Director, Customs Compliance

Come make your difference in communities across Canada, where authenticity, trust and making connections is valued – as we shape the future of Canadian retail, together. Our unique position as one of the country's largest employers, coupled with our commitment to positively impact the lives of all Canadians, provides our colleagues a range of opportunities and experiences to help Canadians Live Life Well®.

At Loblaw Companies Limited, we succeed through collaboration and commitment and set a high bar for ourselves and those around us. Whether you are just starting your career, re-entering the workforce, or looking for a new job, this is where you belong.

About the Role:

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Director, Customs and Trade to lead our critical customs operations. This pivotal role involves developing and enhancing our internal customs strategy, ensuring proactive compliance with all relevant government regulations, and leading a high-performing team. A key aspect of this role is ensuring unabated and seamless cross-border operations 24/7, supporting over 75,000 import transactions per year, including over 60% of our import business that transits the US into Canada, as well as T&T US and Freight as a Service (FaaS) operations. The ideal candidate will possess expertise in customs regulations across various sectors, a strong ability to navigate the complex and evolving US regulatory landscape, and a proven track record of driving innovation and fostering cross-functional collaboration.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and continuously enhance internal Customs strategy, policies, processes, and procedures.
• Proactively manage all government legislation and regulatory compliance for import and export activities, including overseeing government audits.
• Lead, motivate, coach, and develop a high-performing, forward-thinking Customs compliance team.
• Demonstrate a strong understanding of customs regulations, valuation, and classification specific to the food, drug, and apparel sectors.
• Demonstrate a strong understanding of current and future US CBP, USDA APHIS, FDA, and US Transshipment regulations, and proactively navigate the complex US trade environment.
• Apply deep technical knowledge of CBSA, CFIA, and Other Government Department (OGD) regulations (including release, accounting, origin, HS classification, e-Manifest, import permits, and certification requirements) to ensure efficient and compliant management of over 60% of import business transiting the US into Canada, T&T US, and FaaS operations.
• Analyze and interpret current and future CBSA initiatives (e.g., CARM) to assess their potential impact on business operations and develop proactive strategies.
• Demonstrate excellent communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills.
• Leverage strong business acumen and a collaborative mindset to cultivate and maintain robust relationships with diverse stakeholders (e.g., Procurement, Supply Chain, Merchandising, Finance), fostering seamless cross-functional cooperation.
• Utilize familiarity with US & Canadian Trade Advocacy Channels to effectively engage with senior internal and external stakeholders, representing the company's interests.
• Lead and direct special projects, including RPA Automation initiatives, data analytics, and the strategic integration of technology, AI, and machine learning within the Customs domain.
• Create, implement, review, and act upon Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to optimize operational efficiency.
• Be results-oriented, demonstrating strong decision-making capabilities, problem-solving prowess, and negotiation skills.

Qualifications:

• Valid US & CA CCS (Certified Customs Specialist) Designation, Certified Trade Compliance Specialist (CTCS) certification, or a Customs Broker Professional License.
• Post secondary education in a related discipline.
• Proven experience in International Trade Compliance, encompassing both import and export activities.
• Demonstrated experience in a Customs International Trade Compliance environment, with at least five years in a managerial role leading a Customs department.
• At least 5 years of experience managing US Trade Compliance for a multinational retailer operating in the food sector.
• Strong technical knowledge of Canadian and US Customs regulations, including release, accounting, and compliance procedures.
• Demonstrates experience navigating CBSA's Single Window IID, CARM, CERS, and US CBP's ACE & USDA APHIS Portals.
• Have a results-oriented mindset and demonstrated strong decision-making capabilities, problem-solving prowess, and negotiation skills.
• Proven ability to effectively manage senior internal and external stakeholder engagement, particularly within US & CAN Trade Advocacy Channels.
• Retail experience within the food, drug, general merchandise, and apparel sectors is considered a significant asset.

Our commitment to Sustainability and Social Impact is an essential part of the way we do business, and we focus our attention on areas where we can have the greatest impact. Our approach to sustainability and social impact is based on three pillars – Environment, Sourcing and Community – and we are constantly looking for ways to demonstrate leadership in these important areas. Our CORE Values – Care, Ownership, Respect and Excellence – guide all our decision-making and come to life through our Blue Culture. We offer our colleagues progressive careers, comprehensive training, flexibility, and other competitive benefits – these are some of the many reasons why we are one of Canada’s Top Employers, Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, Canada’s Greenest Employers & Canada’s Top Employers for Young People.

If you are unsure whether your experience matches every requirement above, we encourage you to apply anyway. We are looking for varied perspectives which include diverse experiences that we can add to our team.

We have a long-standing focus on diversity, equity and inclusion because we know it will make our company a better place to work and shop. We are committed to creating accessible environments for our colleagues, candidates and customers. Requests for accommodation due to a disability (which may be visible or invisible, temporary or permanent) can be made at any stage of application and employment. We encourage candidates to make their accommodation needs known so that we can provide equitable opportunities.

Please Note:

Candidates who are 18 years or older are required to complete a criminal background check. Details will be provided through the application process.

Hiring Range / Échelle salariale à l’embauche :$128,000.00 - $176,000.00 / 128.000,00$ - 176.000,00$ (per year / par an) A candidate’s experience and knowledge as well as the geographical region in which the position is located may be factored into the pay a candidate receives for this position. This posting is for an existing vacancy. The Company uses artificial intelligence for the purpose of screening, assessing and/or selecting applicants for this position. / L’expérience et les connaissances d’un candidat ainsi que la région géographique dans laquelle le poste est situé peuvent être prises en compte dans la rémunération qu’un candidat reçoit pour ce poste. Cette offre d’emploi concerne un poste vacant existant. L’entreprise utilise l’intelligence artificielle dans le but de filtrer, d’évaluer et/ou de sélectionner les candidats à ce poste.

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