Trade Operations Manager

Career Area
Supply Chain and Logistics

Job Description
Your Work Shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc.
When you join Caterpillar, you're joining a global team who cares not just about the work we do – but also about each other. We are the makers, problem solvers, and future world builders who are creating stronger, more sustainable communities. We don't just talk about progress and innovation here – we make it happen, with our customers, where we work and live. Together, we are building a better world, so we can all enjoy living in it.

Job Summary
The Manager of Global Trade Operations is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the corporation's ethics and compliance function, ensuring strict adherence to international regulations and agreements such as Sarbanes-Oxley, IMMEX, PROSEC USMCA primarily in Mexico and Brazil. This role serves as a strategic leader, developing and implementing robust strategies to promote compliant business conduct and uphold ethical relationship standards across multiple business units. By guiding cross-functional teams and fostering a culture of collaboration, the manager actively mitigates risks and drives continual improvement in compliance programs.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute comprehensive strategies that ensure ethical business practices and regulatory compliance across diverse business units.
• Lead the development and enhancement of compliance programs to reduce organizational risk and ensure alignment with global standards.
• Serve as a trusted advisor on Our Values In Action, providing expert interpretation of corporate policies and procedures.
• Identify, assess, and address potential compliance vulnerabilities, crafting actionable corrective plans and offering guidance for future risk mitigation.
• Actively coach and mentor teams on cross-team integration, fostering interdepartmental collaboration to break down silos and achieve shared business goals.
• Apply advanced decision-making and critical thinking skills to evaluate complex scenarios, leveraging data and historical insights to inform productive outcomes.
• Demonstrate flexibility and adaptability in dynamic environments, championing innovative approaches and openness to change.
• Manage import/export activities, ensuring rapid clearance, compliance with international trade regulations, and effective audit responses.
• Utilize effective influencing strategies to impact decisions both within and outside the organization.
• Support logistics management and supply chain processes, integrating systems to optimize the movement of materials and products.
• Oversee vendor management, developing strong partnerships, monitoring performance, and ensuring quality standards in supplier relationships.

Educational Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in International Business, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Administration, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Advanced English

Skills
Cross-Team Integration

• Proactively engages key stakeholders early in planning to align objectives and expectations.
• Leverages both formal and informal networks to foster collaboration and eliminate silos between teams.
• Designs and implements mutually beneficial strategies that secure cross-functional buy-in for major initiatives.
• Identifies and integrate cutting-edge systems and technologies that facilitate seamless, enterprise-wide cooperation.

Import/Export - Manufacturing

• Secures expedited clearance or exemptions for critical, time-sensitive shipments, minimizing delays.
• Keeps abreast of and communicates current prohibitions and restrictions on various goods categories to relevant parties.
• Manage import/export audits efficiently, providing accurate and timely responses to regulatory inquiries.
• Coordinates transit licenses and temporary importation procedures to support business needs and operational continuity.

Logistics Management

• Contributes to the design of optimized process flows to track and reduce lead times across activities.
• Actively participates in the integration of logistics processes, building resilient and efficient networks.
• Supports logistics operations in both domestic and international contexts, enhancing overall supply chain effectiveness.

Decision Making and Critical Thinking

• Distinguishes underlying assumptions, diverse viewpoints, and historical contexts to inform decisions.
• Conducts thorough analyses of previous decisions, extracting lessons to enhance future decision-making processes.
• Systematically assesses, validates, and forecasts the impact of various decision options.
• Ensuring all assumptions and commonly held beliefs are critically examined and validated in the decision process.

Flexibility and Adaptability

• Quickly adapts to evolving assignments, processes, technologies, and team compositions.
• Actively seeks and considers diverse opinions, fostering a culture of inclusivity and continuous improvement.
• Embraces innovative or unconventional ideas with an open mind, avoiding premature judgments.

Vendor Management

• Establishes and nurtures strategic partnerships with multiple or large-scale vendors to drive mutual success.
• Ensures comprehensive fulfillment of reporting and record-keeping obligations for compliance and transparency.
• Assesses vendor issues objectively and, when necessary, coordinates contract termination in collaboration with legal teams.
• Facilitates innovative supplier partnerships that equitably share risk and reward, promoting long-term collaboration.

Top Candidates Also Have

• Master's degree in International Trade, Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, or related disciplines.
• Professional certifications such as Certified Supply Chain Professional, Certified International Trade Professional or related disciplines.

Additional Information

• This position will be located on either the Santa Catarina, Nuevo León or Nuevo Laredo facility.
• This position is five-day a week in-office model.
• This position will require travelling 10% working time (Domestic and International).
• Valid Travel Visa and Passport
• Sponsorship for foreign candidates is not available.
• Domestic Relocation assistance is not available for this position.
• Do not forget to include a resumé in English in your profile in Workday .

Final details
Please frequently check the email associated with your application, including the junk/spam folder, as this is the primary correspondence method. If you wish to know the status of your application – please use the candidate log-in on our career website as it will reflect any updates to your status.

The Caterpillar Code of Conduct states that we will select, and place employees based on their qualifications for the job to be performed, without regard to race, religion, national origin, color, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age or disability. In this company we do not request pregnancy tests, nor HIV tests as requirements for employment entry, permanence or promotion.
Posting Dates
diciembre 3, diciembre 9, 2025

Caterpillar is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants of any age are encouraged to apply

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