Sr. Spclst, Tariff Classification

Job Description

Reporting to the Customs & International Trade (CIT) Tariff Classification Associate Director, the Senior Specialist will work closely with our Research & Development Division scientists, our Manufacturing Division and Animal Health product experts, global regulatory, controlled substances and others to enable the correct classification of exported and imported material.  This position ensures that shipments are not delayed because of missing classification information.   They will provide classification support as required and contributes to developing and maintaining related standards and procedures.  This position assists with the development and upgrade of classification training materials and facilitates training.  They will monitor site and country compliance with all classification policies, procedures, and guidelines; and assists the ECO Global Trade Standards & Controls team in audits and assurance impacting these areas.  They will work with global trade management programs to ensure all classification master data is maintained and accurate and processes are correct.  This position will help ensure that our Company complies with global classification regulations.  

CIT is primarily responsible for executing select trade compliance functions that are best performed on a global level and/or cross-divisional level.  This position will assist other members of CIT as directed in their valuation, country of origin, Foreign Trade Zone, supplier master data and other activities.  In performing these activities, they will interface with internal clients, external vendors and service providers as well as government agencies.  They may represent our Company in industry and trade organizations.

Responsibilities include the following:  

• Classifies products, including electronics and equipment, with accurate Harmonized Tariff classifications (HTS), Export Control Numbers (ECN), Controlled Substance Schedules, and other government agency classifications based on product attributes;

• Researches complex classification rulings and court decisions, and obtain rulings on our Company products as required;

• Effectively address challenges by local logistics team, brokers or Customs authorities to classifications determined by CIT;

• Interfaces closely with colleagues in our Manufacturing Division, our Research & Development Division, Animal Health, AHTS and the various businesses to identify and understand our Company products and supply chains;

• Runs our Company's classification processes in SAP COMET GTS, Integration Point, SAP ATLAS and other systems;

• Provide guidance on the use of certain special tariff provisions for US imports;

• Interface with global regulatory and others on issues involving FDA, USDA, and other health regulator and government agency release and requirements;

• Maintain classifications in our Company's trade managements systems and other databases and works with global trade management programs to ensure all master classification data and processes are maintained;

• Provides technical expertise to country, divisions and site financial and trade operations teams on all classification issues;

• Act as liaison with the business, contractors, vendors and service providers to ensure 1) the declaration of accurate tariff classifications globally and 2) compliance and good-standing with all governments' trade compliance programs for which our Company is a member;

• Represents the company in U.S. and global trade organizations, as required;

• Assist other functions within GTC in the development and delivery of training tools to ensure the effective understanding of company trade compliance requirements around classification;

• Positively represent our Company to government agencies, as required;

• Assists the ECO Global Trade Standards & Controls team in classification audits;

• Contribute to the creation and maintenance of internal procedures covering the process steps of key tariff classification activities.

Position Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in a scientific domain

• 3+ years functional expertise with international trade or equivalent

• Deep understanding of tariff classification and the General Rules of Interpretation

• Functional expertise with international trade or equivalent is desirable

• Prior experience interfacing with international companies is desirable

• Experience or ability to work with global trade management systems like SAP GTS or Integration Point