Global Trade Compliance Leader

Life Fitness; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 81,000 - 117,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) match

Medical, dental & vision insurance

Paid time off and holidays

Life insurance & disability

Tuition assistance

Job summary

Life Fitness / Hammer Strength, based in Rosemont, IL, seeks a Senior Trade Compliance Specialist to lead cross-functional initiatives, determine HTS/ECCN classifications, and drive policy in a dynamic regulatory environment. The role focuses on CBP coordination, USMCA qualifications, and optimizing the duty drawback program.

The candidate will manage brokers, maintain records, monitor trade rules, and educate teams through training and SOPs. A CPA?

Qualifications

• Licensed Customs Broker (LCB) certification required.
• Certified Customs Specialist (CCS) designation preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• 5–7 years of trade or customs compliance experience with demonstrated ownership of determinations and audit responses.
• Experience leading cross-functional projects and driving process improvements is strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of 19 CFR, HTSUS, the FTR, EAR, OFAC sanctions programs.
• Advanced Excel skills and ability to analyze large data sets; Oracle ERP experience preferred.
• Direct experience preparing duty drawback claims and qualifying goods under USMCA preferred.
• Strong communication with auditors, CBP, brokers, and senior leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead cross‑functional trade compliance initiatives involving Procurement, Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, Finance, and Legal to improve processes and reduce risk.
• Make HTS / Schedule B and ECCN determinations, document rationale, and prepare binding ruling requests with CBP when classification is ambiguous.
• Qualify goods under USMCA and other FTAs, issue certifications, and own annual country of origin and FTA solicitation project.
• Serve as the classification and origin authority for EU, UK, and other regional brokers.
• Analyze BOM data to support FTA qualification and manufacturing drawback.
• Adjudicate denied party screening results, investigate potential matches, document disposition, and escalate to legal when warranted.
• Lead responses to CBP inquiries, post summary corrections, protests, and Focused Assessments; act as primary contact with CBP and brokers.
• Own broker management, including issuing broker instructions, auditing broker and AES filing accuracy, and reconciling discrepancies.
• Own the duty drawback program, preparing and reviewing claims, setting filing strategy, maximizing recovery.
• Maintain a compliant, audit-ready record retention system meeting government requirements.
• Identify duty savings and risk mitigation opportunities, including FTA utilization and tariff engineering inputs.
• Develop business cases and plans to realize opportunities from concept through execution.
• Monitor regulatory changes and communicate business impact.
• Design and deliver import/export compliance training and write SOPs.

Skills

Customs compliance

CBP regulations

Cross-functional leadership

HTS classification

USMCA knowledge

ERP Oracle

Project management

Auditors liaison

Attention to detail

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree preferred

CCS designation preferred

Tools

Oracle ERP

Job description

Life Fitness / Hammer Strength, based in Rosemont, IL, seeks a Senior Trade Compliance Specialist to lead cross-functional initiatives, determine HTS/ECCN classifications, and drive policy in a dynamic regulatory environment. The role focuses on CBP coordination, USMCA qualifications, and optimizing the duty drawback program.

The candidate will manage brokers, maintain records, monitor trade rules, and educate teams through training and SOPs. A CPA?