Associate Director Global Custom and Trade

Associate Director Global Custom and Trade

Location: This role may be based in Morristown, Tampa, Greenwood, Colmar (France)  and Bornem (Belgium).

The Associate Director Global Custom and Trade is the first‑line owner of the Global Trade Program, responsible for designing, implementing, and operating the Group’s trade compliance governance framework.

The role ensures effective and compliant execution of customs, import/export, export controls, sanctions, embargoes, and restricted‑party screening, by setting binding standards, owning core processes and systems, and directing remediation where deficiencies are identified. The position holds end‑to‑end accountability for trade compliance governance, while transactional execution is performed by local operations, shared services, or external brokers under this role’s authority.

What you will get:

• An agile career and dynamic working culture.

• An inclusive and ethical workplace.

• Compensation programs that recognize high performance.

• A variety of benefits dependent on role and location.

• The full list of our global benefits can be found here:  https://www.lonza.com/careers/benefits.

What you will do:

• Own and operate the Global Trade Compliance Program as a first‑line control function; define and enforce binding requirements across all business units and regions while retaining full accountability.

• Monitor global trade developments (legislative, regulatory, geopolitical, industry trends), assess their impact, and coordinate stakeholder actions to ensure compliance, reduce risk, and optimize costs.

• Develop, maintain, and approve global policies covering customs compliance (classification, origin, valuation), import/export controls, sanctions, and counterparty screening, ensuring consistent application across jurisdictions.

• Define mandatory controls, documentation standards, sign‑offs, and record‑retention requirements.

• Direct and oversee trade compliance performance by supply chain, logistics, regional resources, and external brokers; monitor quality, identify deficiencies, and instruct corrective actions.

• Act as the primary owner for risk identification, assessment, mitigation, and escalation; lead responses to customs audits, inquiries, inspections, and own the remediation.

• Act as business and governance owner for trade compliance systems (e.g., SAP GTS), covering process design, control frameworks, master data governance, and authorization concepts.

• Serve as the authoritative owner towards customs authorities, regulators, Legal, Internal Audit, and senior management; provide clear direction on positions, risk acceptance, and remediation.

• Represent the company externally with government agencies, authorities, committees, and trade organizations; participate in industry forums to advocate company interests.

• Own trade compliance governance during carve‑outs, acquisitions, TOM changes, and ERP implementations, embedding it as a first‑line control function in future operating models.

What we are looking for:

• University degree (Master), preferably in International Trade, Finance, Economics, or (Tax) Law.

• 15+ years of professional experience in total.

• 10+ years of specific experience in Import Trade Compliance at a "Highly Experienced" level.

• Business Fluent English language skills.

• Exceptional knowledge of customs regulations, government agency requirements, and service provider trends.

• Strong analytical skills to collect and process information from multiple sources, with the ability to make quick decisions to solve problems, ensure compliance, and reduce duties.

• Proven ability to negotiate favorable corporate results.

About Lonza

At Lonza, our people are our greatest strength. With 30+ sites across five continents, our globally connected teams work together every day to manufacture the medicines of tomorrow. Our core values of Collaboration, Accountability, Excellence, Passion and Integrity reflect who we are and how we work together. Everyone’s ideas, big or small, have the potential to improve millions of lives, and that’s the kind of work we want you to be part of.

Innovation thrives when people from all backgrounds bring their unique perspectives to the table. At Lonza, we value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. If you’re ready to help turn our customers’ breakthrough ideas into viable therapies, we look forward to welcoming you on board.

Ready to shape the future of life sciences? Apply now.