Leonid Group has been retained by a leading manufacturing company. We are seeking a highly experienced Customs & Trade Compliance Officer professional to lead and manage trade compliance activities across the Americas region.
This role will ensure adherence to all applicable import, export, and trade regulations while supporting business objectives and mitigating compliance risks.
The position will act as a key partner to business units, supply chain, and legal teams, providing strategic guidance on trade compliance matters.
Key Responsibilities
- Customs Compliance & Documentation
- Ensure accurate HTS classification and Country of Origin determinations across the Americas, in line with Group Trade Compliance policies.
- Develop and oversee regional compliance frameworks to support Free Trade Agreement (FTA) eligibility.
- Manage AES filings, import/export documentation, and restricted/denied party screenings, ensuring compliance and proper escalation where needed.
- Oversee the regional import process, including managing customs broker relationships and auditing broker performance.
Risk Management & Auditing
- Lead regional audit programs for customs entries and export filings to ensure accuracy, consistency, and compliance.
- Design, implement, and continuously improve regional SOPs, corrective actions, and internal control frameworks, aligned with Group standards.
- Provide strategic oversight and drive continuous improvement for C-TPAT certification and other security compliance initiatives.
Strategic & Operational Support
- Lead regional projects focused on automation, SAP/GTS alignment, and digital transformation to scale compliance operations and align with global systems.
- Govern customs broker performance and strategy across countries, collaborating with the Group Trade Compliance Team to standardize practices.
- Manage duty drawback programs and preferential origin strategies to optimize cost savings.
- Partner with business applications and global project teams to enhance and streamline end-to-end compliance processes.
Training & Policy Development
- Develop and deliver regional training programs on trade compliance regulations.
- Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, shaping compliance strategies and influencing policy decisions in alignment with Group frameworks.
The Leonid Group Corporate Governance is a talent acquisition consultancy that specialises in the placement of Legal, Compliance, Trade Compliance & Ethics professionals on an international scale across the Americas, EMEA and APAC. Legal and compliance are both global, with teams worldwide, and our network reflects this. We work with multinational corporations to help structure their departments with the best people, from the Global Chief Compliance Officer and General Counsel to the Compliance Analyst and Trade Compliance Specialist.