Senior Manager, Global Trade & Customs

Senior Manager Global Trade & Customs

• Opportunity to work in a world class organisation

• Key influencing role in our customs, tariffs management and trade compliance

• Permanent role based in Chicago

• Salary range for Illinois is between $152k-$209k

About the Team

The Global Trade Compliance team supports compliant and efficient international trade operations across the organization’s global supply chain network. The team partners with procurement, logistics, legal, finance, and external customs authorities to ensure alignment with international trade regulations while supporting operational continuity and business growth throughout global markets.

About the role

The Senior Manager Customs & Global Trade Manager is responsible for leading customs operations, tariff management, and trade compliance initiatives across North America region. This role serves as a regional subject matter expert in tariff classification, origin determination, free trade agreements (FTAs), customs valuation, and operational customs compliance.

The successful candidate will oversee customs compliance workflows, duty optimization strategies, broker management, and regional trade initiatives while supporting operational excellence and minimizing regulatory risk.

Key Responsibilities

Tariff Management & Trade Strategy

• Lead tariff classification activities using Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) and customs frameworks.

• Manage duty optimization initiatives including FTAs, duty drawback opportunities, preferential trade programs, and tariff management strategies.

• Conduct origin analysis and support FTA qualification across North America trade lanes.

• Assess tariff and landed cost impacts related to sourcing and supply chain strategies.

Customs Operations

• Oversee import and export customs operations across North America markets.

• Manage customs brokers, freight forwarders, and external logistics providers to ensure compliant and timely customs clearance.

• Resolve customs disputes, valuation issues, cargo holds, and regulatory escalations.

• Ensure accurate customs documentation, recordkeeping, and operational compliance procedures.

Trade Compliance & Governance

• Conduct and support customs and trade compliance audits across regional operations.

• Develop and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for trade compliance activities and systems.

• Monitor regulatory developments, sanctions, tariff changes, and trade restrictions impacting operations.

• Identify compliance risks and implement mitigation and corrective action plans.

Stakeholder Engagement & Continuous Improvement

• Partner closely with sourcing, procurement, logistics, and legal teams on trade compliance initiatives.

• Act as a technical resource for customs and trade compliance matters, providing guidance and subject matter expertise.

• Monitor Trade KPIs and deliver reporting and insights to support operational and strategic decision-making.

• Drive process improvement initiatives and support automation of customs and compliance workflows.

What you will bring

To be successfully considered for this role;

• 5-10+ years of experience in customs operations, global trade compliance, or international logistics.

• Strong knowledge of North America customs regulations, tariff classification, customs valuation, FTAs, and origin determination.

• Experience supporting North American markets preferred.

• Experience managing customs brokers and regulatory stakeholders.

• Familiarity with ERP systems.

• Strong analytical and investigative skills.

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management capabilities.

• High attention to detail and compliance mindset.

• Ability to lead cross-functional initiatives in fast-paced global environments.

• Strong leadership and organizational skills.

• Continuous improvement and operational excellence focus.

What we offer

Be recognised for your contribution, your thinking and your hard work, and go home knowing you’ve helped the world progress.

• A work environment where safety is always the number one priority

• A competitive salary package with annual cash incentive awards for eligible employees

• Career development & education assistance to further your ambitions

• Access top tier family-friendly health and medical programs and pension plan

• Wellbeing benefits

• Generous Rio Tinto employee share program

• Employee Assistance Program

• Ongoing individual wellbeing support for you and your family for personal and professional matter

• Leave for all of life’s reasons (vacation/annual, paid parental, sick leave)

Where you’ll be working 

Our Commercial function at Rio Tinto connects our product groups, customers and suppliers from mine to market. We bring together Sales & Marketing and Trading (Sell), Global Procurement (Buy), and Marine & Logistics (Move) to buy, sell and move the materials the world needs, by partnering across the value chain to optimise outcomes for our customers and the Group. Headquartered in our global Commercial hub in Singapore, and with a strong presence in Chicago, Frankfurt, Antwerp and across Asia in Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo and Seoul, we work as one team to deliver customer centric value, safely and sustainably. 

About Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto is a leading global mining and materials company. We operate in 35 countries where we produce iron ore, copper, aluminium, critical minerals, and other materials needed for the global energy transition and for people, communities, and nations to thrive.

We have been mining for 150 years and operate with knowledge built up across generations and continents. Our purpose is finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs – striving for innovation and continuous improvement to produce materials with low emissions and to the right environmental, social and governance standards. But we can’t do it on our own, so we’re focused on creating partnerships to solve problems, create win-win situations and meet opportunities.

Respect and Inclusion

Rio Tinto is committed to equal employment opportunity. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

We are committed to an inclusive environment where people feel safe, respected and valued. We want our people to feel that all voices are heard and that a variety of perspectives are not only welcome but are essential to our success. We treat all our people fairly and with dignity.

Rio Tinto participates in E- Verify to confirm work authorization. Please visit http://www.ucis.gov/ for more information.

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