Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Cargo Compliance Officer

🎯 Role Definition

The Cargo Compliance Officer is a subject-matter expert responsible for ensuring that all cargo movements — imports, exports, and domestic transfers — comply with applicable domestic and international trade regulations, corporate policies, and carrier requirements. This role manages customs entry processes, export control licensing, trade sanctions screening, hazardous materials regulations, classification and valuation of goods, carrier and broker relationships, and continuous improvement of compliance processes. The Cargo Compliance Officer works cross-functionally with operations, legal, procurement, sales and IT to mitigate regulatory risk, support logistics execution, and maintain audit-ready documentation.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Import/Export Specialist or Coordinator
Customs Broker or Customs Entry Analyst
Logistics Coordinator or Freight Forwarding Specialist

Advancement To:

Trade Compliance Manager
Global Customs & Trade Director
Head of Supply Chain Compliance / VP of Global Trade

Lateral Moves:

Export Control Analyst (ITAR/EAR specialist)
Security & Supply Chain Analyst (C-TPAT, TSA)
Regulatory Affairs or Customs Broker Management

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop, maintain and execute the company’s import and export compliance program, ensuring alignment with 19 CFR, ITAR, EAR, OFAC sanctions, and other applicable national and international trade laws; document policies, SOPs and workflows to meet audit and regulatory requirements.
Oversee customs entry preparation and filing (including reconciliation of HTS/HS codes, valuation, country of origin determination and duty calculations) and coordinate with customs brokers and freight forwarders to ensure accurate and timely electronic submissions through ACE, AES and other relevant systems.
Conduct routine and ad-hoc classification reviews of product families, prepare written commodity classification rationales (HTS/HS) and maintain documentation to support tariff position in audits and disputes.
Lead export control compliance for controlled technical data and items: determine license requirements under ITAR/EAR, prepare and submit license applications, manage license exceptions, and maintain export licensing records and party screening logs.
Perform end-to-end denied party and sanctions screening for all domestic and international shipments using corporate screening tools; investigate potential hits, manage escalation to legal, and document final disposition and risk mitigation steps.
Ensure hazardous materials and dangerous goods compliance across modes (air, ocean, road) by enforcing IATA DGR, IMDG, 49 CFR and local regulations; review packing lists, labels, DG paperwork, and shipper/declaration accuracy.
Maintain and manage customs bonds, security filings, duty payment processes, and refunds / drawback filings; coordinate with finance to ensure accurate posting of duties, taxes, and fees.
Lead internal and external compliance audits and regulatory inspections; prepare audit scopes, produce required records, respond to audit findings, propose corrective action plans (CAPAs) and follow through to closure.
Monitor regulatory changes and industry guidance (including CBP rulings, trade remedy measures, free trade agreement updates), evaluate business impact, and implement policy updates and training across the organization.
Conduct risk assessments and periodic compliance reviews for trade lanes, vendors, carriers, and third-party service providers; produce actionable findings and drive remediation with operational teams.
Manage origin verification, preferential tariff documentation (Certificates of Origin, Form A/ EUR1, REX, NAFTA/USMCA documentation), and compliance for free trade agreements and preferential duty claims.
Serve as primary point of contact for customs brokers, carriers and third-party logistics providers on matters of classification, valuation, documentary requirements, holds, seizures, and release priorities.
Investigate and manage incidents of non-compliance, cargo holds, detentions, seizures or fines; coordinate with legal counsel, customs authorities and insurance as needed and prepare formal incident reports with root cause analysis.
Design, deliver and maintain training programs for operational, logistics, sales and sourcing teams on import/export rules, screening procedures, DG handling, classification basics and company compliance policies.
Maintain auditable recordkeeping systems for imports and exports (electronic and physical) according to statutory retention periods; ensure document integrity, secure access and data privacy compliance.
Implement and maintain cargo screening, C-TPAT and supply chain security protocols; coordinate validations and site profile accuracy to retain certifications and security benefits.
Support tariff engineering and valuation strategies to optimize landed cost and reduce customs risk while maintaining full regulatory compliance; coordinate with sourcing and product teams on product design changes affecting classification.
Prepare and submit voluntary disclosures and penalty mitigation packages when required; liaise with customs authorities and legal teams to negotiate remedy and compliance plans.
Establish and monitor compliance KPIs (e.g., entry accuracy, classification errors, license lead time, screening hit resolution times) and provide regular executive-level reporting and dashboards.
Coordinate with IT and Data teams to implement and maintain trade compliance modules within ERP/TMS/WMS, ensuring accurate master data (part numbers, ECCN, HTS, origin) and automated controls to prevent non-compliant shipments.
Participate in contract reviews and new customer/vendor onboarding to assess trade compliance obligations, sanctions exposure, and required licensing or permits.
Manage and renew permits and certificates required for regulated cargo (phytosanitary certificates, permits for controlled chemicals, CITES documentation) and coordinate with government authorities to resolve import/export clearance issues.
Provide direct support to cross-border shipments during high-volume periods, product launches, or crisis situations; act as escalation point to resolve customs holds and avoid supply chain disruption.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives for customs and export processes, including automation, standardization, reduced touch points, and error-proofing shipments to lower operational risk and compliance costs.
Maintain subject matter expertise in carrier-specific requirements, port-of-entry procedures and country-specific import restrictions, sanctions or embargoes and provide actionable guidance to international operations teams.

Secondary Functions

Collaborate with data analytics and IT to support ad-hoc data requests, build compliance dashboards, and enhance automated screening and alerting workflows.
Contribute to the development of the company’s global trade strategy by providing regulatory insights and risk assessments for new markets or product introductions.
Assist commercial and product teams during contract negotiations to ensure appropriate incoterms, customs responsibilities, and compliance clauses are included.
Participate in cross-functional agile initiatives to implement compliance automation, tariff lookup integrations and document management improvements.
Support vendor and carrier audits focused on compliance with contractual and regulatory requirements; prepare remediation checklists and follow-up schedules.
Mentor and coach junior compliance and operations staff to elevate team capability and consistency in trade processing.
Maintain vendor and broker performance metrics and support vendor selection processes from a compliance risk perspective.
Create and update quick-reference compliance job aids, checklists and e-learning modules for the broader operations organization.
Support sustainability and conflict-minerals reporting as it intersects with trade documentation and supplier declarations.
Assist legal and finance teams with documentation and evidence needed for litigation, customs protests, or refund/drawback claims.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Deep knowledge of customs and trade regulations (e.g., 19 CFR, Customs Modernization Act, import/export controls).
Proficient in HTS/HS classification, tariff schedules, and commodity classification methodologies.
Export control expertise: understanding and application of ITAR, EAR, and ECCN classification and licensing processes.
Sanctions and denied-party screening experience (OFAC, EU, BIS lists, consolidated screening workflows).
Dangerous goods and hazardous materials compliance (IATA DGR, IMDG, 49 CFR) for multi-modal shipping.
Practical experience with customs filing systems and portals (ACE, AES, eManifest) and working knowledge of customs broker workflows.
Familiarity with trade compliance tools and technology: trade management systems, screening platforms, ERP/TMS/WMS integrations, and Microsoft Power BI/Excel for reporting.
Audit, investigation and corrective action experience with the ability to prepare voluntary disclosures and negotiate with regulatory agencies.
Document management and recordkeeping skills aligned with statutory retention requirements and audit readiness.
Knowledge of preferential trade agreements, origin rules, certificates of origin and origin verification processes.
Experience managing customs bonds, duty payments, drawback filings, and classification reclaims.
Ability to interpret technical product specifications and work with engineering and sourcing to determine classification and licensing needs.

Soft Skills

Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy when preparing, reviewing and approving compliance documentation.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to triage and remediate high-risk issues quickly.
Clear, persuasive communication and stakeholder management skills; comfortable briefing senior leadership and external regulators.
Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced logistics environment.
Collaborative mindset with experience working cross-functionally in operations, legal, finance and IT.
Ethical judgment and integrity when handling sensitive or privileged information.
Training and coaching ability to translate complex regulations into practical operational guidance.
Resilience and adaptability to changing regulations and business priorities.
Project management skills to lead compliance implementations and remediation programs.
Continuous improvement orientation and data-driven decision-making.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, International Business, Logistics, Customs Administration, Business Administration, or a related field.

Preferred Education:

Advanced degree (MBA, MS in Logistics/Supply Chain) or certificate in trade compliance.
Professional certifications such as Certified Export Specialist (CES), Certified Customs Specialist (CCS), Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional (CCEP), IATA Dangerous Goods certification, or similar.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Supply Chain Management
International Business or Trade
Logistics and Transportation
Business Administration
Criminal Justice/Law (for sanctions and enforcement roles)
Maritime Studies

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–7 years of progressive experience in customs, import/export operations, or trade compliance.

Preferred:

5+ years of direct experience managing global trade compliance in a manufacturing, retail, logistics provider or freight forwarder environment.
Demonstrated experience with cross-border compliance programs, broker management, license application processes (ITAR/EAR), and hazardous materials shipping.
Track record of leading audits, responding to regulatory inquiries, and implementing effective corrective actions.
Experience with multi-national operations and familiarity with country-specific import/export nuances, FTA implementation, and customs rulings.