Manager (II), Trade Compliance EMEA
Germany, Münster
Supply Chain Operations – Trade Compliance /
On-site
Who we are:
At Brooks, we believe movement is the key to feeling more alive. That’s why we’re driven to create gear and experiences
that take people to the place that makes them feel more alive — whether it’s a headspace, a feeling, or a finish line.
Everyone who works at Brooks is propelled by a company culture that sparks excitement, fuels collaboration, inspires
creativity, and ignites innovation.
Our brand values help bond us together and drive our success:
• Runner First - We act in the best interest of the runner
• Word is Bond - We do what we say we’ll do
• Champion Heart - We give our all in everything we do
• There is no “I” in Run - We stay generous with our humanity
• Keep Moving - We find ways to move every day, because joy is kinetic!
We welcome everyone from every walk of life looking to inspire others through the power of movement — because
we’re all moving towards something. Let’s run there.
Your Job:
As the Manager, Trade Compliance EMEA, you will be responsible for managing, educating and enforcing import
and export Trade Compliance within the EMEA region. You will be collaborating with internal and external
stakeholders and be responsible for achieving and reporting compliance performance benchmarks as well as
communicate duty savings opportunities and changes in the regulatory environment. In this position, you will set
strategic goals aimed at maintaining a best in class Trade Compliance program with a strong partnership with the
local Customs authorities while increasing the predictability and visibility of regulatory consequences to mitigate risk
and identify opportunities to minimize trade costs.
You will partner closely with the Logistics Manager and the 3PL Operations Manager on engaging cross functional teams across Brooks and 3PL and other vendor resources to ensure world class logistics and
distribution operations in terms of quantity, quality and on-time execution.
You will lead and effectively manage the EMEA Trade Compliance team to ensure seamless execution of
department programs and initiatives as well as collaborate with the Global Director to develop regional strategy
and drive operational excellence across the trade compliance function.
Your Responsibilities:
- Regional Strategy
- Operational point of contact and resource for EMEA trade operations.
- Collaborate with Global team to document and communicate factory compliance guidelines for EMEA importing countries.
- Develop and implement a cohesive EU and UK trade compliance strategy aligned with global trade compliance objectives and corporate priorities while striving for operational excellence.
- Collaborate with Trade Compliance Director to forecast budget and manage department expenses.
- Build positive working relationship with Customs authorities in countries where Brooks is the importer of
- record.
- Monitor the regulatory landscape and anticipate changes in EU, UK, and broader EMEA trade regulations; communicate business impact and lead adaptation plans.
- Partner with global trade compliance leadership and other regional teams to ensure consistency in standards, policies, and risk mitigation practices.
- Represent the company in relevant industry and regulatory forums to maintain strong external engagement and best practice benchmarking. Attend trade related conferences and participant in relevant customs compliance webinars, seminars, and networking opportunities.
- Trade Operations & Compliance Management
- Implement policies and processes to ensure compliance and identify opportunities to mitigate risk and optimize trade costs.
- Oversee customs compliance activities for imports and exports across the EU and UK, ensuring accurate classification, valuation, origin declarations, compliant bonded warehouse operations and recordkeeping.
- Coordinate and foster positive working relationships with customs brokers, logistics providers, and internal stakeholders to optimize compliant and efficient import and export trade flows and support supply chain initiatives.
- Collaborate with Transportation team to stay current with supply chain processes and bonded warehouse operations.
- Lead the team in establishing and reporting key performance indicators (KPIs) and operational targets,
- ensuring accountability across internal team members and external service providers.
- On bi-annual basis, you will be responsible for quality control of product classifications for the seasonal duty review for footwear and apparel new styles for the UK and EU Customs.
- Lead internal assessments and audits, manage corrective action plans, and track performance metrics to drive continuous improvement.
- Oversee the execution of Brooks’ SOP governance framework by ensuring that standard operating procedures and supporting documentation are developed, maintained, and routinely updated to reflect current processes, regulatory changes, and system enhancements in a timely and traceable manner.
- Team Development
- Lead and develop a regional team of trade compliance professionals, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning.
- Guide team in managing compliance programs (i.e., customs classification assignment of product, free trade
- agreement, bonded warehouse, export compliance, etc.), internal audits and focusing on continuous process
- improvement.
- Continuously develop technical skills of self and team through technical training and networking to remain current with Customs and other government agencies’ laws and regulations affecting regional imports and exports.
- Set clear objectives, provide regular coaching and feedback, and support career development opportunities.
- Cross train team members and establish out of office coverage plan.
- Promote cross-functional collaboration with key partners such as Legal, Supply Chain, Logistics, Finance, and
- Market Supply Planning to embed trade compliance into business operations.
Qualifications:
- BA/BS in International Business, Supply Chain, Business or related major (or equivalent experience).
- 7+ years’ experience in trade compliance with knowledge of best practices in customs compliance in addition to being well-versed in classifying products according to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule.
- Fluency in English and German, other language skills are a great plus (French, Italian and/or Spanish).
- 3+ years of people management experience.
- Experience with vendor contract negotiating.
- Deep understanding of EU and UK customs regulations and related trade compliance frameworks. AEO experience and/or customs training certification a plus. Proficiency with Microsoft Programs (Outlook,
- Excel, Power Point, Word, Teams) and experience with managing Customs data within ERP systems.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills as well as strong presentation skills with ability to tailor approach based on audience and message.
- Managerial skills including experience developing, coaching, and providing performance feedback as well as change management.
- Excellent interpersonal skills that inspire and build trust for effective working relationships within team, across the company and with external stakeholders.
- Project management skills and ability to make effective decisions with attention to detail in planning, organizing, and executing tasks while maintaining and understanding the big picture and impact to stakeholders and our customs compliance.
- A commitment to detail, accuracy, and follow-through
- Demonstration of innovation and initiative – always looking at improving processes while also displaying a willingness to dive into the details and help out wherever necessary.
- Ability to travel
- Embraces and lives the Brooks values!
