Sr Manager Trade Compliance

Milwaukee Tool•Brookfield, WI

About The Position

The Senior Manager, Global Trade Compliance is a key leader in Milwaukee Tool’s Global Trade Compliance organization. This role leads trade compliance professionals and shapes and executes trade compliance strategy, enabling global growth while ensuring compliance with import, export, customs, sanctions, and other worldwide trade regulations. It serves as an operational and strategic bridge between executive leadership and front-line execution, turning business priorities into actionable plans and measurable outcomes. The position oversees trade compliance programs, regulatory initiatives, customs compliance activities, systems governance, operational analytics, and team development. It partners with functions including Supply Chain, Sourcing, Logistics, Legal, Finance, Operations, Customer Care, and IT. The role also establishes operational rigor through data management, systems ownership, structured documentation, performance measurement, and scalable processes. It reports to the VP, Global Trade Compliance.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, International Trade, Law, Finance, Data Analytics, or a related field.
10 or more years of experience in trade compliance, customs, global trade, logistics, international business, or related regulatory functions.
5 or more years of experience leading and developing professional teams.
Demonstrated success leading through organizational growth, change, and ambiguity.
Strong knowledge of U.S. customs regulations, import compliance, export controls, sanctions, and global trade requirements.
Experience using metrics, analytics, and reporting to drive operational performance and business decisions.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex concepts into actionable guidance.
Legal authorization to work in the U.S.; Milwaukee Tool will not sponsor employment visas now or in the future for this position.

Nice To Haves

Licensed Customs Broker (LCB).
Advanced degree in International Business, Law, Supply Chain, Data Analytics, or a related field.
Experience managing customs and regulatory communications, including audits, inquiries, disclosures, or other government interactions.
Deep understanding of tariff programs, country of origin analysis, customs valuation, and free trade agreements, including USMCA.
Experience overseeing implementation or management of Global Trade Management (GTM) systems and trade compliance technology solutions.
Strong analytical capabilities, including overseeing or assisting with development of KPIs, dashboards, scorecards, and executive reporting.
Understanding of how business processes translate into system functionality, data flows, reporting requirements, and automation opportunities, including awareness of system capabilities and limitations.
Experience establishing governance frameworks, documentation standards, and scalable business processes.
Track record of using data to drive operational improvements and support strategic decision-making.
Strong project management, organizational leadership, and change management capabilities.
Experience supporting multinational operations and global compliance programs.

Responsibilities

Lead, develop, and inspire trade compliance professionals across multiple functional areas; establish priorities, performance expectations, and accountability measures.
Coach team members through feedback, mentorship, and development opportunities, and build future leadership capability within the Trade Compliance organization.
Promote cross-functional collaboration, ownership, urgency, continuous learning, and continuous improvement.
Translate executive and organizational priorities into actionable initiatives and measurable results.
Lead import and export compliance projects supporting global operations.
Oversee customs compliance, tariff strategy, country of origin, valuation, free trade agreements, duty mitigation programs, and related trade initiatives.
Monitor, assess, and implement regulatory changes affecting global trade operations.
Partner with business leaders on sourcing initiatives, new product introductions, acquisitions, market expansions, and supply chain transformations.
Evaluate compliance risks and recommend practical solutions that balance risk mitigation with operational efficiency.
Guide and improve trade compliance KPIs, scorecards, dashboards, and executive reporting.
Establish structured documentation practices, including SOPs, work instructions, process maps, governance frameworks, and decision-making guides.
Develop performance metrics that provide visibility into team effectiveness, compliance health, service levels, and business impact.
Analyze trade, customs, operational, and process data to identify risks, trends, bottlenecks, and improvement opportunities.
Support business stakeholders with reporting, analytics, data validation and review, and performance measurement; provide insights and recommendations for decision-making.
Drive data integrity, governance, and quality across trade compliance systems and reporting tools.
Facilitate documentation, metrics management, and operational reviews that improve consistency, scalability, and accountability.
Ensure trade compliance programs have measurable performance objectives and clearly documented processes.
Serve as business owner and champion for Global Trade Management and related compliance technologies.
Partner with trade, IT, and business stakeholders to prioritize system enhancements and continuous improvement.
Evaluate automation and technology opportunities to improve efficiency and compliance effectiveness.
Support development of reporting capabilities, analytics tools, workflow automation, and business intelligence solutions.
Ensure trade compliance systems support business growth, compliance requirements, and operational scalability.
Advise leaders across Supply Chain, Sourcing, Logistics, Operations, Finance, Customer Care, Legal, and IT, and partner with stakeholders to solve complex trade and operational challenges.
Collaborate with customs brokers, consultants, outside counsel, and regulatory authorities as needed.
Communicate complex regulatory and business issues to executive and operational audiences.
Ensure compliance with U.S. and global import and export regulations and maintain effective controls, recordkeeping, and governance procedures.
Lead audit preparation, regulatory inquiries, disclosures, corrective actions, and remediation efforts.
Promote proactive compliance while supporting business objectives and keeping programs aligned with evolving regulations and industry best practices.