Director, Global Trade Compliance

Global Trade Compliance Director

Reporting to the AVP, Connected Living Compliance, this position is responsible for leading Assurant's global trade compliance program and ensuring compliance with all applicable import, export, sanctions, and customs regulations. In addition to enterprise related trade activities, this role actively supports the movement of mobile devices, device components, service parts, accessories, and related technologies across global markets while enabling efficient customer, carrier, OEM, repair, refurbishment, and logistics operations.

The Director serves as a strategic advisor to Connected Living leadership and business stakeholders, balancing compliance obligations with customer commitments, operational efficiency, and commercial objectives.

This role will also partner, coordinate, and align global trade compliance activities and strategies with the Director, Global Supply Chain Compliance.

What will my duties and responsibilities be in this job?

Global Trade Compliance Leadership (45%)

• Develop, implement, and continuously improve Assurant's global trade compliance program.
• Establish governance, policies, procedures, and internal controls covering import, export, sanctions, and customs compliance.
• Ensure compliance with: U.S. Export Administration Regulations (EAR), OFAC sanctions requirements, U.S. Customs regulations, international customs laws and regulations, and foreign trade regulations in countries where Assurant operates.
• Provide strategic guidance to executive leadership on global trade risks and opportunities.
• Identify and implement value-creation opportunities, including duty drawback, free trade agreements, foreign trade zones, tariff engineering, and other lawful duty mitigation strategies.

Import Compliance and Customs Management (20%)

• Oversee global customs compliance for mobile devices, service parts, accessories, and technology.
• Ensure accurate: HTS classifications, country-of-origin determinations, customs valuation, and duty assessment.
• Manage customs brokers and trade service providers. Identify and implement duty savings strategies and opportunities.
• Support optimization of global supply chain costs and customs efficiency.

Export Controls and Sanctions Compliance (20%)

• Oversee export classification activities for devices, components, software, and technology.
• Ensure compliance with export controls.
• Lead restricted-party screening and sanctions compliance programs.
• Provide guidance regarding cross-border shipments, technology transfers, and international business transactions.
• Manage export licensing requirements and government authorizations when required.
• Drive global alignment for HTS classification, country of origin, customs valuation, and Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) determinations.
• Maintain awareness of export-controlled technology, software, encryption, and restricted-access information requirements applicable to Assurant operations.
• Assess and manage export control risks involving restricted destinations, restricted parties, military end users, military end uses, and controlled technologies, software, or technical data; develop procedures for end-use/end-user due diligence, escalation, licensing analysis, and transaction holds where required.

Risk Management and Compliance Governance (10%)

• Conduct enterprise-wide trade compliance risk assessments.
• Develop and maintain trade compliance controls and monitoring programs.
• Lead internal audits and compliance reviews.
• Establish compliance metrics, dashboards, and executive reporting.
• Investigate compliance incidents and manage corrective actions.
• Lead government audits, inquiries, disclosures, and remediation activities.
• Assists in remediating trade compliance issues as necessary, including but not limited to putting together project plans, connecting resources to find solutions, documenting resolutions, and documenting remediation plans.
• Supports internal compliance audits and assists with managing external audits or inquiries from government agencies Maintains accurate data and recordkeeping to include collecting and retaining records in response to third-party inquiries relating to Assurant compliance practices and business activities.

Training and Culture (5%)

• Develop and deliver trade compliance training and awareness programs.
• Ensure employees understand their responsibilities related to international trade activities.
• Maintain training records and support audit readiness.

Number of Direct Reports

• 1-2 including a Compliance Analyst

Financial Responsibility

• Signoff on responsible expenses, input on annual budget.

What are the requirements needed for this position?

Experience

• Minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in global trade compliance.
• At least 5 years of leadership experience.
• Experience supporting multinational import/export operations.
• Experience managing customs and export compliance programs.
• Experience supporting technology, telecommunications, consumer electronics, mobile device, repair/refurbishment, or logistics industries preferred.

Education & Certifications

• Bachelors' degree required, Master's or JD preferred

Preferred Certifications

• Licensed Customs Broker (LCB)
• Certified Export Specialist (CES)
• Certified Customs Specialist (CCS)
• Certified U.S. Export Compliance Officer (CUSECO)

Preferred Technical Expertise

• EAR
• OFAC sanctions compliance
• Customs valuation
• HTS classification
• Country-of-origin analysis
• Free Trade Agreements
• Duty drawback
• Foreign Trade Zones (FTZ)
• Reverse logistics operations
• Mobile device repair and refurbishment supply chains

Leadership Competencies

The candidate will be able to provide examples of successfully demonstrating the following leadership competencies:

• Internal client-orientation with a constructive approach to resolution of issues. A style which builds alliances within the organization.
• Ability to establish credibility with business owners, including senior and executive leadership, and influence through professional communication, work product, etc.
• Solutions-oriented, demonstrated growth mindset.
• Proven ability to build and maintain effective cross-functional relationships with clients, colleagues and stakeholders of various levels and areas throughout the organization.
• Ability to lead change efforts through effective communication and persuasion.
• Creative, resilient, and flexible style and approach to handling complex issues with high tolerance for ambiguity
• Demonstrated leadership experience on leveraging data to drive actionable insights for risk or compliance programs
• Clear written, visual and verbal communication skills, including ability to adjust messages dependent on audiences ranging from front-line employees to executive
• Cultural competency and executive-level presence to work with the business and regional leadership teams around the world
• Strong analytical, organizational, problem-solving, and follow-up skills. Ability to interpret rules and guidelines, and then conceptualize and implement into policies, procedures, and controls.
• Excellent and demonstrated project management skills, and attention to detail in leading projects and activities in a global organization. Ability to prioritize and simultaneously execute on multiple projects and ability to organize and analyze complex information and data
• Sound and independent judgment, and demonstrated prudence and maturity
• Commitment to driving a culture of ethics and integrity
• Cultivate a high-performing trade compliance team through coaching, mentoring, accountability, and development of trade compliance professionals.

Skills

The candidate will be able to demonstrate proficiency in the following skills:

• Proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite with specific emphasis in Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• The ability to work in a fast-paced environment with several simultaneous deliverables
• Program of project management skills

What other skills/experience would be helpful to have?

• Experience in mobile or technology industries
• Ability to use AI tools such as Copilot, ChatGPT, etc
• Supply chain and vendor risk management experience