Director, Global Trade Compliance

Abercrombie & Fitch Spain, SL; Columbus (OH); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Abercrombie & Fitch Spain, S.L. seeks a Director, Trade Compliance to lead the company’s global trade compliance strategy, FTZ operations, and risk governance from its New Albany, OH location (Hybrid).

This role partners with Finance, Tax, Sourcing, Transportation, and International teams to balance compliance with commercial agility. You will drive analytics, automation, and process improvements to reduce risk, optimize landed cost, and strengthen supply chain resilience while shaping the

Qualifications

• Lead enterprise-wide global trade compliance strategy and governance.
• Advise leadership on regulatory changes and sourcing impacts.
• Develop FTZ operations and analytics capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead global trade compliance strategy and operating model.
• Advise leadership on regulatory developments and sourcing impacts.
• Monitor regulatory changes and assess impact on sourcing and risk.
• Oversee CBP compliance, product classification, and recordkeeping.
• Lead FTZ operations, entries, and audit readiness.
• Drive automation and analytics to reduce risk and cost.

Skills

Trade compliance leadership

Governance & risk management

Strategic partnerships

Data analytics

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain / Trade

Tools

FTZ operations software

ERP data systems

Job description

Director, Trade Compliance
Reports To: VP/GVP Transportation
Location: New Albany, OH (Hybrid)

Role Summary

The Director, Trade Compliance leads A&F's global trade compliance and Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) strategy, governance, and execution. This role ensures compliance with U.S. Customs and international trade regulations while improving operational efficiency, speed to market, supply chain resilience, and landed cost.

As A&F's primary trade expert and a strategic advisor to executive leadership, this leader partners across Finance, Tax, Technology, Sourcing, Transportation, Planning, International, Franchise, and Wholesale to incorporate trade considerations early, balance compliance with commercial agility, and support evolving sourcing and growth strategies. The Director builds scalable capabilities and future leaders while using analytics, automation, and process modernization to reduce risk, strengthen business continuity, and identify financial opportunities.

What Will You Be Doing?

Trade Strategy, Governance & Risk Management

• Develop and lead the company's enterprise-wide global trade compliance strategy, governance framework, and operating model.
• Advise executive leadership on trade risks, regulatory and tariff developments, sourcing impacts, and optimization opportunities, translating complex issues into clear business recommendations.
• Monitor geopolitical, regulatory, tariff, and trade developments continuously; assess their potential impact on sourcing strategies, business continuity, growth initiatives, and supply chain risk; and translate emerging risks and opportunities into timely business recommendations.
• Lead enterprise-wide trade compliance governance, audit readiness, internal controls, and corrective action initiatives to proactively mitigate risk and ensure regulatory compliance.
• Assess and leverage artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, and automation capabilities to identify compliance risks, monitor regulatory changes, improve trade program efficiency, and strengthen decision-making across global trade operations.

Trade Compliance & FTZ Operations

• Ensure compliance with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations and other applicable import/export requirements across global sourcing operations.
• Oversee product classification, customs valuation, country of origin determination, broker management, recordkeeping, and post-entry compliance processes.
• Direct FTZ operations, administration, inventory controls, admissions, weekly entries, regulatory reporting, recordkeeping, and audit readiness across the distribution network.
• Identify and implement opportunities to optimize FTZ utilization, duty savings, tariff mitigation strategies, and landed cost performance

Business Partnership & Trade Optimization

• Partner closely with Sourcing, Product Development, Logistics, Transportation, Finance, Tax, Planning, Technology, Inventory, International, Franchise, Wholesale, and Distribution Center teams to incorporate trade considerations early and support sourcing diversification, market expansion, inventory flow, and operational execution strategies.
• Lead trade program utilization strategies, including free trade agreements, duty drawback, First Sale opportunities, and supply chain security initiatives such as C-TPAT.
• Balance compliance requirements with business enablement, helping the organization improve speed to market, reduce landed cost, and strengthen supply chain resiliency.
• Manage relationships with customs brokers, FTZ authorities, consultants, carriers, government agencies, and external compliance partners.

Technology, Analytics & Continuous Improvement

• Establish performance metrics, dashboards, controls, and reporting capabilities that provide executive visibility into trade compliance, FTZ performance, savings opportunities, liabilities, and risk; improve duty liability forecasting; and ensure duty data loaded in systems is accurate and trusted by Planning and Finance.
• Lead the implementation and optimization of GTM and FTZ transformation initiatives, including automation, systems integration, workflow redesign, control development, and data-quality improvements that reduce manual work and create scalable trade operations.
• Define and monitor key performance indicators for compliance, controls, audit readiness, duty accuracy, savings realization, broker performance, and operational effectiveness; use results to identify gaps, assign corrective actions, and drive continuous improvement.

People Leadership & Organizational Capability

• Build, develop, and lead a high-performing trade compliance and FTZ team through coaching, mentoring, exposure opportunities, succession planning, and a culture of accountability, collaboration, and operational excellence.
• Create documented, repeatable processes, robust controls, and cross-functional knowledge sharing that reduce tribal knowledge and key-person dependency.
• Provide guidance, education, and training to in