Global Trade Compliance Manager

Job Description

AbbVie is committed to delivering innovative medicines and products that address serious health issues and make a remarkable impact on people's lives. The Global Trade Compliance organization enables this mission by establishing scalable, business-focused trade controls that protect AbbVie, support supply continuity, and create operational value.

The Manager, Global Trade Compliance - Costa Rica is a key leadership role responsible for trade compliance strategy, governance, and operational execution in Costa Rica. The Manager leads the local trade compliance team and ensures AbbVie's import and export activities comply with applicable customs and trade laws while supporting reliable, efficient business operations.

The role serves as the primary trade compliance business partner for site leadership and cross-functional stakeholders. It translates regulatory requirements and business needs into practical controls, risk assessments, improvement plans, and investment priorities. The Manager will also help advance the broader direction of the Global Trade Compliance function by strengthening governance, standardizing processes, using data and technology more effectively, and developing team capabilities.

Primary Responsabilities:

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for Global Trade Compliance in Costa Rica, aligning local priorities with the global GTC operating model, functional strategy, and business objectives.
• Ownership and management of the Free Trade Zone program in the Costa Rica. Ensure that all activities relating to admission/import/export transactions are compliant with CR Customs Law. 
• Lead, coach, and develop trade professionals; establish clear accountability, priorities, performance expectations, development plans, and effective succession coverage.
• Partner proactively with site and functional leadership to identify, assess, communicate, and mitigate customs and trade risks, including potential impacts to supply, cost, market access, and business continuity.
• Ensure import and export transactions are executed in accordance with applicable customs regulations, trade laws, AbbVie policies, and internal control requirements.
• Provide strategic and tactical guidance to local business partners on classification, valuation, origin, permits, recordkeeping, broker management, and other import/export requirements.
• Serve as the primary point of contact with customs authorities and other relevant government agencies. Lead or coordinate responses to audits, inspections, inquiries, disclosures, and external reviews in partnership with Legal and other stakeholders.
• Oversee customs brokers, freight forwarders, and other trade service providers. Establish performance expectations, monitor service and compliance outcomes, and resolve systemic issues that affect border clearance or operational continuity.
• Lead governance for tariff classification, customs valuation, country of origin, import permits, and supporting master data to promote accurate and consistent execution.
• Direct transactional testing, post-entry reviews, annual compliance assessments, and other monitoring activities. Ensure findings are risk-ranked, root causes are addressed, and corrective and preventive actions are implemented and sustained.
• Own and manage special trade programs, Free Trade Zones, supply-chain security programs, and other facilitations. Maintain compliance with authorization requirements while identifying opportunities to simplify operations and reduce duty or administrative cost.
• Drive process excellence, standardization, and automation across local trade activities. Translate business requirements into practical process, data, system, and control improvements in partnership with GTC, Supply Chain, Procurement, Finance, Tax, Legal, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, and Business Technology Solutions.
• Lead or support complex cross-functional projects and transformation initiatives that affect trade operations, systems, data, licensing, or the site operating model.
• Develop and manage meaningful compliance, operational, financial, and service metrics. Analyze trends, identify emerging risks or opportunities, and present concise, decision-ready recommendations to site and GTC leadership.
• Monitor regulatory and legislative developments and provide timely, business-focused assessments of potential impact, required decisions, and implementation actions.
• Build sustainable trade compliance capability through targeted training, knowledge sharing, documented procedures, and effective engagement with business process owners.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in international trade, business, logistics, supply chain, legal, finance, engineering, or a related field. Advanced degree or relevant professional certification preferred.
• 7 or more years of progressive experience in customs, import/export operations, global trade compliance, a customs broker or freight forwarder, consulting, or a multinational company. Pharmaceutical, medical device, manufacturing, or other regulated-industry experience preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading people, setting priorities, coaching talent, and delivering results through a team.
• Strong working knowledge of Costa Rican customs and foreign trade requirements, including tariff classification, valuation, origin, permits, broker oversight, and special trade programs.
• Experience managing government interactions, customs audits or inquiries, internal assessments, and corrective action programs.
• Demonstrated ability to translate regulatory requirements and complex trade issues into clear business risks, practical solutions, and executive-ready recommendations.
• Strong cross-functional leadership, stakeholder engagement, negotiation, and change-management skills.
• Experience driving process improvement, standardization, automation, and data-based decision-making. Familiarity with enterprise resource planning and global trade technology platforms preferred.
• Strong analytical, planning, and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and complex dependencies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and Spanish.

Scope of Responsibilities:

• Primary geographic responsibility: Costa Rica.

Additional Information

AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives and serving our community.  Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled. 

US & Puerto Rico only - to learn more, visit https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/equal-employment-opportunity-employer.html

US & Puerto Rico applicants seeking a reasonable accommodation, click here to learn more:

https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/reasonable-accommodations.html