Senior Manager - Customs Compliance

Work Location Type: Hybrid 

As a leading industrial distributor with operations primarily in North America, Japan and the United Kingdom, We Keep The World Working® by serving more than 4.5 million customers worldwide with products delivered through innovative technology and deep customer relationships. With 2023 sales of $16.5 billion, we’re dedicated to providing value for customers, fostering an engaging culture for team members and driving strong financial results.

Our welcoming workplace enables you to learn, grow and make a difference by keeping businesses running and their people safe. As a 2024 Glassdoor Best Place to Work and a Great Place to Work-Certified™ company, we’re looking for passionate people to join our team as we continue leading the industry over our next 100 years.

Position Details: 

As the Senior Manager of Customs Compliance, you will be responsible for developing, implementing, and overseeing robust import related policies and procedures to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations across our U.S. and Canadian operations.  

You will lead a program focused on managing third party providers, import duty expense, customs classification, maintaining good standing and participation in programs with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, ensuring all U.S. and Canadian import compliance regulatory requirements are met and fostering a culture of integrity and ethical conduct throughout the organization.  You will manage a team of senior professionals and a supervisor who manages a team of customs classification specialists. 

You will report to a Senior Director, Global Compliance and the primary location will be Lake Forest, IL with the ability to work from home (2) days per week. 

You Will: 

• Develop, enhance, implement and maintain a comprehensive import compliance program to include policies, procedures, and controls tailored to the company's participation in the CTPAT Trade Compliance program, its risk profile and regulatory requirements.  

• Monitor and analyze changes in the geo-political environment and with global trade regulations to assess their impact on company operations through regular import compliance risk assessments. Develop strategies to mitigate identified risks, working closely with cross-functional and global business partners to implement effective controls. 

• Design and deliver comprehensive training programs on import compliance and CTPAT Trade Compliance related policies and requirements, procedures, and relevant laws for team members at all levels of the organization.  

• Establish monitoring mechanisms to detect potential instances of non-compliance in the import space, including the use of data analytics and regular audits.  

• Stay informed of changes in global export and sanctions related laws, including but not limited to including the Customs and Border Protection and CBSA regulations and assess their impact on the company's operations to update the import compliance program accordingly.  

• Provide strategic guidance to Global Supply Chain leadership on import compliance matters.   

• Lead and mentor the import compliance team, including senior professionals and supervisor leading a team of non-exempt/exempt team members, fostering a culture of compliance and continuous improvement. 

You Have: 

• Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in business or logistics, or equivalent related experience.  Master’s degree preferred. 

• Licensed Customs Broker certification required. 

• 10+ years of experience in an import compliance role, preferably for a multinational company. 

• In-depth knowledge of import and CTPAT Trade Compliance laws and regulations for the U.S. and Canada.  

• Proven experience developing and implementing import related policies and procedures in a complex, global organization. 

• Strong leadership, team/talent management and communication skills, with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels of the organization. 

• Travel – 10-20% 

Rewards and Benefits: 

With benefits starting day one, our programs provide choice and flexibility to meet team members' individual needs. Check out the highlights below and review all our benefits at GraingerTotalRewards.com. 

• Medical, dental, vision, life, and pet insurance plans and 6 free sessions each year with a licensed therapist to support your emotional wellbeing 

• Paid time off (PTO) and 6 company holidays per year 

• 6% company contribution to a 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan each pay period, no match required 

• Employee discounts, tuition reimbursement, student loan refinancing and free access to financial counseling, education and tools 

• Maternity support programs, nursing benefits, and up to 14 weeks paid leave for birth parents and up to 4 weeks paid leave for non-birth parents 

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, or veteran status. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive, accessible environment that includes both providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities during the application and hiring process as well as throughout the course of one’s employment.  With this in mind, should you need a reasonable accommodation during the application and selection process, please advise us so that we can provide appropriate assistance.

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