Import/Export Manager

An Import/Export Manager is responsible for everything that happens between a purchase order issued to a foreign supplier and finished goods arriving at the company's distribution center — and the equivalent chain for export. That scope includes the team of coordinators and specialists who process daily transactions, the customs broker relationships that determine entry accuracy, the compliance program that keeps the company out of CBP trouble, and the data analysis that identifies where the company is paying too much in duties.

The operational component of the role is perpetual. International freight doesn't pause for management reviews or strategy sessions. Shipments clear, examinations get scheduled, L/C presentations go to banks, and export orders ship every business day. A manager who loses touch with day-to-day operations quickly loses credibility with the team and misses developing problems before they become incidents.

The strategic component is increasingly important. Tariff volatility — which has been high since 2018 — means the Import/Export Manager is regularly called on to analyze the landed cost implications of sourcing shifts, evaluate alternative country-of-origin scenarios, and advise procurement on the duty math before purchase decisions are made. Managers who can do this analysis credibly and quickly are embedded in strategic sourcing discussions, not just cleanup operations.

People management is a larger part of the job than candidates often anticipate. Trade coordinators are in demand, turnover can be high at entry levels, and the institutional knowledge built over years of working specific trade lanes, brokers, and commodity types walks out the door with each departure. Retention, development, and knowledge documentation are genuine management priorities.

Education:

• Bachelor's degree required in international business, supply chain, logistics, or a related field
• JD or paralegal background valued for companies with significant enforcement exposure
• MBA useful for roles with P&L responsibility or significant procurement interface

Experience:

• 7–12 years of international trade experience with at least 3 years managing a team of 3+ people
• Demonstrated experience with CBP compliance events — focused assessments, prior disclosures, or CF-28/29 inquiries
• Track record of building or improving a compliance program from a gap-ridden baseline
• Experience managing customs broker relationships including broker audits and corrective action

Credentials:

• Licensed Customs Broker — strongly preferred, often required
• NCBFAA CCS and/or CES
• IATA DGR for companies with hazmat freight

Regulatory depth:

• CBP: 19 CFR, HTS classification through Chapter 99, valuation, FTA administration, antidumping/CVD
• Export: EAR (15 CFR 730–774), ITAR fundamentals, OFAC sanctions programs, AES/ACE filing
• Trade programs: USMCA, CAFTA-DR, GSP, duty drawback, First Sale valuation

Management skills:

• Team development: setting measurable goals, running meaningful performance reviews, managing underperformance
• Vendor management: broker and forwarder SLA development, performance scorecards
• Budgeting: trade compliance department operating budget, customs duty forecasting for P&L

Import/Export Manager is a well-established function at companies with significant international sourcing or sales operations, and the demand picture is strong relative to supply of qualified candidates. The combination of management experience, regulatory depth, and analytical capability required is genuinely uncommon, and companies regularly report difficulty finding candidates who have all three.

The tariff environment has elevated the function. In periods of stable trade policy, Import/Export Managers operated largely in a technical compliance role. The post-2018 era of active tariff policy — Section 301, USMCA implementation, Section 232 steel and aluminum duties, expanded semiconductor export controls — has made trade operations a C-suite-visible risk area. Managers who successfully manage through policy volatility build profiles that are recognizable and mobile.

The export controls dimension is where the most acute talent shortage exists. BIS enforcement actions have multiplied, the Entity List has grown substantially, and companies selling advanced technology products now need managers who can competently navigate EAR classification, license determination, and BIS inquiry responses. Candidates with demonstrated export compliance experience are in significantly higher demand than pure import-focused managers.

Career paths from Import/Export Manager run toward Director of Global Trade, VP of Supply Chain Compliance, or VP of International Operations. Some managers move to customs brokerage management roles, trade consulting (Big Four or specialized trade law firms), or government (CBP, BIS) later in their careers. The salary ceiling at Director level at large multinationals is $150K–$200K plus bonus, and the senior leadership pipeline in trade compliance is thin relative to demand.

For professionals currently at the manager level, visibility into tariff modeling and export license management are the two highest-value skills to develop for the next career stage.

Dear Hiring Manager,

I'm applying for the Import/Export Manager position at [Company]. I have eleven years in international trade, including the last four as Import/Export Manager at [Company], where I led a team of six covering approximately $120M in annual duty-paid imports and 200+ export shipments per month.

In my current role I've managed two CBP focused assessments — one on our customs valuation methodology and one on HTS classification accuracy in Chapter 84 machinery. Both closed without penalty. The valuation assessment was challenging because we had been using an inconsistent first-sale eligibility methodology for three product lines; we identified it before CBP did, filed a prior disclosure, and used the assessment as an opportunity to rebuild our valuation documentation standards. CBP's post-assessment letter noted the quality of our workpapers.

On the export side, I built our ECCN classification program from scratch two years ago when we acquired a technology company that had never formally classified its products. The program now covers 180 product families, with documented classification rationale and a pre-shipment review process that has cleared 3,400 export orders without a license violation.

I manage our broker relationships through quarterly performance scorecards covering entry accuracy, ISF timeliness, and exam rates by port. We've held our broker to a 99.2% entry accuracy rate over the past 12 months.

I'm interested in [Company] because the scale of your import program and the dual-use technology in your product line matches the scope of the work I've been managing. I'd welcome a conversation about how my background aligns with what you need.

[Your Name]