Trade Compliance Section Manager
About this role
The Section Manager, Trade Compliance is responsible for managing the North American customs and trade compliance program while supporting business objectives across all TRAM’s Group companies.
This position oversees customs related activities, managing risk, serves as the North America regional subject matter expert on USMCA, customs valuation, tariff mitigation, automotive rules of origin, duty recovery initiatives, emerging trade regulations and does not perform day-to-day customs clearance operations.
\nTrade Compliance Strategy and Governance- Provide direction and help develop the company's long-term strategies to improve regional content and maintain compliance under evolving USMCA requirements
- Lead tariff strategies (classification governance, origin planning, valuation strategies) and mitigation strategies
- Lead classification, valuation, origin determination, special programs, and recordkeeping across US, Canada and Mexico to improve governance, accuracy, and consistency.
- Lead company strategies to meet customer and regulatory reporting requirements (USMCA, FTA, AALA, CAFÉ, etc.)
- Coordinate with Sales, Purchasing, Finance, Engineering, and business units to integrate end-to-end customs/trade requirements.
- Manage Reconciliations programs and post-entry activities, including Post Summary Corrections, Protests, prior disclosures, duty tenders, and other corrective actions, ensuring submissions are tracked through resolution.
- Oversee payment of Customs duty and fees and prevent late files/payments
- Partner with manufacturing, brokerage, freight forwarder, and customer-facing teams to resolve customs and entry-processing issues
- Support continuous customs bond management activities
- Review, approve, and maintain Customs Powers of Attorney (POAs) and monitor renewal and expiration requirements.
- Support entry cancellations, CARNET, TIB, activities, extensions, and liquidation monitoring.
- Own customs and trade compliance KPI - from conducting risk assessments, reporting, and implementing strategies to mitigate potential risks and exposures
- Manage supply chain risk and resiliencies against related priority trade action (Forced Labor, AD/CVD, FTA, Entity List, D-List countries etc.)
- Provide subject matter knowledge for responses to CF28, customs audits, regulatory examinations, government inquiries, and enforcement actions
- Serve as a key representative with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and other Trade associations and industry working groups
- Provide oversight of customs brokers, freight forwarders, carriers, consultants, and other third-party trade compliance service providers.
- Establish performance expectations, statement of work, rate structures, operating procedures, escalation paths, and compliance requirements for third-party providers.
- Bachelor's Degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, Supply Chain, Economics, International Trade, Engineering, or related discipline
- Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in customs, international trade, USMCA administration, trade compliance, or related disciplines
- Minimum of 3 years of leadership experience managing supply chain, customs, trade compliance, or international trade functions
- Demonstrated expertise in: Rules of origin for manufactured products, Customs valuation, Tariff classification, Duty minimization strategies
- Professional certifications in customs or trade compliance (e.g., CCS, LCB, similar) or equivalent experience
- Basic knowledge of Canada and Mexico trade compliance program (IMMEX, Prosec, Surtax etc.)
- Automotive industry or related manufacturing industry experience
- Experience managing USMCA or other FTA qualification programs and origin calculations.
- Experience working directly with CBP or other government regulatory agencies, Government audits or compliance programs
- Experience aligning customs compliance with various IT systems
Company at a glance
TRAM, Inc. is in business to create products that make the driving experience a seamless and natural extension of the human body. TRAM Inc. Is apart of the Tokai Rika Group which inlcudes, TRMI, TAC, TRQSS, TRMX, TRIN.
We are a Japanese owned automotive parts supplier, serving the Japanese Transplants (Toyota, Nissan, Subaru, etc.) as well as the domestic OEMs (Ford and GM). Located in Plymouth, MI, TRAM, Inc. is a subsidiary company of Tokai-Rika Co. LTD, which is located in Nagoya, Japan. TRAM was founded in 1986 and currently employs 3,000+ people at our 6 locations in North America.
We manufacture automotive components such as switch-related products (window regulators, headlights, cruise control, turn signals, multifunction and HVAC switches), security and safety-related products (shift levers, steering wheels, steering locks, seat belts, key cylinders, mechanical and remote keys).
Shift your career into drive and help TRAM make the driving experience an intuitive connection between the human body and the vehicle.
TRAM, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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