Trade Compliance Manager in Liverpool

The Trade Compliance Manager serves as the operational leader for EU and UK customs compliance across all Avient business segments, translating regional strategy into consistent, controlled, and audit-ready execution. Reporting to the Senior EU Trade & Compliance Manager, this role oversees the end-to-end import/export compliance lifecycle—including classification governance, broker management, government engagement, and free trade agreement programs—while leading and developing a team of analysts. The position plays a critical role in managing compliance risk and ensuring Avient’s European operations remain agile and resilient in a complex regulatory environment.

Responsibilities

• Execute EU and UK trade compliance programs in alignment with regional strategy, global standards, and defined risk tolerance.
• Own day-to-day import/export compliance operations, leading a team of analysts to ensure accuracy, timeliness, and adherence to regulatory requirements and internal controls.
• Maintain and govern customs authorizations and compliance records, ensuring complete, accurate, and audit-ready documentation across all EU and UK entities.
• Translate strategic direction into operational processes and priorities, driving consistent execution across customs operations, import/export controls, classification, and FTA programs.
• Serve as the primary operational escalation point for complex compliance matters, including government inquiries, audits, and broker issues; coordinate responses with senior leadership as appropriate.
• Manage and enhance Free Trade Agreement (FTA) programs, including supplier solicitation, qualification, certification, and recordkeeping, ensuring compliance and operational efficiency.
• Oversee customs brokers, agents, and external service providers, ensuring performance against SLAs/KPIs, adherence to SOPs, and contractual compliance.
• Ensure robust classification governance, partnering with technical teams to maintain accurate Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) and EU Combined Nomenclature determinations.
• Provide practical trade compliance guidance to business stakeholders (Supply Chain, Sourcing, Finance, Commercial), enabling compliant and efficient operations.
• Monitor regulatory changes and assess operational impact, implementing required updates to procedures and controls in coordination with senior leadership.
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Trade Compliance Analysts, driving accountability, capability development, and consistent performance.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives, enhancing process efficiency, compliance controls, and data integrity; apply Lean Six Sigma principles where appropriate.
• Support training and awareness programs, strengthening trade compliance capability across the organization.
• Provide regular reporting and insights to the Senior Trade Compliance Manager on operational performance, compliance risks, and improvement opportunities.
• Support regional and global trade compliance initiatives, ensuring effective execution within EU and UK operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in International Trade, Supply Chain, Business, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 5+ years of experience in global trade compliance, customs, or international logistics, with direct exposure to EU and/or UK regulations.
• Demonstrated experience leading or mentoring a team, with the ability to drive performance and develop talent.
• Strong working knowledge of import/export regulations, tariff classification (HTS/EU CN), and free trade agreement programs.
• Experience managing customs brokers and third-party service providers, including performance oversight and issue resolution.
• Ability to translate regulatory requirements into operational processes and drive consistent execution.
• Strong analytical capability, including advanced Excel skills and the ability to work with complex datasets, synthesize insights, and present clear, actionable conclusions.
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities and lead cross-functional initiatives in a dynamic environment.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively across functions and levels of the organization.
• Experience with ERP systems (e.g., SAP) and trade compliance tools preferred.
• Familiarity with international commercial terms (Incoterms) and global trade practices.

About Us

Our purpose at Avient Corporation is to be an innovator of material solutions that help our customers succeed, while enabling a sustainable world. Innovation goes far beyond materials science; it’s powered by the passion, creativity, and diverse expertise of 9,000 professionals worldwide. Whether you’re a finance wizard, a tech enthusiast, an operational powerhouse, an HR changemaker, or a trailblazer in materials development, you’ll find your place at Avient. Join our global team and help shape the future with sustainable solutions that transform possibilities into realities. Your unique perspective could be the key to our next breakthrough!

We believe that all of our global employees are leaders and that the six most important behaviours for driving our strategy and culture are the same no matter if an employee is a leader of self, a leader of others, or a leader of the business. Playing to win, acting customer centric, driving innovation and profitable growth, collaborating seamlessly across Avient, and motivating and inspiring and developing others and yourself you will accelerate your ability to achieve Avient’s strategic goals, to meet our customer needs, and to accomplish your career goals. At Avient, we believe a wide variety of thoughts, ideas and backgrounds gives us the creativity to be successful in a rapidly changing world. In support of this, we stress equality of opportunity for all qualified individuals in accordance with applicable laws. Decisions on hiring, promotion, development, compensation or advancement are based solely on a person’s qualifications, abilities, experience and performance.