Director of Trade Compliance & Quality

Description

The Director of Trade Compliance & Quality leads Zhone’s global trade compliance program and supports the development and implementation of the company’s Quality Management System. 

The primary responsibility of this position is Trade Compliance. The successful candidate must have extensive, hands-on experience managing U.S. and international import/export compliance in a global business environment, including export controls, customs, product classification, sanctions and restricted-party screening, licensing, regulatory documentation, and international shipping requirements. 

The role provides subject-matter expertise and practical guidance to Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, Logistics, Sales, Finance, Legal, and other stakeholders to help ensure Zhone products and transactions comply with applicable trade laws and regulatory requirements. 

As a secondary but strategically important responsibility, the Director leads Zhone’s Quality Management System initiatives, with the objective of achieving and subsequently maintaining ISO 9001 and TL 9000 certification. 

The position requires a practical, hands-on leader capable of developing policies and procedures, resolving complex compliance matters, preparing the organization for audits and certifications, and working effectively with suppliers, contract manufacturers, customers, regulatory authorities, freight forwarders, customs brokers, and certification bodies. 

Key Responsibilities

Trade Compliance - Primary Responsibility 

• Lead and continuously improve Zhone’s global import and export compliance program. 
• Interpret and apply applicable U.S. and international trade laws and regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), ITAR where applicable, U.S. Customs requirements, sanctions requirements, and FCC-related regulatory considerations. 
• Manage classification of products, components, software, and technology using Export Control Classification Numbers (ECCNs) and Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) classifications. 
• Determine export authorization and licensing requirements and manage applicable export licenses and import permits. 
• Manage denied-party, restricted-party, sanctions, embargo, and country-of-destination compliance. 
• Review transactions involving controlled or potentially restricted technologies, customers, countries, suppliers, end users, and end uses. 
• Provide guidance on the handling and transfer of export-controlled technical information and technology. 
• Establish and maintain trade compliance policies, procedures, work instructions, records, and internal controls. 
• Ensure accurate customs, import/export, and international shipping documentation. 
• Support proper determination and documentation of country of origin, customs valuation, tariff classification, and applicable trade requirements. 
• Support compliance associated with global sourcing, contract manufacturing, product transfers, and changes in manufacturing location. 
• Monitor regulatory developments, assess business impact, and implement required process and documentation changes. 
• Conduct or coordinate periodic trade compliance audits and risk assessments. 
• Develop and deliver role-appropriate trade compliance training. 
• Maintain documentation needed for internal audits, external audits, disclosures, and regulatory inquiries. 
• Investigate and resolve complex or escalated trade compliance matters. 
• Coordinate with customs brokers, freight forwarders, suppliers, customers, regulatory authorities, and external trade counsel, as appropriate. 
• Partner with Engineering to obtain the technical information necessary for defensible product classifications and regulatory assessments. 
• Provide practical compliance guidance that supports business execution while maintaining appropriate regulatory controls. 

Quality Management - Secondary Responsibility 

• Lead Zhone’s initiative to achieve and maintain ISO 9001 and TL 9000 certification. 
• Develop, implement, and maintain an effective company-wide Quality Management System (QMS). 
• Conduct gap assessments against ISO 9001 and TL 9000 requirements and establish a prioritized certification-readiness roadmap. 
• Develop and maintain quality policies, procedures, work instructions, records, and document-control requirements. 
• Establish and coordinate the internal quality audit program and QMS management reviews. 
• Manage or oversee nonconformities, Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA), root-cause analysis, and verification of corrective-action effectiveness. 
• Establish and monitor quality performance indicators and applicable TL 9000 measurements. 
• Coordinate quality requirements with Zhone’s ODM, EMS, component, and other manufacturing partners. 
• Support supplier qualification, supplier performance monitoring, supplier corrective actions, and quality audits, as appropriate. 
• Coordinate with Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, and Customer Support on product and process quality matters. 
• Lead preparation for certification and surveillance audits and serve as a primary interface with certification bodies. 
• Ensure audit findings and nonconformities are appropriately investigated, documented, corrected, and closed. 
• Drive continuous improvement using quality data, customer feedback, product returns, manufacturing issues, field performance, and supplier performance.

Requirements

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Supply Chain, International Trade, Engineering, Quality, or a related discipline preferred. 
• An equivalent combination of relevant education and substantial trade compliance experience may be considered. 

Trade Compliance

• 8+ years of progressive, hands-on trade compliance experience, preferably within telecommunications, networking equipment, electronics, technology, or another international hardware business. 
• Extensive working knowledge of the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (EAR). 
• Demonstrated experience performing or managing ECCN classifications. 
• Strong experience with HTS classification and U.S. Customs requirements. 
• Experience determining export licensing and authorization requirements. 
• Demonstrated experience with sanctions, embargo, end-use/end-user, and restricted-party compliance. 
• Experience managing international import/export documentation and regulatory records. 
• Experience working with freight forwarders, customs brokers, suppliers, and contract manufacturers. 
• Strong analytical, investigative, and problem-solving skills, with demonstrated ability to assess regulatory and operational risk and resolve complex trade compliance matters.
• Experience developing or maintaining trade compliance policies, procedures, internal controls, training, and audit programs, and translating regulations into practical business processes and documented decisions.
• Ability to interpret technical product information and collaborate with Engineering on regulatory classifications. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex regulations in clear business terms and influence and collaborate across Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, Logistics, Sales, Finance, Legal, and executive management.
• Ability to work effectively with customers, suppliers, manufacturing partners, auditors, and regulatory authorities.
• High attention to detail and ability to maintain accurate, audit-ready compliance and quality records and supporting documentation.
• Strong Microsoft Excel and data-analysis capabilities; experience with ERP systems and trade-compliance or classification tools is preferred.

Quality

• Practical experience working within an ISO 9001 Quality Management System. 
• Familiarity with QMS documentation, internal audits, management reviews, certification readiness, Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA), root-cause analysis, and continuous improvement.
• Experience supporting or leading an ISO certification or surveillance audit is strongly preferred. 
• Previous TL 9000 experience is highly desirable. 
• Experience with quality management in telecommunications, electronics manufacturing, ODM/EMS, or another technology-hardware environment is preferred. 
• Familiarity with 5 Whys, 8D, Fishbone/Ishikawa analysis, Pareto analysis, and FMEA is desirable.

Recommended Professional Certifications

Trade Compliance - Certifications Strongly Preferred

• Certified Export Specialist (CES), NCBFAA Educational Institute. 
• Certified Customs Specialist (CCS), NCBFAA Educational Institute. 
• U.S. Customs Broker License, highly desirable. 
• Additional recognized training or credentials covering EAR/export controls, sanctions, customs, and international trade compliance. 

Quality - Certifications Preferred 

• ISO 9001 Lead Auditor or Lead Implementer training. 
• TL 9000 training. 
• ASQ Certified Quality Auditor (CQA). 
• ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE). 
• ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE).