Mission Statement:

The mission of the Country Trade Compliance Officer (CTCO) is to support Country management (under Lead Business management in the country, if applicable) in ensuring that all Local Businesses conduct their activities in line with Company Trade policies and guidelines, as well as to drive and coordinate the local implementation of the Trade Program. The key focus is the oversight of compliance with all applicable customs, sanctions, and export control regulations and to regularly update local management and Global Trade Compliance/Trade Management on (potential) risk areas. Additionally, the CTCO provides local businesses with hands-on support in case of trade-related issues, guidance in compliance improvement initiatives, and the pursuit of strategic trade objectives. The CTCO reports directly to the Country Holding Officer (CHO) and functionally to the Business Area Trade Manager of the Lead Business (Electrification). Performance reviews are conducted by the CHO. Functional targets are set by the Business Area Trade Manager. CHO sets complementary targets, which are focused on local compliance needs. The CTCO consults the Head Group Trade Compliance (Corporate Legal) in case of questions on trade compliance and follows instructions on trade compliance, as laid down in the Company’s policy and procedural framework for Global Trade.

This role will also function as key support for other countries under the Lead Country Concept. The CTCO for UAE, QA, and JO will have one direct reporting line (the country trade compliance manager). As MEA cluster leader, the mission of the position holder is to drive and oversee the local implementation of the Company Trade Program (`localization`) in other countries that belong to the same cluster. In the case of UAE, this pertains to EG, SA. The cluster leader will serve as first point of contact for the CTCOs in their cluster. The local CTCO accountabilities for those countries (as described above) are with the CTCOs that are appointed for the respective countries. The cluster leader drives the maturity development of the CTCOs in his/her cluster. The cluster leader will furthermore serve as a dedicated process owner for at least one Global Trade Compliance process within the Electrification business. The cluster leader will be responsible for pro-actively supporting the development, improvement, maintenance, and rollout of the respective process within the Electrification business. The process owner will provide training on the process to stakeholders and serve as the first point of contact for questions about the process. The authority for the selection and assignment of the processes under consideration is with the Business Area Trade Manager of the Lead Business (Electrification). The cluster leader supports the Business Area Trade Manager with the maturity development of the position of cluster leader and global trade compliance process owner.

Responsibilities:

• Authorities, Export Control and Customs Compliance:
  • Serve as a single point of contact for local (national) trade compliance authorities and country management (respectively lead local business management) in handling trade compliance relating to Company (deemed) exports, cross-border shipments, customers, or vendors.
• Governance, Instructions, and Procedures:
  • Ensure the creation and maintenance of written trade compliance standards and procedures for all Local Businesses addressing all applicable export control, sanctions, and customs requirements.
  • In relation to sanction compliance/export control, set screening standards (Sanctioned Party List/Embargo/Product), implement guidelines for the preparation and submission of export license applications, and manage, review, and ensure the proper release of SAP GTS blocks, where feasible/applicable through delegation of release to Local Business TCO`s (LTCO) and in line with segregation-of-duty requirements.
  • Ensure transaction-based compliance with regulatory customs requirements (country of origin, classification, valuation, and other).
  • Cooperate closely with staff in related domains to ensure a seamless connection between overall trade compliance and day-to-day operations, including master data requirements, supplier qualifications, etc. Ensure development, implementation, and use of an efficient (communication) platform to drive trade compliance.
• Archiving, audit trail:
  • Oversee trade-related archiving requirements, and ensure that trade compliance records are kept and retrievable, as defined in the relevant instructions and regulations.
• Customs and Export Control Classification:
  • Ensure, through appointed business-based Product Classification Engineers (PCEs) and responsible local business management, that all imported and exported products, software, and technologies are properly classified with respect to relevant national and international export control regulations and national tariff/commodity classification.
  • Assisting in classification for special transactions, as needed. Ensure maintenance of classification in relevant systems (e.g. GTS)
• Systems:
  • Jointly with IS and local business management, ensure the effective use of the Company’s custom and trade compliance management systems (i.e. SAP’s GTS and Document Management System), ensuring the efficient implementation of the automated screening solution, as well as the customs management functionalities, for both imports and exports.
• Trade Compliance Governance & Risk Management:
  • Develop and implement a strategy to monitor, manage, and mitigate trade compliance-related risks and opportunities, including close cooperation with customs operations staff and the preparation and use of regular local internal trade reviews (audits of trade compliance) in the Local Businesses.
  • Notify Local Business management, Group Trade Compliance and Trade Management, and in-house legal counsel of any suspected trade compliance violation.
  • Oversee trade facilitation programs, manage, and administrate authorizations and permits.
  • Support audits of trade compliance and relevant authorities, and supervise follow-up actions.
• Training:
  • Implement a trade compliance training program to ensure basic knowledge and awareness across the entire local organization and raise specific expertise where needed, in line with the Company Trade Program (incl. training framework).
• Reporting, Communication:
  • Provide local business leaders, the CHO, and the Business Area Trade Manager periodic updates regarding the status of the local trade compliance program and on significant changes in applicable trade regulations.
  • Communicate trade compliance updates and promote general awareness of trade compliance in the local organization.
  • Maintain Local Trade Compliance page on the Company`s intranet and maintain country-specific Trade policy and handbook (complementary to global policy and procedural framework).
  • Organize regular (at least quarterly) trade compliance interfaces (e.g. calls) for the trade compliance community in the country.
• Trade program implementation, budget, and performance targets:
  • Ensure that the CompanyTrade Program is locally implemented and that annual trade compliance targets are achieved.
  •  Deliver targets within budget and in line with the determined deadlines.
• People leadership and development:
  • Ensure, with HR, CHO, and local business management support, that Trade Compliance is properly organized, staffed, skilled, and directed, at the local business line level.
  • Guide, motivate, and develop nominated LTCOs within HR policies, for the benefit of both the company and the employee.

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience:

• The CTCO must have several years of experience with business processes and a good understanding of end-to-end supply chain processes, risk management, and logistics.
• The cluster leadership part of the role requires strong functional leadership skills and capabilities to communicate across different cultures.
• Knowledge of export control and customs rules and regulations is essential, but there is room for the development of expertise in the start-up phase for the role.
• Sufficient seniority to effectively communicate across all levels of the local business. Business mindset, responsiveness, ownership, self-driven, willingness to explore and learn.
• Capability to train and advise local business TCOs and Management on trade compliance topics and requirements to fulfill a compliant business model and related business engagement and projects.
• Team player with good communication
• skills, capable of communicating in English and in the main local language (of the authorities), both verbally and in writing.
• Helpful, not mandatory: technical knowledge of products, software, and applied technologies in the scope of the local businesses (willingness to learn should be there).