Global Trade & Customs Advisory Leader

Grant Thornton • Arlington, VA

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Global Trade & Customs Advisory Leader is a senior leadership role responsible for driving growth, delivery excellence, and market positioning of the firm’s Global Trade practice. The role combines deep customs and global trade technical expertise with executive-level client advisory, revenue generation, and practice leadership.

The Director leads complex, multidisciplinary engagements, advises senior client executives, and expands the firm’s Global Trade footprint through go-to-market leadership, solution development, and talent development. The role provides strategic guidance on customs and trade matters, oversees the quality and technical defensibility of engagement work, develops high-performing professionals, and partners across Tax, Supply Chain, Technology, and Advisory.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, International Business, Finance, Information Systems, or a related field.
• At least 12 years of experience in customs and global trade, including significant experience in a professional services environment.
• Deep technical expertise in U.S. and international customs and global trade regulations.
• Proven experience leading Global Trade technology implementations and large-scale advisory engagements.
• Demonstrated success in revenue generation, client relationship management, and practice growth.
• Strong executive-level communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a senior advisor to C-suite and executive-level trade, tax, supply chain, and finance leaders at multinational clients.
• Lead large-scale, complex Global Trade & Customs Advisory engagements, including multi-country and multi-workstream programs.
• Provide strategic guidance on import/export compliance and governance; tariff classification, valuation, and origin strategy; free trade agreements and duty optimization; and trade remedies, enforcement risk, and regulatory change management.
• Ensure work products are high-quality, defensible, and aligned with regulatory requirements and firm risk standards.
• Review and approve engagement scope, deliverables, and conclusions for technical accuracy and defensibility.
• Act as a senior escalation point for complex technical and regulatory matters.
• Ensure compliance with firm independence, quality, and risk management policies.
• Lead, mentor, and develop Global Trade professionals across all levels.
• Build and scale Global Trade talent capabilities through technical training and career development initiatives.
• Partner with Tax, Supply Chain, Technology, and Advisory leadership in a matrixed organization.
• Drive revenue generation, client relationship management, and overall Global Trade practice growth.

Benefits

• Personalized and comprehensive benefits (specific benefit offerings are described at the linked benefits page).
• Employees may be eligible for a discretionary annual bonus based on individual and firm performance.
• Work-location, weekly-schedule, and flex-time-off options.
• Support for overall well-being through work-life integration options.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director