US Customs Compliance Manager

Stellantis•Auburn Hills, MI

About The Position

Responsible for establishing and executing the North American customs and trade compliance strategy to ensure compliance with U.S., Canadian, and Mexican customs regulations while optimizing the company's duty, tariff, and free trade agreement position. This leadership role oversees USMCA qualification, regional trade programs, customs compliance governance, import/export controls, duty recovery initiatives, and regulatory risk management across a complex automotive supply chain. The manager serves as a key subject matter expert and strategic advisor on USMCA, customs valuation, tariff mitigation, automotive rules of origin, duty optimization, and emerging trade regulations. This position partners with executive leadership, Finance, Purchasing, Manufacturing, Engineering, Tax, Legal, and Supply Chain organizations to assess the impact of sourcing, product development, and trade policy changes on the company's financial performance and regulatory compliance. The successful candidate will provide strategic leadership for customs compliance programs, government relations activities, external audits, regulatory inquiries, and trade transformation initiatives while leading a team of customs and trade professionals responsible for ensuring compliance across North American operations.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, Supply Chain, Economics, International Trade, Engineering, or related discipline
Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in customs, international trade, USMCA administration, trade compliance, or related disciplines
Minimum of 3 years of leadership experience managing customs, trade compliance, or international trade functions
Demonstrated expertise in: Rules of origin for manufactured products, Customs valuation, Tariff classification, Duty minimization strategies
Experience leading cross-functional strategic initiatives with significant financial and operational impact

Nice To Haves

USMCA qualification
Government audits and compliance programs
Master's Degree (MBA, MS, JD, or related field)
Licensed U.S. Customs Broker
Certified Customs Specialist (CCS), Certified Export Specialist (CES), or equivalent trade certification
Automotive OEM or Tier 1 supplier experience
Experience managing large-scale USMCA qualification programs and automotive origin calculations
Experience working directly with CBP or other government regulatory agencies
Knowledge of advanced trade compliance technology platforms, customs automation, and data analytics tools
Proven success influencing executive-level decisions and leading complex global
Experience aligning customs compliance with various IT systems

Responsibilities

Provide direction and help develop the company's North American customs, tariff, and USMCA compliance strategy
Maintain and expand governance frameworks, internal controls, and compliance monitoring processes to ensure adherence to customs regulations and free trade agreement requirements
Serve as a key advisor to senior leadership regarding customs, trade compliance, tariff exposure, and regulatory risk
Monitor emerging trade legislation, tariff actions, free trade agreement negotiations, and regulatory developments; develop executive recommendations and mitigation strategies
Provide strategic oversight of USMCA qualification for vehicles, powertrains, batteries, and component supply chains
Lead reviews of sourcing changes, product programs, supplier resourcing decisions, and engineering changes that may impact origin qualification or compliance
Assist teams in developing long-term strategies to improve regional content and maintain compliance under evolving USMCA requirements
Lead strategies to minimize customs duties, tariffs, and regulatory costs through utilization of USMCA and other Foreign Trade Agreements (FTA), Reconciliation Programs, and Preferential Duty Programs
Oversee duty recovery initiatives and identify opportunities to reduce landed costs and improve financial performance
Assess financial implications of trade policy changes, tariff actions, and supply chain shifts and communicate impacts to executive leadership
Work with team to provide customs risk assessments and compliance reviews
Provide subject matter knowledge for responses to customs audits, regulatory examinations, government inquiries, and enforcement actions
Partner with Legal and Internal Audit on compliance investigations and risk mitigation activities
Serve as a key representative with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Trade associations and industry working groups
Lead and develop a team of customs, USMCA, and trade compliance professionals
Establish organizational capabilities, training programs, and talent development initiatives
Foster a culture of compliance, continuous improvement, and operational excellence