Location: Arlington, United States of America
In fast changing markets, customers worldwide rely on Thales. Thales is a business where brilliant people from all over the world come together to share ideas and inspire each other. In aerospace, transportation, defence, security and space, our architects design innovative solutions that make our tomorrow's possible.
Knowing what Thales does today, means asking where technology is taking us tomorrow. We are creating the waves of digital transformation that will cary our customers into the future. Where these transformations intersect and interfere is where the most interesting and innovative tomorrows are being built. Thales operates at the intersection of these technologies to find every tomorrow.
Customs Director NORAM Arlington, VA - Hybrid
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer at the time of hire. This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship or for assuming sponsorship of an employment visa now or in the future
Regulatory Compliance Requirements Must be a U.S. Person as defined in applicable law, or otherwise authorized or eligible for authorization, to access to hardware, software, technology or technical data controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).
Position Summary The Customs Director NORAM serves as the regional head of the customs discipline for Thales in the United States and Canada. In line with Group policies and regional regulatory requirements, the role further develops and enhances the NORAM customs compliance program, strategy, policies, procedures, governance framework, tools, training, and performance expectations; provides regional leadership, subject-matter expertise, oversight, and guidance; and evaluates program effectiveness, risks, and resource needs. The Customs Director provides subject matter expertise to local Trade Compliance Officers (TCO), who implement and operationalize the customs program within their respective business units. The Customs Director NORAM promotes consistency across the region, advises and supports local TCOs, oversees regional audits, investigations, and compliance assessments, and serves as the primary regional customs authority, partnering with business units, operations, and government affairs teams while reporting to the VP Trade Compliance NORAM. The Customs Director NORAM maintains a close functional relationship with the Group Customs Director providing regular visibility on regional performance, key risks and significant developments and ensuring strategic alignment between regional execution and Group customs priorities.
Key Areas of Responsibility
CUSTOMS PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND GOVERNANCE
- Further develops and enhances the NORAM customs compliance program, including its strategy, governance framework, policies, procedures, tools, training, and performance expectations, in alignment with Group policies and U.S. and Canadian regulatory requirements.
- Identifies and monitors significant customs regulatory, policy, and compliance developments affecting Thales businesses in the region; assesses program impacts and recommends risk-mitigation strategies and program enhancements.
- Establishes regional customs governance, minimum control requirements, and scalable standards for implementation by local Trade Compliance Officers (TCOs) within their respective business units.
- Develops regional customs compliance training content and tools for the customs compliance community and other Thales employees; local TCOs coordinate and document deployment within their business units.
- Establishes regional criteria for the selection, assessment, and performance oversight of third-party customs brokers and service providers, in coordination with Procurement and with input from local TCOs.
- Serves as ACE Trade Account Owner for all Thales U.S. non-Proxy entities and as CARM Business Account Manager for all Thales Canadian entities, providing regional governance for access, account administration, and use of these government systems.
- Serves as the primary regional interface with the Risk & Insurance function, external insurance providers, and sureties for U.S. and Canadian customs bonds; evaluates the adequacy of bond coverage and consolidates oversight of customs penalty notices.
- Establishes the regional framework for customs authorizations and economic programs, including special procedures, Foreign Trade Zones, duty-saving mechanisms, and trusted-trader programs such as C-TPAT and PIP;
- Oversees regional audits and periodic compliance assessments, monitors corrective-action plans owned by local business units, and escalates overdue or ineffective remediation.
- Establishes key performance indicators for U.S. and Canadian customs activities and provides structured reporting to the VP Trade Compliance NORAM and Group Customs Director on compliance performance, material risks, audits, disputes, regulatory developments, duty optimization, and progress against the annual action plan.
- Interfaces with corporate functional leads to align regional customs governance with related processes and Group requirements and supports the Group Customs Director as requested.
- Participates in the Group customs community, including global networks, working groups, best-practice sharing and Group-level reviews or reporting campaigns.
- Represents Thales NORAM in customs professional organizations and industry associations to advocate for business interests and maintain effective external stakeholder relationships.
SME SUPPORT TO LOCAL TCOs
- Serves as the primary customs subject-matter expert for the United States and Canada, maintaining expert knowledge of applicable customs laws, regulations, administrative practices, and emerging requirements.
- Provides local TCOs with analysis, interpretation, recommendations, and tailored solutions for complex customs matters, while local TCOs remain responsible for day-to-day implementation and execution within their business units.
- Advises local TCOs on classification, customs valuation, country of origin, free trade agreements, special customs procedures, duty optimization, broker management, government systems, and other matters affecting Thales affiliates in the United States or Canada.
- Supports local TCOs in evaluating customs authorizations, special programs, and trusted-trader requirements; provides regional expertise and governance while local TCOs and designated business functions prepare, implement, maintain, and operate approved programs.
- Engages and manages outside customs consultants when specialized regional expertise is required and coordinates their support with the applicable local TCOs.
- Advises local TCOs and business stakeholders of material regulatory developments and significant non-compliance risks and recommends appropriate preventive or corrective action.
- Provides guidance during customs audits, inquiries, investigations, disputes, penalty matters, and corrective-action planning, and escalates matters presenting significant regional, financial, reputational, or business-continuity risk.
- Promotes consistent interpretation and application of the regional customs program across business units through consultation, knowledge sharing, mentoring, and cross-functional collaboration.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in a related field of study, with progressive customs experience spanning both the United States and Canada, including a minimum of 10 years of U.S. customs experience and meaningful exposure to Canadian customs, and a proven track record in strategic leadership, regulatory advocacy and cross-border trade optimization.
- Demonstrated mastery of U.S. and Canadian Customs regulations and global customs frameworks, with proven experience in
- Classification within the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, country of origin determination, and valuation determination
- Managing the interplay of commercial terms, export controls, sanctions, embargoes, foreign trade restrictions with customs compliance.
- Assessing and implementing complex tariff engineering and duty optimization solutions (e.g., TIBs, duty drawback, USMCA and other applicable free trade agreements, Foreign Trade Zones)
- Assessing and implementing customs procedures and digital systems, including system governance, automation and data-driven compliance
- Implementing and maintaining C-TPAT and PIP trusted trader programs
- Accessing and optimizing corporate use of government systems for import management and export reporting (ACE in US, CARM/NEXCOL in Canada);
Preferred Qualifications
- U.S. Customs Broker’s license
If you’re excited about working with Thales, but not meeting the requirements for this position, we encourage you to join our Talent Community!
Special Position Requirements Travel: Domestic travel to Thales US sites 10% of the time. Potential international travel to support Group activities
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This position will require successfully completing a post-offer background check. Qualified candidates with [a] criminal history will be considered and are not automatically disqualified, consistent with federal law, state law, and local ordinances. Thales champions inclusion and we believe diversity strengthens the fabric of our culture. Thales is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans.
If you need an accommodation or assistance in order to apply for a position with Thales, please contact us at talentacquisition@us.thalesgroup.com.
The reference Total Target Compensation (TTC) market range for this position, inclusive of annual base salary and the variable compensation target, is between
This reflects how companies in a similar industry and geographic region generally pay for similar jobs. This range helps the Company make pay decisions as one data point among many. Where a position falls within this range is also dependent on other factors including – but not limited to – the employee’s career path history, competencies, skills and performance, as well as the company’s annual salary budget, the customer’s program requirements, and the company’s internal equity. Thales may offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s status protected by local, state, or federal law.
(For Internal candidate, if you need more information, please raise HR request through MyThales)
Thales provides an extensive benefits program for all full-time employees working 30 or more hours per week and their eligible dependents, including the following:
•Elective Health, Dental, Vision, FSA/HSA, Voluntary Life and AD&D, Whole Group Life w/LTC, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, Accident Insurance, Legal Plan, Identity Theft, and Pet Insurance •Retirement Savings Plan after 30 days of employment with a company contribution and a match, and with no vesting period •Company paid holidays and Paid Time Off •Company provided Life Insurance, AD&D, Disability, Employee Assistance Plan, and Well-being Program
