Customs Compliance Manager, North America

IMPACT and OPPORTUNITY:

The Customs Compliance Manager is responsible for overseeing and managing all aspects of customs compliance for North America to ensure full adherence to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations, Mexico Customs regulations, and international trade laws. This role plays a critical part in protecting the company from regulatory risk, optimizing cross-border trade operations, and supporting global supply chain strategies. The incumbent will lead the development and execution of customs compliance programs in North America, provide direction, and serve as a subject matter expert on U.S. Customs regulations including 19 CFR, HTS classifications, and import/export control laws.

• Customs Compliance Leadership: Lead the company's customs compliance strategy for North America, ensuring alignment with U.S., Mexico, and international customs laws. Serve as the primary point of contact for North America customs-related matters with internal stakeholders, government agencies, and third-party providers.
• Regulatory Analysis and Guidance: Monitor and interpret U.S. and Mexico import/export regulations including 19 CFR, USMCA, EAR, ITAR, and OFAC. Provide expert-level interpretation and actionable guidance to internal teams and executive leadership.
• Policy and Program Development & Continuous Improvement: Design, implement, and manage North America company-wide customs compliance policies and procedures. Ensure consistent application of best practices and regulatory standards working with the NA Team and the global counterparts to drive continuous improvement.
• HTS Classification and Valuation Oversight: Oversee accurate classification of imported and exported goods in North America under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS), valuation practices, and country-of-origin determination.Resolveclassification disputes and proactively manage tariff exposure including preparation of customer tariff recovery documentation.
• Broker, Carrier, and Supplier Management: Manage relationships with customs brokers, freight forwarders, third-party compliance partners, and intercompany (IC) and external suppliers. Conduct regular audits and performance reviews to ensure compliance and efficiency.
• Import/Export Operations Support: Oversee daily customs operations, including entry filings, post-entry corrections, and duty drawback claims. Ensure timely resolution of customs holds, penalties, and audits. Evaluate and maintain compliance with Free Trade Agreements, particularly USMCA, including certificate preparation and solicitation from intercompany (IC) and external suppliers.
• Internal Audits and Investigations: Lead internal audits of import/export transactions. Investigate potential violations, identify root causes, implement corrective actions, and communicate outcomes to leadership. Support USA CBP audits, Mexican audits, Focused Assessments, and any other official requests.
• Training and Awareness: Develop, deploy, and deliver customs compliance training programs for employees across departments, including logistics, supply chain, purchasing, sales, and finance.
• Team Leadership: Lead and develop North American Customs Compliance and Import - Export team members.
• System Management: Ensure the team is in compliance with requirements of the Quality Management System IATF 16949, Environmental Management System - ISO 14001 and Occupational Health, Safety Management System - ISO 45001 and TISAX. Prepare evidence of compliance and support audits as required.

• Bachelor's degree in international business, Customs Compliance, Supply Chain Management, Law, or related field (Master's degree preferred).
• Minimum 5-7 years of experience in customs compliance, preferably within a global manufacturing or logistics environment.
• Strong working knowledge of U.S. Customs regulations (19 CFR), import/export documentation, valuation methodologies, FTA compliance, and HTS classification.
• Working knowledge of Mexico Customs regulations.
• Demonstrated experience managing third-party customs brokers and government audits.
• Multilingual abilities; specifically Spanish and English
• Deep knowledge of U.S. and international customs laws, including Customs Border Protection regulations, duty mitigation strategies, and penalty avoidance.
• Strong analytical and investigative skills with a high level of attention to detail.
• Exceptional communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to convey complex regulatory concepts to cross-functional teams and executives.
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving capabilities.
• Ability to lead and influence across all levels of the organization

• Certified Customs Specialist (CCS) or Licensed Customs Broker (LCB) is strongly preferred.
• Experience in leading large-scale customs audits or voluntary disclosures
• Familiarity with global trade zones, bonded warehouses, and import/export automation tools.
• Proficiency with trade compliance systems (e.g., SAP GTS, Oracle GTM, Integration).
• Experience leading remote team members.

LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBLITIES: Direct staff of 2 (Customs Compliance Lead and Import/Export Supervisor) located in Mexico.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS/WORK ENVIRONMENT (US):

All positions in our office require interaction with people and technology while either standing or sitting. To best serve our customers, internal and external, all associates must be able to communicate face-to-face and on the phone with or without reasonable accommodation. Gentherm is committed to compliance with its obligations under all applicable state and federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. In keeping with this commitment, it attempts to reasonably accommodate applicants and employees in accordance with the requirements of the disability discrimination laws. It also invites individuals with disabilities to participate in a good faith, interactive process to identify reasonable accommodations that can be made without imposing an undue hardship.