Lead Trade Compliance Specialist
Job Description
Location: Chicago
Shift: 1st Shift - Hybrid schedule, 3 days in office, 2 at home
Hire Type: Direct Hire
Pay Rate: $120,000–$130,000 per year
- Lead and rebuild the company’s trade compliance function, establishing scalable processes and best practices
- Serve as the subject matter expert on import/export regulations, compliance controls, and documentation
- Develop and standardize product classification processes (HTS, Schedule B, HS codes)
- Clean, validate, and organize large datasets to ensure accurate classification and duty optimization
- Create and improve workflows for trade documentation (Certificates of Origin, affidavits, invoices, etc.)
- Evaluate and correct import/export documentation to ensure compliance and audit readiness
- Oversee post-entry corrections, duty drawback opportunities, and reconciliation processes
- Develop KPIs, dashboards, and reporting tools to track compliance performance and risk areas
- Support internal and external audits, implementing corrective actions and long-term improvements
- Partner with legal, supply chain, procurement, and finance teams to ensure regulatory compliance
- Manage relationships with customs brokers, freight forwarders, and external partners
- Monitor regulatory changes (CBP, BIS, OFAC, EAR) and implement necessary process updates
- Train and educate internal teams on trade compliance requirements and best practices
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, International Trade, or related field
- 7+ years of experience in trade compliance, import/export, or global logistics
- Strong knowledge of U.S. trade regulations (CBP, BIS, EAR, OFAC, FTA, valuation, origin rules)
- Expertise in HTS, Schedule B, and HS classification systems
- Experience building or improving trade compliance programs, processes, and documentation workflows
- Strong data analysis skills (Excel, pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, data cleansing)
- Experience working with ERP systems (Oracle, SAP, or similar)
- Knowledge of duty drawback, post-entry corrections, and audit processes
- Experience managing broker and freight forwarder relationships
- Ability to work in ambiguous environments and build structured, scalable solutions
- Certified Customs Specialist (CCS) or Licensed Customs Broker
- Certified International Trade Professional (CITP)
- Lean Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or higher)
- Experience with Global Trade Management (GTM) systems
Meet Your Recruiter
Senior Technical Recruiter
Galen is a Senior Technical Recruiter at Sterling Engineering with nearly 14 years of recruiting and talent acquisition experience, spanning agency leadership, high-volume technical recruiting, and executive-level client partnership. Since joining Sterling in February 2026, he has brought a strategic, relationship-driven approach to supporting candidates and clients across manufacturing, industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and more.
Galen is dedicated to solving complex hiring challenges and building trusted, long-term partnerships with candidates, hiring managers, and executives. He takes the time to understand each person’s experience, goals, and career ambitions so he can help connect them with opportunities that align with both their skills and long-term direction.
For Galen, recruiting is about being an advocate and facilitator during important moments of transition and opportunity. He genuinely enjoys learning what motivates people and helping them take meaningful next steps in their careers while supporting companies in building strong, high-performing teams.