Sr. Trade & Dangerous Goods Manager

Verkada•San Mateo, CA

About The Position

Verkada is seeking a highly skilled Senior Trade & Dangerous Goods Manager to lead and execute strategic initiatives that drive global business growth and operational excellence. This dual-focus role is responsible for navigating complex international trade landscapes while ensuring the highest standards of safety and compliance in the movement of regulated materials. The ideal candidate will be both strategic and tactical—capable of designing compliant global shipping frameworks while also managing day-to-day logistics execution. They will be instrumental in enabling international growth while maintaining the highest standards of safety and compliance.

Requirements

A minimum of 10+ years of experience in global trade/logistics and dangerous goods characterized by a progressive trajectory into senior leadership roles with increasing responsibility for global compliance strategy, multi-million dollar duty budgets, and the oversight of complex, high-risk supply chain operations.
An expert in global network design and optimization, with a proven ability to engineer resilient logistics frameworks that mitigate geopolitical risk, reduce landed costs, and ensure the safe, scalable transport of high-tech hardware and hazardous materials.
Strong negotiation skills and experience in negotiating complex contracts.
Ability to analyze market trends and identify opportunities for cost savings and value optimization.
Excellent communication, prioritization and interpersonal skills.
Ability to provide strategic guidance to functional partners on trade regulations, dangerous goods, partners, systems.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
5-star customer service mindset.
Excellent teamwork skills - we have a #OneTeam mindset!
Ability to find out-of-box solutions to best fit business needs and requirements.

Responsibilities

Tariff Management Strategies : Analyze global tariff structures and identify opportunities to reduce duty exposure through supplier sourcing strategies, special economic zone utilization, free trade agreements, duty drawback, and other trade programs. Develop and implement strategies to optimize landed cost and improve margin performance. Collaborate with legal, finance, and supply chain teams to ensure compliance and maximize savings.
Advanced Battery & Chemical Logistics: Manage the end-to-end compliance for Lithium-Ion (UN3480/UN3481) and Lithium-Metal batteries, including state-of-charge (SoC) limits and damaged/defective (DDR) protocols.
Returns & Reverse Logistics: Design the global strategy for the "take-back" of used or recalled electronics, ensuring consumer returns meet safety shipping standards.
New Market Entry : Lead cross-functional teams in assessing and executing entry into new international markets from a trade compliance perspective. Conduct risk assessments and provide guidance on regulatory requirements, import/export controls, and market-specific trade barriers. Support business development with trade-related insights and recommendations.
Stakeholder Engagement: Serve as the subject matter expert on strategic trade topics for internal teams and executive leadership. Build and maintain relationships with external advisors, government agencies, and industry groups as needed.
Systems & Digital Transformation : Lead the selection, architectural design, and global implementation of Enterprise Trade Management (GTM) and Dangerous Goods (DG) platforms; drive integration with ERP and PLM systems to automate HTS/ECCN classification, Restricted Party Screening, and Lithium Battery regulatory validation, ensuring compliance is natively embedded into the product lifecycle and warehouse operations.
Strategic Partner & Carrier Governance : Cultivate and manage high-stakes relationships with freight forwarders, customs brokers, and 3PL providers; drive accountability through the development of Compliance Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and rigorous QBRs (Quarterly Business Reviews) to ensure third-party adherence to lithium battery handling protocols, specialized hardware transport requirements, and accurate regulatory filings on behalf of the company.
HS Classification : Support the review of products under the Harmonized System to ensure accurate tariff application and compliance. Work with product, engineering, and legal teams to gather technical data and support classification decisions.
Continuous Improvement : Monitor global trade trends and regulatory changes to proactively identify risks and opportunities. Recommend and implement process improvements to enhance trade compliance and efficiency.
Management and Execution : Lead trade program initiatives, ensuring all project milestones are met through effective use of compliance gateway processes and lane management strategies. Maintain accurate trade data of products throughout the product lifecycle to support cross-functional alignment and successful product launches.

Benefits

Healthcare programs that can be tailored to meet the personal health and financial well-being needs - Premiums are 100% covered for the employee under at least one plan and 80% for family premiums under all plans
Nationwide medical, vision and dental coverage
Health Saving Account (HSA) with annual employer contributions and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) with tax saving options
Expanded mental health support
Paid parental leave policy & fertility benefits
Time off to relax and recharge through our paid holidays, firmwide extended holidays, flexible PTO and personal sick time
Professional development stipend
Fertility Stipend
Wellness/fitness benefits
Healthy lunches provided daily
Commuter benefits