Trade Compliance Operations Manager

Role Purpose

Lead and develop the Kuala Lumpur (KL) execution capability as part of NXPs global Trade Compliance Operations team. This role combines handson execution with people leadership to ensure highquality playbookbased trade compliance execution with disciplined escalation of novel sensitive or precedent-setting matters through the Operations Control Tower (and Trade Compliance Infrastructure) to the relevant authority teams.

The first scope in KL is classification execution over time other Trade Compliance execution activities will be transferred to the KL team.

This is a playercoach role: the manager is expected to actively execute work in addition to managing the team.

Key Responsibilities

Handson execution

• Personally execute trade compliance activities within approved playbooks and decision frameworks especially during rampup and peak periods.
• Perform routine classification execution where playbook coverage exists and prepare clean authority-ready escalation packages and route them through the Operations Control Tower in line with defined escalation rules.
• Ensure execution quality documentation completeness and auditready evidence.

Team leadership & delivery ownership

• Build lead and coach the KL Trade Compliance Operations Coordinators.
• Allocate work manage queues monitor cycle times and balance workload.
• Act as first point of contact for execution issues and ensure consistent application of playbooks and escalation rules.
• Run daily/weekly delivery routines and performance checkins.

Execution governance & quality

• Enforce strict playbook discipline: routine work executed in KL; novel/precedent cases escalated per defined triggers.
• Run firstline quality assurance (sampling error tracking rootcause analysis).
• Drive corrective actions retraining and continuous improvement.

Scaling & continuous improvement

• Identify recurring execution patterns suitable for standardization or playbook expansion.
• Provide structured feedback to global Operations Control Tower and Infrastructure teams.
• Support the controlled expansion of KL execution scope over time.
• Contribute to workflow data and tooling improvements (including assistive AI use where appropriate).

Crossfunctional coordination

• Work closely with the Operations Control Tower on routing prioritization and reporting.
• Interface primarily with the Operations Control Tower and Trade Compliance Infrastructure on escalation prioritization and scope transitions; authority teams are engaged through defined escalation channels.
• Partner with Infrastructure Process and Risk teams on playbooks controls and evidence standards.

Qualifications / Experience

• 610 years experience in trade compliance operations export controls operations customs operations or similar regulated execution environments.
• Proven people leadership experience combined with handson execution background.
• Strong practical understanding of classification execution documentation discipline and escalation logic (deep legal interpretation not required).
• Comfortable operating as a playercoach in a scaling environment.

Education

• Bachelors degree in a relevant field (e.g. business supply chain engineering law international trade) or equivalent practical experience.

Language

• Fluent in English (written and spoken).
• Additional languages are a plus but not required.

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