Job Description:

Job Title
Global Trade Compliance Director

Collaborate with Innovative 3Mers Around the World

Choosing where to start and grow your career has a major impact on your professional and personal life, so it’s equally important you know that the company that you choose to work at, and its leaders, will support and guide you. With a wide variety of people, global locations, technologies and products, 3M is a place where you can collaborate with other curious, creative 3Mers.

This position provides an opportunity to transition from other private, public, government or military experience to a 3M career.

The Impact You’ll Make in this Role

The Director of Trade Compliance is the senior-most authority for international trade across 3M’s global operations. This leader will shape and execute the company’s import, export, and sanctions strategy; drive operational excellence; and serve as a trusted advisor to the executive team, focused on compliance with applicable regulations and best practices. The role oversees global trade compliance programs, leads a distributed team of regional trade leaders, and partners cross-functionally to enable compliant, efficient commerce worldwide.

The Global Trade Compliance Director has responsibility for providing strategic leadership, management, coordination, and execution of the trade compliance and transportation regulatory compliance functional areas and teams.  The job objective is to act as strategic advisor, providing leadership for global functional responsibilities to work with and support all business units within 3M, leveraging enhanced compliance culture.  The Global Trade Compliance Manager will serve as the global business process owner to ensure development of global policies, standards, business processes, and systems. This objective is aligned with the mission of supporting business growth while maintaining strict compliance. 

As Global Trade Compliance Director, you will make an impact by:

• Develop strategic vision and manage operations of the Global Trade Compliance team to ensure 3M’s ongoing compliance with regulations and 3M policy and procedures.

• Provide leadership, direction and influence globally across the organization in matters related to processes, systems, organization, resources, and compliance.

• Provide leadership for compliance and improvement projects and initiatives such as ERP solution development, readiness and deployment, audit programs, and developing globally harmonized business policies, standards, procedures and processes.

• Facilitate strategic and operational planning activities and project prioritization to ensure continuous process improvement.

• Facilitate and drive compliance throughout the organization via various strategies such as training and awareness, global policies and standards, audits and inspection support, standard work, and outreach.    

• Provide strategic direction and support for regulatory advocacy activities, regulations monitoring and impact assessment, and implementation of regulatory changes into 3M systems and processes.

What You’ll Do

• Strategy & Leadership

  • Define and lead the global trade compliance strategy and operating model across import, export, and sanctions.

  • Deliver strategic insights, best practices, and thought leadership to influence Executive/C‑suite decisions.

  • Build, lead, and develop a global team of International Trade Regional Leaders and supporting personnel.

  • Champion compliance culture through supply chain operations

• Program Governance & Operations

  • Design and oversee policies, procedures, and controls

  • Leverage monitoring frameworks, KPIs, dashboards, and continuous improvement plans to elevate compliance performance.

  • Lead risk assessments, internal investigations, audits, and remediation actions; manage disclosures and government communications.

• Cross-Functional Partnership

  • Collaborate closely with leaders in Supply Chain, Legal, Risk, Engineering, Tax, Finance, IT to provide guidance and embed compliance in processes and systems.

  • Advise business units on product design, sourcing, distribution, and market-entry decisions to optimize compliance and cost.

• Systems, Data & Transformation

  • Drive automation and data enablement in trade processes; lead major ERP and trade system programs (e.g., SAP S/4HANA, SAP GTS).

  • Oversee system design, implementation, and governance of screening, licensing, classification, and trade analytics tools.

  • Manage large-scale initiatives and budgets (e.g., >$1M), ensuring timely delivery, change adoption, and sustained outcomes.

• Operational Excellence in Trade Domains (Note: “Critical” indicates core responsibilities requiring deep expertise. “Plus” indicates areas where strong working knowledge and experience are expected.)

• Import (critical): Authority on customs planning, classification, country of origin, valuation, special programs (FTZ, drawback), and partner government agency requirements. Optimize use of Free/Preferential Trade Agreements and manage the impact of trade remedies (IEEPA, Sections 232 & 301, antidumping, countervailing duties).

• Export (plus): Maintain robust controls under EAR, ITAR, and FTR; authority on jurisdiction/classification determinations (CCL/USML), licensing/authorizations, deemed exports, technology control plans, and end-use/end-user/destination restrictions.

• Sanctions (plus): Govern OFAC compliance, business partner due diligence, beneficial ownership screening, and restricted party screening programs.

Your Skills and Expertise 

To set you up for success in this role from day one, 3M requires (at a minimum) the following qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher (completed and verified prior to start) from an accredited institution
• Ten (10) years of experience demonstrated regulatory expertise in Trade Compliance, regulatory affairs, EHS, lab and/or manufacturing function in a private, public, government or military environment with deep knowledge of customs and global partner government agency requirements across North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia
• Two (2) years of familiarity with enterprise trade systems (e.g., SAP GTS, Descartes) and data/reporting tools. 

Additional qualifications that could help you succeed even further in this role include:

• Leadership: Proven success leading global teams and complex programs in matrixed organizations; experience with direct teams of ~15+ a plus.
• Program Development: Track record building and scaling enterprise-wide compliance programs, policies, and controls.
• Analytical & Problem-Solving: Skilled at assessing complex, cross-border trade compliance matters and crafting practical solutions.
• Communication: Exceptional executive presence and stakeholder management skills; able to influence and educate across functions.
• Change Management: Strong change leadership across large transformations (e.g., ERP implementations).
• Deep knowledge of EAR and ITAR export controls and OFAC sanctions to Preferred qualifications
• Strong organizational leadership and strategic planning skills using a highly collaborative approach; able to develop relationships across multiple geographies and businesses; ability to work collaboratively within the global matrix of M&SC, Regulatory Affairs, Legal, Tax, R&D, Government Affairs, and Sales and Marketing. 
• Demonstrated ability to manage global projects, tasks, deadlines, and changing priorities in a team environment
• Experience leading large, complex, global multi-function projects
• Proven track record of developing business practical solutions to new and changing regulations with strong ability to influence change with stakeholders
• Past participation in industry or trade association consortia addressing trade compliance and risk assessment issues
• Ability to represent 3M and influence decisions in regulatory matters relating to trade compliance and transportation regulatory
• Strong oral communication skills and demonstrated skill at clear and persuasive written communications
• SAP GTS and Dangerous Goods/LEX
• U.S. Licensed Customs Broker
• Familiarity with Export Administration Regulations
• Familiarity with Chemical Weapons Convention
• Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) Classification
• Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) Classification
• Global Trusted Trader Programs
• Customs Duty Savings Programs especially Free Trade Agreements
• Country of Origin – Preferential and Non-Preferential
• Advanced law or business degree (MBA, MS, JD); LL.M. or international trade specialization is a plus.
• Experience managing initiatives with project budgets exceeding $1,000,000.
• Industry background in advanced manufacturing, applied sciences, industrial manufacturing, consumer goods, or PPE.
• Prior responsibility for major digital/ERP transformations (e.g., SAP S/4HANA + SAP GTS integration).

Work location:

• Onsite Maplewood, MN (at least 4 days a week)

Travel: May include up to 20% domestic/international

Relocation Assistance: Is not authorized

Must be legally authorized to work in country of employment without sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H1B status).

Responsibilities of this position may include direct and/or indirect physical or logical access to information, systems, technologies subjected to the regulations/compliance with U.S. Export Control Laws.

 

U.S. Export Control laws and U.S. Government Department of Defense contracts and sub-contracts impose certain restrictions on companies and their ability to share export-controlled and other technology and services with certain "non-U.S. persons" (persons who are not U.S. citizens or nationals, lawful permanent residents of the U.S., refugees, "Temporary Residents" (granted Amnesty or Special Agricultural Worker provisions), or persons granted asylum.

 

To comply with these laws, 3M must help assess candidates' U.S. person status.

 

The questions asked in this application are intended to assess this and will be used for evaluation purposes only. Failure to provide the necessary information in this regard will result in our inability to consider you further for this particular position.

Supporting Your Well-being 

3M offers many programs to help you live your best life – both physically and financially. To ensure competitive pay and benefits, 3M regularly benchmarks with other companies that are comparable in size and scope. 

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Applicable to US Applicants Only:The expected compensation range for this position is $228,040 - $278,715, which includes base pay plus variable incentive pay, if eligible. This range represents a good faith estimate for this position. The specific compensation offered to a candidate may vary based on factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s relevant knowledge, training, skills, work location, and/or experience. In addition, this position may be eligible for a range of benefits (e.g., Medical, Dental & Vision, Health Savings Accounts, Health Care & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, Disability Benefits, Life Insurance, Voluntary Benefits, Paid Absences and Retirement Benefits, etc.). Additional information is available at: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/careers-us/working-at-3m/benefits/.

Good Faith Posting Date Range 01/08/2026 To 02/07/2026 Or until filled

All US-based 3M full time employees will need to sign an employee agreement as a condition of employment with 3M. This agreement lays out key terms on using 3M Confidential Information and Trade Secrets. It also has provisions discussing conflicts of interest and how inventions are assigned. Employees that are Job Grade 7 or equivalent and above may also have obligations to not compete against 3M or solicit its employees or customers, both during their employment, and for a period after they leave 3M.

Learn more about 3M’s creative solutions to the world’s problems at www.3M.com or on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @3M.

Responsibilities of this position include that corporate policies, procedures and security standards are complied with while performing assigned duties.

Safety is a core value at 3M. All employees are expected to contribute to a strong Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) culture by following safety policies, identifying hazards, and engaging in continuous improvement.

Pay & Benefits Overview: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/careers-us/working-at-3m/benefits/

3M does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Please note: your application may not be considered if you do not provide your education and work history, either by: 1) uploading a resume, or 2) entering the information into the application fields directly.

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