Director, Global Trade Compliance
Danaher Corporation
Summary
The Director, Global Trade Compliance is responsible for leading, sustaining, and advancing Cepheid's global trade compliance program, ensuring compliance with import, export, sanctions, customs, and other international trade regulations across a complex global business environment. This role will oversee the ongoing effectiveness of Cepheid's established trade compliance program while driving continuous improvement initiatives to strengthen governance, internal controls, customs valuation processes, and global regulatory compliance. This position reports to the Vice President, Global Fulfillment & Distribution and is part of the Cepheid Supply Chain organization and will be fully remote.
Job description
Serving as Cepheid's primary trade compliance subject matter expert, this role partners across Corporate and Platform Trade Compliance, and key Cepheid teams to support business growth while ensuring compliance with Danaher standards and applicable global trade regulations. The successful candidate will be a strategic and hands-on leader who can effectively sustain a mature trade compliance program, strengthen global partnerships, oversee compliance controls and audits, influence stakeholders across the organization, and identify opportunities to further enhance trade compliance capabilities in support of Cepheid's global operations.
In this role, you will have the opportunity to:
- Lead and continuously enhance Cepheid’s global trade compliance program to ensure compliance with applicable import, export, customs, sanctions, and other international trade regulations, aligned with Danaher standards and business objectives
- Serve as Cepheid’s primary trade compliance subject matter expert, providing technical trade compliance guidance to Supply Chain, Legal, Finance, Tax, Transfer Pricing, Procurement, R&D, Operations, and Commercial functions to manage regulatory risks and support global business growth
- Provide global oversight of customs compliance programs, including customs valuation, tariff classification, country of origin, free trade agreements, customs broker management, post-entry activities, and duty optimization initiatives
- Establish, document, maintain, and monitor customs valuation methodologies for intercompany transactions in partnership with Tax and Transfer Pricing, including governance requirements, supporting documentation, and alignment between customs and transfer pricing requirements
- Develop and maintain country of origin strategies, tariff mitigation programs, and trade planning initiatives in partnership with Supply Chain, R&D, Sourcing, and Operations to support business continuity and cost optimization
- Lead the global trade compliance audit, monitoring, and internal controls framework, including compliance risk assessments, corrective actions, management reporting, and continuous improvement activities
- Lead trade compliance transformation and digitalization initiatives using technology, automation, analytics, and data governance to improve recordkeeping, commercial invoice management, supplier solicitation programs, compliance monitoring, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, International Trade, Supply Chain, Law, Finance, Accounting, or a related discipline
- 12+ years of progressive global trade compliance experience within multinational manufacturing
- 12+ years of experience applying customs compliance requirements across multiple jurisdictions, including customs valuation, tariff classification, country of origin, free trade agreements, export controls, sanctions, and other global trade regulatory requirements
- Experience leading and enhancing mature global trade compliance programs, including governance, policies, procedures, internal controls, compliance monitoring, audits, customs risk management, and continuous improvement initiatives
- Experience developing and implementing compliant customs valuation methodologies, origin strategies, tariff mitigation programs, and trade planning initiatives in partnership with Finance, Tax, Transfer Pricing, Supply Chain, and Operations functions
- Experience supporting global customs valuation programs, transfer pricing alignment, tariff mitigation initiatives, and trade compliance strategies within multinational organizations
- Experience within diagnostics, medical devices, life sciences, healthcare technology, or other highly regulated industries, including implementation of trade compliance technology, automation, and digital transformation initiatives
- Ability to travel up to 20% domestically and internationally
Benefits
- Paid time off
- Medical, Dental & Vision
- 401(k)
- Bonus/incentive pay
Company overview
Danaher Corporation is a leading global science and technology innovator headquartered in Washington, D.C., specializing in biotechnology, life sciences, and diagnostics. Founded in 1984 by brothers Steven and Mitchell Rales, the company has evolved from its origins as a manufacturing conglomerate into a premier healthcare technology organization with approximately 63,000 employees worldwide. Danaher operates through three core divisions: biotechnology (28% of revenues), which develops products for therapeutic development; life sciences (31% of revenues), focused on disease identification, new therapies, and drug testing/manufacturing; and diagnostics (41% of revenues), providing instruments, consumables, and software for disease diagnosis. The company's portfolio includes renowned brands such as Beckman Coulter, Cytiva, Pall Corporation, Cepheid, Leica Microsystems, and Abcam, serving pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms, healthcare providers, and research institutions globally. Danaher is distinguished by its Danaher Business System (DBS), a continuous improvement methodology that drives innovation and operational excellence. With 2024 revenues of $23.9 billion, the company ranks 180th on the Fortune 500 and plays a critical role in advancing scientific research, improving diagnostic capabilities, and accelerating the development of life-saving therapies.