of ITAR, EAR, and the compliance requirements surrounding "Deemed Exports" and technical data handling.
Experience supporting complex supply chain, ERP, or trade compliance software.
Strong understanding of data integrations, specifically troubleshooting EDI and SFTP file transfer failures.
Previous experience leading, or mentoring, ideally in a globally distributed environment.
Exceptional stakeholder management skills; ability to confidently navigate high-pressure situations with enterprise FTZ operators and internal executive leadership.

Nice To Haves

Ability to read or run simple SQL queries to verify backend data logic is a strong plus.

Responsibilities

Intercept, triage, and resolve complex compliance tickets (e.g., ABI rejections, HTS logic errors, missing MPF calculations), drastically reducing unnecessary escalations to Core Engineering.
Translate U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) response codes into actionable data fixes for customers.
Manage, mentor, and train a globally distributed team of frontline FTZ Support Agents.
Develop robust playbooks to empower the team to independently resolve E214 admission and 7501 entry workflow issues on the first touch.
Act as the operational safeguard for ITAR, EAR, and "U.S. Persons Only" contract riders.
Enforce strict, ring-fenced routing protocols for sensitive U.S. Customs data.
Partner closely with FTZ Product and Engineering leadership as the internal SME.
Translate real-world customer friction points, broker feedback, and regulatory shifts into product requirements, shaping the FTZ self-service and automation roadmap.
Serve as the senior technical and operational point of contact for high-ARR enterprise accounts, managing high-pressure situations with confidence and authority.