Director of Trade Compliance - North America (United States, Canada & Mexico)

Director of Trade Compliance - North America (United States, Canada & Mexico)

Senior plc is a global manufacturer of high technology fluid conveyance and thermal management components and systems principally for OEMs in the aerospace & defense, land vehicle, and power & energy markets. Operating through 21 businesses across 10 countries, Senior is organized into two divisionsAerospace and Flexonicsand is known for its decentralized, entrepreneurial culture rooted in accountability, operational excellence, and strong governance.

The Opportunity

Senior plc is seeking a Director of Trade Compliance North America to provide strategic and operational compliance leadership across U.S., Canadian, and Mexican operations. This is a hands-on leadership role with principal responsibility for export, import, customs, and trade compliance programs, supporting both commercial and defense-related activities.

This role also serves as the company's Empowered Official (EO) under U.S. export control law (ITAR), holding legal authority for export authorizations and certifications related to defense and aerospace programs. The position partners closely with executive leadership and operating businesses to enable compliant, sustainable growth.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic & Operational Leadership

• Lead the North American Trade Compliance program aligned with global governance and risk frameworks
• Serve as the regional subject matter expert on international trade and regulatory compliance
• Advise executive leadership and brief the Board as required on compliance performance, risks, and remediation

Export, Import & Customs Compliance

• Ensure compliance with relevant regulations, including:
  • U.S.: ITAR, EAR, OFAC, CBP, ACE, CTPAT/OEA.
  • Canada: CGP, CBSA, Export Control List
  • Mexico: SAT, VUCEM, IMMEX Maquiladora program management
• Oversee licensing, classification, valuation, documentation, and recordkeeping
• Deliver training and compliance awareness across all levels of the organization

Trade Agreements & Optimization

• Lead compliance and optimization under CUSMA / USMCA / T-MEC
• Direct HTS classification, valuation, including the Reconciliation program, broker oversight, and duty recovery initiatives such as Chapter 98, FTZ and Bonded Whse opportunities.
• Advise supply chain and procurement on landed cost, MFN tariff engineering, Section 301, 232, 122 and IEEPA tariffs and trade strategy

Empowered Official (ITAR)

• Act as the designated Empowered Official under 22 CFR 120.25
• Hold signing and certification authority for U.S. export licenses, TAAs, MLAs, and related authorizations
• Exercise independent legal judgment to approve or deny export and re-export transactions
• Serve as primary liaison with DDTC, BIS, OFAC, and other U.S. government agencies

Team Leadership & Program Development

• Lead and mentor trade compliance professionals across the region
• Develop and maintain policies, procedures, and internal controls
• Implement automation and digital tools for licensing, audits, and analytics
• Monitor regulatory changes and ensure timely implementation

Auditing, Risk & Governance

• Conduct compliance audits across all North American sites
• Develop standardized audit tools, metrics, and corrective action tracking
• Support internal audit alignment, voluntary disclosures, and regulatory remediation
• Lead trade compliance due diligence for M&A and business integrations

Qualifications

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Business, Law, Supply Chain, or International Trade
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive trade compliance leadership across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico
• Deep expertise in ITAR, EAR, OFAC, CBSA, SAT, and CUSMA/USMCA/T-MEC
• Experience with ACE (U.S.), CARM (Canada), and VUCEM (Mexico)
• Recognized Empowered Official (EO) under ITAR with defense/aerospace experience
• Proven experience auditing trade compliance programs and leading corrective actions
• Multi-industry background (e.g., aerospace, defense, land vehicles, oil & gas, medical devices)
• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred

Core Competencies

• Highly analytical and detail-oriented
• Decisive, ethical leader with strong regulatory judgment
• Collaborative and hands-on leadership style
• Adaptable and resilient in complex regulatory environments
• Strategic and credible executive communicator

Additional Information

Location & Travel

• Location: Remote, hybrid, or on-site (flexible)
• Travel: Approximately 1525% across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and occasional global travel

Trade Compliance Statement Access to our facilities is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to U.S. Persons (U.S. Citizens, lawful permanent residents, U.S. Nationals, U.S. refugees, asylees, or temporary residents under amnesty provisions ), and to properly licensed foreign persons. Applicants receiving a conditional offer of employment will be required to provide information to determine whether they are subject to these regulations and, if so, to assess their country of chargeability for export control purposes. Additionally, potential employee names will be screened against the Consolidated Screening List (maintained by the United States government) to determine eligibility to receive controlled technical data.

To ensure there is no unexpected delay to your start date with our Company and due to the potential need to obtain an export license, we would like to promptly assess whether such a license is needed to access our facility and/or systems. Such licenses can take several weeks/months to obtain from the U.S. Government. Our Trade Compliance department may reach out to you with a Licensing Assessment form, which we request you kindly complete and return as soon as possible.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. EOE M/F/D/V/VEVRAA Federal Contractor

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