Sr Manager Trade Compliance

Milwaukee Tool•Brookfield, MT

About The Position

Milwaukee Tool is seeking a Senior Manager, Global Trade Compliance to lead a team responsible for ensuring compliance with global trade regulations while enabling international growth. This role requires a leader who can navigate ambiguity, build high-performing teams, and translate strategy into execution. The Senior Manager will oversee trade compliance programs, regulatory initiatives, customs compliance, systems governance, and operational analytics. They will collaborate with various departments, including Supply Chain, Sourcing, Logistics, Legal, and Finance, to achieve compliance objectives and support business growth. A key aspect of this role involves establishing operational rigor through data management, systems ownership, documentation, and performance measurement, leveraging metrics and analytics to identify risks and improve processes.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Business, Supply Chain, International Trade, Law, Finance, Data Analytics, or a related field.
10+ years of experience in trade compliance, customs, global trade, logistics, international business, or related regulatory functions.
5+ 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 utilizing 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 individuals for 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 related field.
Experience managing customs and regulatory communications, including audits, inquiries, disclosures or other government interactions as needed.
Deep understanding of tariff programs, country of origin analysis, customs valuation, and free trade agreements including USMCA.
Experience overseeing implementation or managing Global Trade Management (GTM) systems and trade compliance technology solutions.
Strong analytical capabilities, including overseeing and assisting with development of KPIs, dashboards, scorecards, and executive reporting.
Strong understanding of how business processes translate into system functionality, data flows, reporting requirements, and automation opportunities, including an awareness of system capabilities and limitations.
Experience establishing governance frameworks, documentation standards, and scalable business processes.
Proven 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 a team of trade compliance professionals across multiple functional areas, establishing clear priorities, performance expectations, and accountability measures.
Coach and develop team members through candid feedback, mentorship, and growth opportunities, contributing to an environment that promotes collaboration, ownership, urgency, and continuous learning.
Build organizational capability by developing future leaders within the Trade Compliance organization.
Translate executive and organizational priorities into actionable initiatives and measurable results.
Lead import and export compliance projects supporting Milwaukee Tool's 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 impacting global trade operations.
Partner with business leaders to support sourcing initiatives, new product introductions, acquisitions, market expansions, and supply chain transformations.
Evaluate compliance risks and recommend practical business solutions that balance risk mitigation and operational efficiency.
Identify, coordinate, provide guidance, and continuously improve trade compliance KPIs, scorecards, dashboards, and executive reporting.
Establish and provide guidance to the team on structured documentation practices including SOPs, work instructions, process maps, governance frameworks, and decision-making guides.
Identify and coordinate the creation of 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 Operations, Supply Chain, Logistics, and business stakeholders through reporting, analytics, data validation, data review, and performance measurement.
Provide meaningful insights and recommendations that enable business teams to make informed decisions.
Drive data integrity, governance, and quality across trade compliance systems and reporting tools.
Facilitate structured documentation, metrics management, and operational reviews that improve consistency, scalability, and accountability.
Ensure trade compliance programs are supported by measurable performance objectives and clearly documented processes.
Serve as the business owner and champion for Global Trade Management and related compliance technologies.
Partner with internal trade team, IT and business stakeholders to prioritize system enhancements and continuous improvement initiatives.
Evaluate opportunities to automate processes and leverage technology to increase efficiency and compliance effectiveness.
Support development of reporting capabilities, analytics tools, workflow automation, and business intelligence solutions.
Ensure trade compliance systems effectively support business growth, compliance requirements, and operational scalability.
Serve as a trusted advisor to leaders across Supply Chain, Sourcing, Logistics, Operations, Finance, Customer Care, Legal, and IT.
Partner with business stakeholders to solve complex trade compliance and operational challenges.
Collaborate with customs brokers, consultants, outside counsel, and regulatory authorities as needed.
Communicate complex regulatory and business issues clearly to both executive and operational audiences.
Ensure compliance with U.S. and global import and export regulations.
Maintain effective compliance controls, recordkeeping requirements, and governance procedures.
Lead audit preparation, regulatory inquiries, disclosures, corrective actions, and remediation efforts.
Drive a culture of proactive compliance while supporting business objectives and operational needs.
Ensure programs remain aligned with evolving regulatory requirements and industry best practices.