Senior Manager- Import Operations & Broker Management

About the Role:

The Senior Manager, Import Operations & Broker Management leads end-to-end trade execution across the Americas region, ensuring compliant, efficient, and scalable import operations in support of business growth. This role owns first-line operational execution, broker and forwarder performance, data integrity, and daily customs entry workflows, partnering closely with Trade Compliance, Disney Legal, Integrity and Compliance at Disney, Finance, Supply Chain, and Trade Technology teams to ensure service reliability and secure cargo release prior to arrival.

The role is responsible for translating regulatory and policy requirements into repeatable, controlled operating processes, driving operational excellence and service reliability across all Disney lines of business. While certain business units execute locally or utilize specialized end-to-end logistics providers, this leader is expected to actively engage across the entire enterprise to help all lines of business establish standardized operational customs clearance dashboards and metrics. Acts as the primary operational interface between Trade Operations and Disney lines of business, driving disciplined first-line execution to deliver measurable results, reinforce regional import operations, and safeguard corporate compliance outcomes.

What You Will Do:

Trade Operations Leadership (First Line Execution)

• Lead Regional Import Operations: Lead day-to-day import operations across the Americas, ensuring the timely, accurate, and compliant movement of commercial retail merchandise, temporary studio production assets, and technical broadcast equipment.
• Own Execution of Trade Activities: Direct entry processing workflows, entry validation cycles, post-entry corrections, record retention schedules, and transactional data accuracy across the regional footprint.
• Secure Release Prior to Arrival: Establish and manage proactive customs entry workflows with carriers and brokers, validating data pre-transmission to secure cleared customs status prior to physical vessel or flight arrival.
• Serve as the Operational Escalation Point: Act as the primary operational escalation point for time-sensitive shipment issues, customs exceptions, broker performance challenges, and carrier clearance delays.

Broker, Forwarder & Service Provider Management

• Own Operational Provider Relationships: Manage operational relationships with customs brokers, freight forwarders, and trade service providers across the region.
• Enforce Service Level Governance: Establish and manage SLAs, KPIs, and performance scorecards covering entry filing accuracy, timeliness, transactional cost, and regulatory compliance.
• Lead Quality Root Cause Analysis: Lead comprehensive root cause analysis and execute immediate corrective action plans for any service or quality issues.
• Partner on Provider Contract Lifecycles: Partner with corporate Procurement and Legal teams on service provider onboarding, renewals, and operational scope changes.

Operational Governance & Controls

• Ensure Enterprise Compliance Alignment: Ensure trade operations are executed in accordance with enterprise standards, internal corporate policies, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain Operational Documentation: Maintain and continuously improve standard operating procedures to support scalable, compliant, and auditable operations.
• Partner on Assessments & Audits: Partner with Trade Compliance and Audit teams to support assessments, audits, and regulatory inquiries—while maintaining first-line ownership of corrective actions and remediation.
• Identify Operational Risks: Identify control gaps and operational risks across transactional data inputs and implement robust mitigation plans.

Duty Optimization & Special Trade Programs

• Drive Operational Special Program Enablement: Drive operational enablement of duty optimization strategies, including Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), First Sale Valuation, Duty Drawback programs, and Foreign Trade Zones (FTZ) as applicable.
• Equip Broker Networks for Customs Declarations: Ensure operational teams and brokers are comprehensively equipped to execute these optimization programs in the customs declaration process consistently and accurately.
• Monitor Financial & Margin Impacts: In partnership with the Senior Manager Global Trade Optimization, monitor financial impact and operational effectiveness of active duty savings programs.

Technology, Data & Reporting Enablement

• Partner with Trade Technology Teams: Partner with Trade Technology teams to improve user experience, workflow design, system automation, and overall cross-border data quality.
• Define Tech Business Requirements: Support business requirements definition, solution review and selection, User Acceptance Testing (UAT), systems enhancements, and global deployment and adoption of enterprise trade systems.
• Own Operational Data Integrity: Own operational data integrity across import transactions, developing and maintaining operational dashboards and KPIs to measure service levels, risk indicators, volume trends, and cost impacts.
• Drive Continuous Process Improvement: Use data and performance analytics to drive continuous improvement, long-term scalability, and transactional efficiency (CPU).

Cross-Functional Leadership & Partnerships

• Execute Upstream Engagement: Support upstream engagement with Corporate Tax, Treasury, Finance, Product Development, Sourcing, and Supply Chain & Logistics executives to integrate trade and customs considerations earlier in product development, sourcing, and logistics planning cycles.
• Manage Operational PGA Exceptions: Own first-line operational resolution for Partner Government Agencies (PGAs)—specifically managing compliance workflows for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—monitoring broker transmission accuracy to prevent holds and documentation exceptions.
• Lead and Develop Operations Talent: Lead and develop managers, analysts, and specialists across the Import Operations team, establishing clear role definitions, accountability models, and career development pathways.
• Promote an Accountability Culture: Promote a culture of ownership, interdependence, operational discipline, and continuous improvement, ensuring adequate staffing, training, and succession planning aligned to business growth.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Minimum 8 or more years of experience in global trade operations, import/export execution, or customs operations or equivalent experience.
• Strong working knowledge of U.S. customs and export operational requirements.
• Demonstrated experience managing brokers, forwarders, and third-party service providers.
• Proven people leadership experience in operational or compliance-adjacent environments.
• Strong communication skills - make complex subjects easy to understand and digest for senior leaders.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Licensed Customs House Broker

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting complex, multi-LOB trade operations in a matrixed enterprise environment.
• Hands-on experience with special trade programs (FTA, drawback, First Sale, FTZ).
• Experience working with enterprise Global Trade Management systems or equivalent trade systems.
• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, International Business, Logistics, or related field; advanced degree a plus equivalent experience.

Scope & Impact

• First-line operational accountability for Americas trade execution and Customs declaration accuracy.
• Direct impact on regulatory compliance outcomes, duty spend, cost efficiency, service reliability, business enablement, audit readiness, and risk mitigation.

The hiring range for this position in Florida is $145,900.00 to $195,600.00 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.