Littelfuse (NASDAQ: LFUS) is a diversified industrial technology manufacturing company shaping solutions for the safe and efficient transfer of electrical energy. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, USA, we serve customers across industrial, transportation, and electronics markets worldwide. With approximately 16,000 employees we design and manufacture innovative technologies that support electrification, energy efficiency, and advanced automation. Our global reach is matched by a culture that empowers innovation and long-term growth. Guided by our principles We Care, We Succeed With Our Customers, and We Own the Outcome, we work collaboratively, think boldly, and deliver solutions that move industries forward.
The Sr. Director, Global Trade Compliance will serve as the company’s senior authority on global trade compliance, providing enterprise leadership across customs, export controls, economic sanctions, and related international trade regulations. This highly influential role will establish the global vision, governance framework, and risk posture for trade compliance while advising executive leadership on regulatory developments, geopolitical risks, cost considerations, and strategic business implications.
The successful candidate will lead the global trade compliance organization and establish consistent standards, controls, and practices across regions, business units, and legal entities. Working closely with Legal, Supply Chain, Finance, Operations, IT, Product Development, and executive leadership, this leader will enable compliant business growth, protect the company’s license to operate, and support optimization of total landed cost across the global supply chain.
This opportunity is ideal for an accomplished global trade compliance executive who combines deep regulatory expertise with strategic leadership, sound business judgment, and the ability to translate complex requirements into scalable, practical business solutions.
About the Job: Key Responsibilities
Enterprise Leadership and Strategy
- Set Global Direction: Define and lead the company’s global trade compliance vision, strategy, governance framework, and risk posture across all regions, business units, and legal entities.
- Champion the Compliance Program: Serve as the executive sponsor for the global trade compliance program, ensuring consistency, scalability, and alignment with corporate strategy and risk tolerance.
- Advise Executive Leadership: Provide strategic guidance regarding trade policy, geopolitical developments, regulatory changes, supply chain disruption, and their potential business implications.
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- Establish Performance Measures: Develop enterprise trade compliance KPIs and regularly communicate compliance posture, trends, risks, and remediation progress to senior leadership.
Regulatory Compliance and Governance
- Ensure Global Compliance: Oversee compliance with applicable U.S. and international trade requirements, including ITAR, EAR, OFAC, U.S. customs laws, and relevant foreign customs and trade regimes and arrangements.
- Provide Technical Authority: Serve as the final authority on commodity classification, jurisdiction and licensing determinations, country of origin, customs valuation, Partner Government Agency requirements, and sanctions-screening practices.
- Build a Strong Control Environment: Establish and maintain enterprise policies, procedures, internal controls, escalation protocols, governance forums, and recordkeeping standards.
- Monitor Regulatory Change: Translate evolving regulations into clear, timely, and practical requirements for business and functional stakeholders.
Risk Management, Investigations, and Assurance
- Lead Risk Assessments and Audits: Direct enterprise trade compliance risk assessments, internal audits, and investigations.
- Drive Corrective Action: Oversee remediation plans and systemic improvements that strengthen controls, accountability, and compliance sustainability.
- Manage Government Matters: Act as the senior executive accountable for government inquiries, enforcement matters, disclosures, and consent management related to trade compliance.
- Support Corporate Transactions: Lead trade compliance due diligence, risk assessment, and integration activities for mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and joint ventures.
Operational Enablement and Cost Optimization
- Govern Classification and Valuation: Oversee global tariff classification, including HS and HTS, country-of-origin programs, and customs valuation standards to create consistency and audit defensibility.
- Advance Tariff Mitigation: Lead strategies involving Free Trade Agreements, drawback, special customs programs, sourcing alternatives, and trade-preference utilization.
- Embed Compliance into Business Decisions: Partner with Supply Chain, Sourcing, and Product Development leaders to incorporate trade compliance and tariff efficiency into sourcing, product design, and operational-footprint decisions.
- Balance Risk and Efficiency: Promote operational efficiency and landed-cost optimization while maintaining effective, audit-ready controls.
Free Trade Agreements, Systems, and Data Governance
- Oversee FTA Programs: Provide executive oversight of Free Trade Agreement programs, including supplier engagement, qualification methodologies, audit readiness, and risk mitigation.
- Strengthen Data Governance: Sponsor governance initiatives for import and export systems, master data, analytics, and reporting to improve accuracy, traceability, and compliance assurance.
Organizational Leadership and External Engagement
- Build Organizational Capability: Lead, develop, and retain a high-performing global trade compliance team while defining organizational structure, capability requirements, and succession plans.
- Govern Third-Party Partners: Establish policy and performance expectations for customs brokers, freight forwarders, screening providers, and other trade-related service partners.
- Represent the Company Externally: Engage with government agencies, auditors, industry organizations, and trade associations as the company’s senior trade compliance representative.
About You: Knowledge and Experiences
- Extensive Trade Compliance Leadership: At least 12 years of progressive experience in global trade compliance, customs, export controls, or regulatory leadership.
- Global and Multinational Experience: Demonstrated experience working within a multinational manufacturing, industrial, or professional advisory environment.
- Enterprise Program Leadership: Proven success designing, scaling, and governing trade compliance programs across multiple regions and business units.
- Regulatory Expertise: Deep knowledge of U.S. and international customs, export controls, sanctions requirements, classification, licensing, origin, valuation, and trade-preference programs.
- M&A Experience: Proven leadership in trade compliance due diligence, integration, transformation, and risk assessment for corporate transactions.
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in International Business, Supply Chain, Finance, Accounting, Engineering, or a related field.
- Preferred Qualifications: An advanced degree and relevant professional credentials or expertise, such as Certified Customs Specialist, Licensed Customs Broker, or Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism experience, are strongly preferred.
- ITAR Eligibility: Candidates must be U.S. Persons as defined by ITAR, 22 CFR §120.15, meaning U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent resident status.
Core Competencies / Key Behaviors
- Enterprise Perspective: Approaches compliance as an enterprise capability and connects regulatory requirements with broader corporate priorities.
- Strategic Thinking and Execution: Translates complex trade risks and regulatory developments into clear strategies, scalable programs, and actionable business decisions.
- Executive Influence: Communicates with credibility and clarity and can influence executives, senior leaders, and boards on complex regulatory and risk matters.
- Sound Judgment and Integrity: Demonstrates discretion, independence, and thoughtful judgment when managing regulatory exposure, investigations, and enforcement matters.
- Commercial and Operational Acumen: Balances compliance rigor with operational efficiency, customer requirements, cost considerations, and commercial realities.
- Global Collaboration: Builds alignment and accountability across functions, regions, business units, and external partners in a complex matrixed environment.
- Inspirational Leadership: Develops talent, strengthens organizational capability, coaches effectively, and creates a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
- Change Leadership: Leads transformation with resilience, adaptability, and a disciplined focus on sustainable processes, controls, and results.
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position, however, all final employment decisions will be made by a person.
Salary Range:
$195,800 - $283,700 The salary offered will vary depending on your location, job-related skills, knowledge, and experience.
At Littelfuse, we support employee growth and development. Guided by our culture principles, our teams work together to deliver value for customers and make a positive impact in the communities where we operate. We are an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone has the opportunity to grow and contribute. We offer competitive compensation and benefits, performance-based incentives, flexible work arrangements, and development opportunities.
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