Customs and Trade Compliance Manager

Are you looking for an opportunity to turn your ambition and your people skills into a rewarding career with an industry leader? Join our team at American Tire Distributors! As the nation's premier tire distributor, ATD’s coast-to-coast distribution network provides approximately 80,000 customers across the U.S. and Canada with rapid and frequent delivery of high quality tires, custom wheels and shop supplies. 

Position Description:

The Customs & Trade Compliance Manager plays a critical leadership role in ensuring full regulatory compliance and risk mitigation across all U.S. import activities. This position is responsible for designing, implementing, and sustaining a best in class customs compliance operating system that ensures all inbound shipments meet U.S. Customs and Partner Government Agency (PGA) requirements while enabling efficient inventory flow into company networks.
This role provides strategic oversight, subject matter expertise, and operational leadership across customs compliance, broker management, audit readiness, and trade related risk management. As the company expands the use of Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) and other supplier controlled import models, the Customs & Trade Compliance Manager ensures continued compliance visibility, importer of record accountability, and adherence to “reasonable care” standards despite third party execution of customs activities.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and continuously improve the company’s customs compliance operating system, including policies, procedures, standard work, and governance frameworks aligned with U.S. Customs “reasonable care” expectations.
• Ensure all import transactions comply with regulatory requirements related to tariff classification, valuation, country of origin, documentation accuracy, and Partner Government Agency regulations.
• Serve as the primary subject matter expert on U.S. Customs and international trade regulations, providing guidance to internal stakeholders, suppliers, and external service providers.
• Manage customs broker relationships, including performance management, KPI development, scorecards, issue resolution, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Lead audit readiness and compliance monitoring activities, including entry reviews, internal controls, data validation routines, and response management for Customs inquiries (CF28s, CF29s, audits, and prior disclosures).
• Design, implement, and enforce compliance controls for Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) and other supplier‑controlled import models to maintain visibility, accuracy, and regulatory accountability.
• Partner cross‑functionally with Sourcing, Logistics, Finance, Legal, and suppliers to ensure accurate commercial documentation at origin and proper execution of importer‑of‑record responsibilities.
• Identify and execute duty optimization and landed cost improvement opportunities through classification accuracy, valuation strategies, and utilization of trade programs such as FTZ, drawback, or duty deferral initiatives.
• Monitor regulatory and trade policy changes (tariffs, AD/CVD, trade agreements) and proactively assess business impact, risks, and mitigation strategies, communicating recommendations to leadership.
• Develop reporting and visibility tools that track customs compliance KPIs, broker performance, financial exposure, post‑entry activity, and audit outcomes, driving corrective actions and continuous improvement.

Experience

• 7–10+ years of experience in customs compliance, international trade, or import operations
• Strong understanding of U.S. Customs regulations, including classification, valuation, and entry processes
• Experience managing customs brokers and third-party service providers
• Demonstrated experience driving compliance programs, audits, and process improvements
• Licensed Customs Broker (LCB) preferred
• Experience with FTZ, drawback, or duty optimization programs a plus
• Bachelor’s Degree required 

Skills

• Strong knowledge of U.S. Customs regulations, including HTS classification, valuation, country of origin, and entry processes
• Experience managing customs brokers and third‑party service providers
• Ability to develop compliance metrics, KPIs, and reporting dashboards
• Strong written, verbal, and presentation communication skills
• Experience with audit management, prior disclosures, and regulatory inquiries
• Ability to balance regulatory compliance with operational efficiency

Key Competencies

• Regulatory & Compliance Leadership – Deep understanding of customs regulations and execution of compliant import programs
• Analytical Thinking – Ability to audit transactions, identify risks, and quantify financial and regulatory exposure
• Process & Controls Design – Skilled in building standardized processes, governance models, and compliance routines
• Collaboration & Influence – Effectively partners cross‑functionally and influences internal and external stakeholders
• Problem Solving – Leads issue resolution, root cause analysis, and corrective actions
• Accountability – Drives ownership and adherence to compliance standards across third‑party and supplier networks

Physical Demands/Working Conditions

Physical Demands Category: Office

Physical Demands/Work Environment/Travel Requirements:
• Physical demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk, hear, taste and/or smell; the employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.
• Work environment: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to weather conditions prevalent at the time. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
• Travel required: As required by the position.

Our people are passionate about what they do, the product they sell, and the customers they serve. If you're looking for an opportunity to be a part of a work family that values collaboration, innovation and dedication, we're the right company for you.

Build a challenging and rewarding career with us!

American Tire Distributors is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Drug Free Workplace

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