Trade Compliance Manager, APAC at brooksrunning

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 Trade Compliance Manager APAC(Asia Pacific Region), you will be responsible for managing, educating and enforcing import and export Trade Compliance within the APAC 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 contribute to the APAC region Trade Compliance strategy and set 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 build the regional trade compliance foundation aligned with global standards.  As Brooks expands its presence and trade volumes increase in the APAC region—particularly in China—you will have the opportunity to design the regional compliance organization. This position is based in Shanghai, where the majority of Brooks’ regional trade activity occurs, while also supporting smaller trade volumes for the Brooks Asia and product development teams. Your Responsibilities: • Regional Strategy • Serve as the primary operational contact and escalation point for APAC trade compliance matters. • Collaborate with Global trade team to document, align, and communicate factory compliance guidelines for APAC importing countries. • Utilize the global strategy to inform the framework for a regional strategy and partner with the Director, Trade Compliance to develop an integrated APAC trade compliance strategy that supports global trade compliance objectives, corporate priorities, and operational excellence in addition to an organization evolution plan to support the regional business. Own the implementation and ongoing execution of the strategy in APAC. • Partner with the Trade Compliance Director on budgeting, forecasting, and managing regional trade compliance expenditures. • Build and maintain strong relationships with Customs authorities in countries where Brooks acts as Importer of Record. • Monitor regulatory developments across China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and wider APAC markets; assess business impact and lead proactive adaptation plans. • Partner with global trade compliance leadership and other regional teams to ensure consistency in standards, policies, and risk mitigation practices. • Establish and oversee Importer of Record (IOR) frameworks within APAC, ensuring clear ownership, accountability, and consistent compliance. • Partner with distributors to enhance and standardize inbound compliance processes and documentation across APAC markets. • Identify and drive duty and tax optimization opportunities, leveraging compliant Free Trade Agreement (FTA) utilization, accurate origin declarations, and trade compliance governance. • Represent the company in industry and regulatory forums; maintain active external engagement through relevant conferences, webinars, seminars, and networking events. • Trade Operations & Compliance Management • Provide regional governance and strategic oversight for compliant internal and cross-site product programs, ensuring alignment with customs valuation principles, documentation standards, traceability requirements, and audit readiness across APAC. • Implement and maintain policies and processes that ensure compliance, mitigate risk, and optimize duty and trade‑related costs. • Oversee and execute customs compliance activities for imports and exports across the APAC region, ensuring accurate classification, valuation, origin declarations, compliant bonded warehouse operations（保税仓) and robust recordkeeping. • Standardize customs valuation and price verification frameworks across APAC countries to ensure consistency, regulatory defensibility, and audit readiness. • Strengthen and expand FTA management, with focus on accurate Certificate of Origin (COO) applicability and utilization. • Coordinate effectively with customs brokers (清关行), logistics providers, and internal partners to maintain compliant, efficient import/export flows and support broader supply chain initiatives. • Enhance vendor and third‑party management maturity through clear governance models, performance metrics, and compliance accountability for customs brokers and logistics partners. • Collaborate with the Transportation team to support supply chain processes, including bonded warehouse initiatives and operational improvements. • Lead the development and reporting of KPIs and operational targets, ensuring accountability across internal teams and external service providers. • Manage the bi‑annual product classification assignment and quality review for China Customs seasonal duty assessments covering new footwear and apparel styles. • Lead internal assessments and audits, implement corrective action plans, and track performance metrics to drive continuous improvement. • Oversee and execute Brooks’ SOP governance framework in the APAC region 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. • Cross Functional Collaboration • Serve as the regional trade compliance representative while building the foundation for a scalable compliance organization. • Strengthen technical expertise through ongoing training and regulatory updates. • Develop internal training of cross-functional stakeholders as needed. • Promote effective cross-functional collaboration with key partners such as Legal, Supply Chain, Transportation, Corporate Responsibility, IT, 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 of trade compliance experience, including expertise in customs compliance best practices and classification under the Harmonized Tariff schedule（进出口税则商品及品目注释） • Familiarity with China’s Electronic Port (Single Window) systems（中国国际贸易单一窗口） • Deep knowledge of China Customs regulations, with experience supporting intra-Asia trade (Vietnam, Indonesia preferred). • Demonstrated readiness to lead a team as the function grows • Experience negotiating vendor contracts • AEO (Authorized Economic Operator) experience or relevant customs certifications a plus • Excellent communication and presentation skills; able to tailor messages across audiences • Demonstrated leadership in coaching, change management, and cross‑functional influence • Proficiency in Microsoft applications and experience managing customs data within ERP and trade compliance systems • Strong project management, analytical skills, effective decision making and attention to detail; understanding the big picture and impact to stakeholders and organization’s customs compliance. • Demonstrated commitment to a culture of continuous improvement, proactively identifying opportunities to streamline processes, reduce risk, and enhance operational efficiency. • Fluency in English and Chinese; additional Asian languages (i.e. Vietnamese) are a plus • Ability to travel up 5-10% of time within a year • Embraces and lives the Brooks values! At Brooks, we celebrate diversity & equity. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment, and encourage people of all backgrounds, perspectives, experiences, and skills to apply. Brooks is proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, two-spirit identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, the presence of a physical, mental, or sensory disability, marital status, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions), caste, citizenship or immigration status, honorably discharged veteran or military status, actual or perceived victims of domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault or stalking, HIV or Hepatitis C infection, political ideology, use of a trained service animal by a person with a disability, or on any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law, or any other non-merit based factors.