Director, Global Trade & Customs Advisory

The Director, Global Trade & Customs Advisory in a senior leadership role responsible for driving growth, delivery excellence, and market positioning of the firm’s Global Trade practice. This role combines deep customs and global trade technical expertise with executive-level client advisory, revenue generation, and practice leadership responsibilities.

The Director leads complex, multi-disciplinary engagements, serves as a trusted advisor to senior client executives, and plays a critical role in expanding the firm’s Global Trade footprint through go-to-market leadership, solution development, and talent development—helping clients navigate regulatory complexity with confidence.

Your day-to-day may include: 

Client Advisory and Engagement Leadership

• Serve as a senior advisor to C-suite and executive-level trade, tax, supply chain, and finance leaders at multinational clients
• Lead large-scale, complex Global Trade & Customs Advisory engagements for clients, including multi-country and multi-workstream programs
• Provide strategic guidance across customs and trade areas, including:
  • Import/export compliance and governance
  • Tariff classification, valuation, and origin strategy
  • Free trade agreements and duty optimization
  • Trade remedies, enforcement risk, and regulatory change management

Quality, Risk, and Technical Oversight

• Ensure delivery of high-quality, defensible work products aligned with regulatory requirements and firm risk standards
• Review and approve engagement scope, deliverables, and conclusions for technical accuracy and defensibility
• Act as a senior escalation point for complex technical and regulatory matters
• Ensure compliance with firm independence, quality, and risk management policies

Leadership and Practice Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop high-performing Global Trade professionals across all levels
• Build and scale Global Trade talent capabilities, including technical training and career development initiatives
• Collaborate effectively within a matrixed organization, partnering with Tax, Supply Chain, Technology, and Advisory leadership
• Drive revenue generation, client relationship management, and overall Global Trade practice growth

You have the following technical skills and qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, International Business, Finance, Information Systems, or a related field; advanced degree preferred
• Minimum of 12 years of experience in customs and global trade, including significant experience in a professional services environment
• Deep technical expertise in U.S. and international customs and global trade regulations
• Proven experience leading Global Trade technology implementations and large-scale advisory engagements
• Demonstrated success in revenue generation, client relationship management, and practice growth

• Strong executive-level communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills

  The base salary for this position in the Metro DC – Arlington location only is between $234,986 and $255,420. Placement within the pay range is at Grant Thornton’s discretion, and it is based on multiple factors, including but not limited to, job -related knowledge/skills, experience, business needs, progression within the role, geographic location, and internal equity. At Grant Thornton, compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate.