Customs Compliance Manager

Winpak is seeking a Customs & Trade Compliance Manager to join our team, based out of either Winnipeg, Montreal, or Toronto, Canada.

In this role, you will lead Winpak’s customs and trade compliance program across North America, providing strategic guidance on tariffs, duties, product classification, trade agreements, and regulatory requirements. As a corporate subject matter expert, you will partner with teams across the organization to manage trade-related risk, identify opportunities to reduce costs, and ensure compliance across our rigid and flexible packaging operations.

Key Responsibilities

Customs & Trade Compliance

• Lead and oversee Winpak’s customs and trade compliance program across Canada, the United States, and Mexico, ensuring compliance with applicable customs, tariff, and trade regulations.
• Serve as Winpak’s internal subject matter expert on tariffs, duties, product classification, country of origin, trade agreements, and emerging trade regulations, including the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement.
• Develop, maintain, and regularly audit tariff classifications for raw materials, semi-finished goods, and finished products to ensure accurate classification and minimize compliance risk and duty exposure.
• Serve as the primary corporate contact with the Canada Border Services Agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, customs brokers, freight forwarders, and other government and regulatory agencies regarding audits, rulings, licenses, and compliance matters.
• Oversee compliance with North American trade agreements, including validating product eligibility, country-of-origin requirements, documentation, and certifications.

Tariffs, Risk & Cost Optimization

• Monitor changes to tariffs, trade measures, quotas, antidumping and countervailing duties, and other regulatory developments, assessing their potential financial impact and recommending appropriate actions to the business.
• Lead duty recovery and cost-optimization initiatives, including duty drawbacks, refunds, rulings, amendments, exclusions, and other available duty mitigation strategies.
• Monitor and manage applicable U.S. and Canadian trade measures, including Section 232 requirements, quotas, import licensing, and other measures that may impact Winpak’s operations and costs.
• Establish and maintain customs compliance processes, databases, systems, and controls, including tariff classification and trade agreement information within MOVEX.
• Identify opportunities to reduce duty exposure, improve landed costs, and create greater predictability around trade-related costs.

Business Partnership & Continuous Improvement

• Partner with Procurement, Supply Chain, Logistics, Finance, Product Development, Operations, and business unit leaders on sourcing decisions, new product launches, special projects, and other initiatives with customs and trade implications.
• Develop and deliver training on customs and trade compliance topics, including Customs 101, Incoterms, tariffs, trade agreements, and other relevant regulations.
• Provide guidance and support to Winpak business units across North America as a corporate subject matter expert and resource.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen customs compliance, improve business processes, and enhance customs efficiency.
• Promote company-wide awareness of customs and trade compliance requirements and proactively identify areas of risk and opportunity.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain, International Trade, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in customs compliance, international trade, global trade compliance, or a related field.
• Professional customs or trade compliance certification, such as Certified Customs Specialist (CCS) or Certified Trade Compliance Specialist (CTCS).
• In-depth knowledge of Canadian and U.S. customs regulations, tariff classification, duties, country of origin, and trade compliance requirements.
• Demonstrated experience working with Canadian and U.S. government agencies, customs brokers, freight forwarders, and other trade partners.
• Experience interpreting and applying North American trade agreements, including the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement.
• Demonstrated experience analyzing the financial impact of tariffs, duties, and other trade measures and developing strategies to manage or reduce costs.
• Experience developing and delivering training and providing guidance to cross-functional teams and business leaders.
• Advanced Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel, Word, Outlook, and Teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in the packaging or manufacturing industry, particularly with films, foils, laminations, resins, shrink films, barrier structures, or other packaging materials.
• Experience with duty drawback programs, customs refunds, rulings, amendments, import licensing, and duty mitigation and or remission programs
• Experience with the Canada Border Services Agency’s Assessment and Revenue Management system and related customs processes.
• Experience with enterprise resource planning systems (ERP)
• Experience with U.S. tariff measures: exclusions, antidumping, countervailing duties, and aluminum imports/exports requirements, duty mitigation and remission programs
• Knowledge of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and other supply chain-related trade regulations.
• Experience leading continuous improvement initiatives related to customs, trade, supply chain, or financial processes.

Additional Details

• The successful candidate will be based out of Winnipeg, Montreal, or Toronto, with the ability to work collaboratively with Winpak locations across Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
• Travel may be required to support Winpak business units, meetings, audits, training, and other business needs.

Compensation Range: $117,000 - $145,000

The compensation range provided is a general guideline only. Pay will be determined based on the candidate's experience and expertise and is subject to vary.

Why Winpak?

Winpak is committed to providing comprehensive benefits to support the physical, mental, financial and social well-being of our employees and their families. Our benefit package includes the following:

• Medical, dental, vision & prescription coverage
• Travel coverage
• Disability coverage
• Voluntary life insurance
• Life and accidental death & dismemberment insurance
• Tuition assistance program
• Retirement savings plans
• A comprehensive employee and family assistance program which includes short term counselling, wellbeing coaching, financial and legal consultation services.

Winpak’s vision is to provide the best packaging solutions for people and planet. We are a leading supplier of innovative packaging solutions, known for providing high-quality products that meet the needs of a variety of industries, including food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, and consumer products. With a commitment to sustainability, safety, and excellence, Winpak continues to grow as a global leader in the packaging industry.

At Winpak, inclusion is one of our core values. We believe that an inclusive culture fosters a sense of belonging, drives innovation, and provides our brand a competitive advantage. Our goal is to create an environment free from harassment and discrimination, and where every individual feels respected, valued, and appreciated.

#INDCORP

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we are committed to an equitable and inclusive recruitment process, evaluating applicants based on merit, capability, and qualifications related to the job - never on identity factors such as race, color, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, disability, national origin, or any other protected status. To support this commitment, if you require any accommodations during the recruitment process, please let us know and we will work with you to ensure your needs are met.