Global Trade Compliance Director

The Director – Global Trade Compliance leads trade compliance strategy, execution, and oversight across multiple Bunzl North America business divisions, including Safety, MAC (Mexico-Agriculture-Convenience Store), Processor, and Asset Safety. This role is responsible for designing scalable, risk-based compliance frameworks; managing a high-performing compliance team; overseeing global import/export compliance operations; and serving as the key liaison to senior leadership, government agencies, customs brokers, and external partners.

Success in this role requires strong cross-functional leadership, deep expertise in trade regulations, and the ability to influence in a decentralized environment.  This position reports to the Senior Director Global Trade Compliance for Bunzl North American companies.

Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Governance

• Lead the development and execution of the company’s multidivisional global trade compliance strategy.
• Build trust and strong partnerships across operating companies with diverse cultures, priorities, and maturity levels.
• Serve as primary advisor to senior leadership regarding regulatory changes, risk exposure, tariff impacts, and compliance readiness.
• Represent Trade Compliance in key business initiatives, including mergers/acquisitions, entity reorganizations, product transitions, and supply-chain strategy.
• Establish and maintain scalable SOP frameworks for all operating companies.

Team Leadership & Development

• Manage, coach, and mentor an established and diverse compliance team of Trade Compliance Analysts that largely work remotely.
• Conduct regular 1:1s, monthly team meetings, and ongoing skills development, including structured presentation-building expectations.
• Foster a servant-leader culture focused on collaboration, capability building, shared problem-solving, and continuous improvement.

Operational Compliance Oversight

• Oversee import/export compliance across dozens of operating companies, ensuring adherence to customs regulations.
• Provide expert oversight for classification, country-of-origin, valuation, recordkeeping, and duty-mitigation programs.
• Review and refine audit processes, broker performance KPIs, and internal controls to strengthen data integrity and reduce risk.
• Lead annual FTZ, CTPAT, value reconciliation compliance activities.
• Collaborate with the Mexico Trade Compliance Manager and Canada division Trade Compliance Manager on projects involving cross border company relationships.
• Ensure consistent monitoring and centralized response for CF28s, CF29s, SAT, and CBSA inquiries, and other regulatory notices.
• Maintain robust recordkeeping and manifest confidentiality programs.

Key Programs & Priority Initiatives

• Foreign Trade Zones (FTZ): Provide strategic direction on activation, continuation, or closure decisions; oversee FTZ compliance and training.
• Broker Consolidation: Complete transition to standardized customs brokers; create SOPs; manage onboarding and quality oversight.
• Reconciliation Programs: Manage reconciliation participation across companies; oversee SOP deployment and training.
• Duty Drawback: Oversee drawback program expansion, partner management, and audit readiness.

Regulatory Monitoring & Reporting

• Provide timely, accurate tariff change impact reports for leadership, including company-level and SKU-level analysis.
• Maintain quarterly import summaries by country of origin and other recurring divisional reporting.
• Oversee Power BI data integration to ensure new items are properly classified and reported.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Sourcing, Finance, IT, Logistics, Legal, Operations, and Divisional Leadership on trade-related projects.
• Provide training, guidance, and compliance support during new product launches, supplier onboarding, supply chain shifts, and geographic expansions.
• Support M&A activities with due diligence, transition planning, and integration of compliance controls.

Audits, Controls, & Risk Management

• Oversee compliance audits across operating companies; communicate findings and provide corrective-action support.
• Maintain consistent KPI tracking for brokers, operating company performance, classification accuracy, and audit efficiency.
• Collaborate with external trade counsel as needed and government inquiry responses.

Requirements:

• High school diploma or GED or equivalent 
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum 7 years of progressive experience in global trade compliance within a multinational environment.
• Customs Broker License (U.S., Canada, or Mexico) strongly preferred.
• Expertise in HTS classification, valuation, FTA/USMCA rules of origin, reconciliation, FTZs, and CTPAT.
• Demonstrated experience influencing across indirect reporting structures in decentralized businesses.
• Proven experience managing compliance teams and external partners (customs brokers, consultants, legal counsel).
• Strong analytical capabilities, including KPI reporting and data-driven decision-making.
• High proficiency in Excel and experience with Power BI or similar reporting tools.
• Excellent communication skills across all levels, from entry-level staff to C-suite.
• Ability to travel up to 30%.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience overseeing compliance programs across multiple divisions or business units.
• Previous experience in FTZ implementations, consolidations, or closure decisions.
• Experience with duty drawback, valuation reviews, and broker performance management.

Competencies

• Strategic thinking & business acumen
• Collaborative leadership
• Change management & influence skills
• High attention to detail with ability to simplify complexity
• Strong judgment and risk-based decision making
• Ability to manage through ambiguity in fast-moving environments

What Success Looks Like

• Strong, trust-based partnerships across all operating companies.
• A scalable compliance framework that operates consistently across divisions.
• Reduced compliance risks demonstrated through audit outcomes and broker KPIs.
• Effective team development leading to independent decision-making and subject-matter expertise.
• Timely, high-quality analysis supporting leadership decisions on tariffs, FTZ, valuation, and regulatory changes.

Bunzl is a global leader in the Cleaning & Hygiene, Food Processing, Grocery, Health Care, Non-Food Retail, and Safety industries. We have grown both organically and through acquisitions to exceed $10 billion in sales. Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, Bunzl North America operates more than 100 warehouses and serves all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Canada, and parts of the Caribbean and Mexico. With more than 10,000 team members and over 400,000 supplies, Bunzl is recognized as a leading supplier across North America—and proudly certified as a Great Place to Work®. At Bunzl, you’ll find Unlimited Potential… your career, our future.

Bunzl Distribution offers competitive salaries, a comfortable work environment, and a full range of benefits including a 401k with a company match.

Bunzl Distribution has a tradition of commitment to equal employment opportunity. It is the established policy to attract and retain the best qualified people without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex/gender (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, age, disability or veteran status as provided by law.

Equal Opportunity Employer
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