Director of Trade Compliance

Who is Senior plc?

Senior plc is an international, market-leading, engineering solutions provider with 21 operational business in 10 countries.  Senior designs, manufactures and markets high-technology components and systems for the principal original equipment producers in the worldwide aerospace, defense, land vehicle and power & energy markets. The Group is split into two divisions, Aerospace and Flexonics, servicing five key sectors.

Safety - Integrity - Customer Focus  - Respect & Trust - Accountability - Excellence

The Opportunity

Senior plc is seeking a Director of Trade Compliance – North America to provide strategic, operational, and legal leadership across all U.S., Canadian, and Mexican operations. This is a senior leadership role with enterprise-wide responsibility for export, import, customs, and trade compliance programs, supporting both commercial and defense-related activities.

Critically, this role serves as the company’s Empowered Official (EO) under U.S. export control law (ITAR), holding legal authority for export authorizations and certifications related to defense and aerospace programs. The position partners closely with executive leadership, operating businesses, and global stakeholders to enable compliant, sustainable growth.

Strategic & Executive Leadership

• Lead the North American Trade Compliance program aligned with global governance and risk frameworks
• Advise executive leadership and brief the Board as required on compliance performance, risks, and remediation
• Serve as the regional subject matter expert on international trade and regulatory compliance

Empowered Official (ITAR)

• Act as the designated Empowered Official under 22 CFR §120.25
• Hold signing and certification authority for U.S. export licenses, TAAs, MLAs, and related authorizations
• Exercise independent legal judgment to approve or deny export and re-export transactions
• Serve as primary liaison with DDTC, BIS, OFAC, and other U.S. government agencies

Export, Import & Customs Compliance

• Ensure compliance with:• U.S.: ITAR, EAR, OFAC, CBP
• Canada: CGP, CBSA, Export Control List
• Mexico: SAT, VUCEM

• Oversee licensing, classification, valuation, documentation, and recordkeeping
• Deliver training and compliance awareness across all levels of the organization

Trade Agreements & Optimization

• Lead compliance and optimization under CUSMA / USMCA / T-MEC
• Direct HS classification, valuation, broker oversight, and duty recovery initiatives
• Advise supply chain and procurement on landed cost, tariff engineering, and trade strategy

Auditing, Risk & Governance

• Conduct compliance audits across all North American sites
• Develop standardized audit tools, metrics, and corrective action tracking
• Support internal audit alignment, voluntary disclosures, and regulatory remediation
• Lead trade compliance due diligence for M&A and business integrations

Team Leadership & Program Development

• Lead and mentor trade compliance professionals across the region
• Develop and maintain policies, procedures, and internal controls
• Implement automation and digital tools for licensing, audits, and analytics
• Monitor regulatory changes and ensure timely implementation

 

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Business, Law, Supply Chain, or International Trade
• 10+ years of progressive trade compliance leadership across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico
• Recognized Empowered Official (EO) under ITAR with defense/aerospace experience
• Deep expertise in ITAR, EAR, OFAC, CBSA, SAT, and CUSMA/USMCA/T-MEC
• Proven experience auditing trade compliance programs and leading corrective actions
• Multi-industry background (e.g., aerospace, defense, automotive, oil & gas, medical devices)
• Experience with ACE (U.S.), CARM (Canada), and VUCEM (Mexico)
• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred

Core Competencies

• Strategic and credible executive communicator
• Decisive, ethical leader with strong regulatory judgment
• Highly analytical and detail-oriented
• Collaborative, cross-cultural leadership style
• Adaptable and resilient in complex regulatory environments

Location & Travel

• Location: Remote, hybrid, or on-site (flexible)
• Travel: Approximately 15–25% across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and occasional global travel

Trade Compliance Statement Access to our facilities is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to U.S. Persons (U.S. Citizens, lawful permanent residents, U.S. Nationals, U.S. refugees, asylees, or temporary residents under amnesty provisions ), and to properly licensed foreign persons. Applicants receiving a conditional offer of employment will be required to provide information to determine whether they are subject to these regulations and, if so, to assess their country of chargeability for export control purposes. Additionally, potential employee names will be screened against the Consolidated Screening List (maintained by the United States government) to determine eligibility to receive controlled technical data.

To ensure there is no unexpected delay to your start date with our Company and due to the potential need to obtain an export license, we would like to promptly assess whether such a license is needed to access our facility and/or systems.  Such licenses can take several weeks/months to obtain from the U.S. Government. Our Trade Compliance department may reach out to you with a Licensing Assessment form, which we request you kindly complete and return as soon as possible.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. EOE M/F/D/V/VEVRAA Federal Contractor