International Trade Compliance Specialist

SUMMARY

The International Trade Compliance Specialist owns Dedicated Computing’s international trade compliance program, including component imports, finished-goods exports, customs classification, export controls, sanctions screening, country of origin, and Foreign-Trade Zone operations.

This is a hands-on individual-contributor role. The position directly performs critical compliance activities while establishing scalable processes supported by Logistics, Supply Chain, Engineering, Finance, Quality, IT, customs brokers, freight forwarders, and external advisors.

The role serves as DC’s primary onsite FTZ administrator and has authority to place transactions on hold when required information is incomplete or a compliance concern exists.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

1.      Trade Compliance Program Ownership

• Develop and maintain a risk-based international trade compliance program covering written procedures, responsibilities, training, transaction controls, recordkeeping, audits, corrective action, escalation, and disclosure.

• Conduct an annual trade-compliance risk assessment and report material findings, regulatory changes, resource needs, and corrective-action status to the Director of Operations and executive leadership.

• Serve as business owner for HTS, Schedule B, ECCN, country of origin, license requirements, sanctions results, and related trade master data in DC’s ERP and supporting systems.

• Establish trade-compliance reviews within new-product introduction, engineering changes, supplier changes, component substitutions, customer onboarding, and new-country approvals.

• Develop trained backup coverage and current desk procedures for all time-sensitive import, export, screening, and FTZ activities.

2.      Import and Customs Compliance

• Own compliant importation of electronic components, subassemblies, equipment, and other goods for which DC is importer of record.

• Review customs documentation, valuation, assists, related-party considerations, country of origin, marking, tariff treatment, and admissibility requirements.

• Own HTS classification and supporting rationale for imported components and finished products.

• Review applicability of Section 301 duties, antidumping and countervailing duty orders, quotas, exclusions, forced-labor restrictions, and other trade remedies or import controls.

• Direct customs brokers and freight forwarders, maintain powers of attorney and broker instructions, reconcile entries to ERP and receiving records, and coordinate corrections, protests, reconciliation, or disclosures.

3.      Export Controls and Export Operations

• Own compliant export of finished systems, subassemblies, replacement parts, samples, repairs, returns, and customer-owned equipment.

• Maintain ECCN and EAR99 classifications for hardware, software, technology, components, and finished systems, including documented jurisdiction and licensing determinations.

• Determine export authorization based on classification, destination, end user, end use, license requirements, and applicable license exceptions.

• Prepare or coordinate export-license applications, supporting documentation, provisos, expiration tracking, and transaction-level usage records.

• Oversee Electronic Export Information filings through AES/ACE, including exemptions, filing accuracy, corrections, authorized agents, and retention of Internal Transaction Numbers.

• Maintain governance where DC acts as U.S. Principal Party in Interest or exporter of record, and prevent unauthorized declarations on DC’s behalf.

4.      Sanctions, Screening and End-Use Controls

• Own DC’s OFAC sanctions, denied-party, and restricted-party screening program across customers, suppliers, intermediaries, consignees, freight forwarders, end users, banks, and other transaction parties.

• Ensure screening occurs at appropriate points, including onboarding, order acceptance, shipment, and payment.

• Resolve and document potential matches, beneficial-ownership concerns, destination risks, diversion indicators, and prohibited end uses.

• Maintain screening records, system controls, escalation procedures, and stop-shipment authority.

• Review international documents for prohibited or reportable boycott-related requests and coordinate required escalation or reporting.

5.      Country of Origin and Government Procurement

• Own country-of-origin determinations for imported components, subassemblies, and finished systems.

• Maintain documented methodology and supporting supplier certifications, manufacturing details, and substantial-transformation analysis.

• Ensure origin data is accurately reflected in ERP records, customs entries, product marking, shipping documents, and customer communications.

• Support USMCA, Trade Agreements Act, Buy American, and other government or customer origin requirements.

• Assess the origin impact of product, sourcing, manufacturing, and supplier changes with Engineering, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, and Quality.

6.      Technology and Technical Data Controls

• Determine whether software, source code, technology, drawings, specifications, and engineering information are subject to export controls.

• Coordinate controls for foreign-national employees, contractors, visitors, suppliers, customers, and international engineering collaboration.

• Support Technology Control Plans, access restrictions, visitor controls, data-room permissions, international travel reviews, remote support, cloud access, and secure transfer of controlled information.

• Coordinate with IT, Engineering, Human Resources, Security, and legal counsel to prevent unauthorized releases.

7.      Foreign-Trade Zone Management

• Serve as DC’s primary onsite FTZ administrator and manage admissions, inventory movements, production activity, withdrawals, entries, exports, destructions, transfers, and recordkeeping.

• Maintain FTZ inventory-control procedures, merchandise-status designations, weekly entries, direct-delivery processes, reconciliations, security requirements, and employee training.

• Ensure FTZ transactions reconcile across DC’s ERP, warehouse, FTZ system, customs records, broker data, and financial reporting.

• Investigate variances and prepare for CBP reviews, compliance assessments, internal audits, and external audits.

• Own the FTZ Board annual activity submission through OFIS and the separate annual physical inventory, reconciliation, variance investigation, and CBP reporting required under DC’s approved FTZ procedures.

• Track duty deferral, inverted-tariff savings, merchandise-processing-fee savings, duty avoidance, administrative costs, and net FTZ benefit.

• Complete formal FTZ training and work toward designation as an FTZ Certified Specialist.

8.      Business Support and Continuous Improvement

• Advise sourcing, manufacturing, sales, engineering, and finance teams on tariff, origin, sanctions, export-control, and landed-cost implications.

• Identify lawful savings opportunities through FTZ utilization, tariff engineering, free-trade agreements, duty drawback, temporary import programs, and related mechanisms.

• Manage external brokers, advisors, and service providers against documented responsibilities and performance expectations.

• Translate regulatory requirements into practical, auditable, and scalable operating processes.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, AND QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, international business, logistics, engineering, finance, operations, or a related field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.

• Five or more years of experience in import/export operations, customs compliance, export controls, international logistics, or international trade compliance.

• Experience in electronics, computer hardware, semiconductors, electrical equipment, aerospace and defense, medical devices, telecommunications, industrial automation, automotive electronics, or another complex manufacturing environment with internationally sourced components.

• Working knowledge of HTS and Schedule B classification, ECCN classification, customs valuation, country-of-origin determinations, import and export documentation, restricted-party screening, and recordkeeping.

• Ability to interpret technical product information, complex bills of material, manufacturing processes, and software or encryption functionality.

• Experience working with customs brokers, freight forwarders, suppliers, customers, and government agencies.

• Demonstrated judgment in identifying, documenting, escalating, and resolving compliance risk, including placing transactions on hold when necessary.

• Ability to lead cross-functional process improvement without direct authority and translate regulatory requirements into practical business processes.

• Strong analytical, communication, documentation, and systems skills, including experience with ERP, FTZ, screening, or global-trade-management systems.

• U.S. person status or ability to access export-controlled technical information as required by DC’s defense-related business.

Preferred:

• Experience supporting defense, aerospace, medical-device, healthcare-technology, semiconductor, or other regulated and technology-driven products.

• Direct experience managing a manufacturing Foreign-Trade Zone, weekly entries, annual FTZ reporting, and CBP audits.

• Working knowledge of EAR, ITAR, OFAC sanctions, Commerce Control List requirements, export licenses, license exceptions, and Technology Control Plans.

• Knowledge of USMCA, Trade Agreements Act, Buy American requirements, forced-labor restrictions, and other origin-based procurement or import requirements.

• One or more relevant credentials, such as Licensed Customs Broker, Certified Customs Specialist, Certified Export Specialist, or FTZ Certified Specialist; willingness to obtain an FTZ-related credential may be accepted.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the associate is regularly required to stand; walk; use hands to manipulate objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; talk and hear. The associate must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds with the assistance of others. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an associate encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. This includes a highly regulated, climate-controlled, low-to-moderate noise environment.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY 

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.