Senior Manager, Customs and Trade

OpenAI

. Refine the strategy and operating model for OpenAI’s import customs program, embedding customs, tariff, and cross-border considerations into sourcing, development-stage materials, supplier operations, and logistics.

Posted 5/7/2026full-timeSan Francisco • California • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $297,000 - $330,000 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Refine the strategy and operating model for OpenAI’s import customs program, embedding customs, tariff, and cross-border considerations into sourcing, development-stage materials, supplier operations, and logistics.
Own governance for HTS classification, customs valuation, and country of origin, including decision quality, substantiation, supplier data requirements, broker handoff standards, escalation paths, and reusable knowledge.
Partner with Engineering, Procurement and Strategic Finance to build durable landed-cost, tariff-impact, and importer-structure decision models that support global sourcing and planning.
Lead broker strategy and operating standards across customs brokers, freight forwarders, and trade-advisory partners, including performance management, escalation management, and execution quality.
Build and scale import documentation, recordkeeping, and supplier-onboarding requirements for customs-critical data, including commercial invoices, packing lists, broker packets, entry support, prototype claims, and audit-ready files.
Partner with technical and operations teams to support compliant cross-border movement of development-stage materials and related operational workflows.
Establish customs-related policies, SOPs, training, metrics, SLAs, and escalation paths that reduce avoidable friction and improve execution quality across the import lifecycle.
Partner with Legal, Tax, and Business on origin analysis, tariff monitoring, trade controversy, importer setup, and new market entry.
Build internal tooling and AI-enabled workflows that improve triage, document review, knowledge retrieval, recurring decision support, operational reporting, and overall program scale.

Requirements

What you’ll need

A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience in international trade operations, trade law, cross-border ecommerce.
Significant experience leading import customs, trade operations, or a closely related function in electronics, semiconductors, robotics, advanced hardware, manufacturing, or other high-technology domains.
Deep expertise in trade law including import classification, customs valuation, country of origin, prototype and temporary-import frameworks, broker management, and customs documentation controls.
Direct experience supporting hardware development processes, sourcing, supplier onboarding, landed-cost analysis, and cross-border execution in a fast-moving product environment.
Strong judgment and a track record of building and scaling programs in multinational, ambiguous, and rapidly evolving operating environments.
Experience translating customs and trade requirements into workflows, systems requirements, service levels, operating guidance, and measurable business outcomes.
The ability to work credibly with procurement leaders, hardware engineers, manufacturing partners, brokers, finance stakeholders, legal partners, and operations teams.
Experience managing service providers and cross-functional programs that require speed, discretion, and strong execution.
Strong writing and communication skills, with the ability to turn complex customs requirements into clear process documentation and practical guidance.
Experience building AI-enabled workflows, internal tools, knowledge systems, or agentic processes for policy-heavy or operational work.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your family, with employer contributions to Health Savings Accounts
Pre-tax accounts for Health FSA, Dependent Care FSA, and commuter expenses (parking and transit)
401(k) retirement plan with employer match
Paid parental leave (up to 24 weeks for birth parents and 20 weeks for non-birthing parents), plus paid medical and caregiver leave (up to 8 weeks)
Paid time off: flexible PTO for exempt employees and up to 15 days annually for non-exempt employees
13+ paid company holidays, and multiple paid coordinated company office closures throughout the year for focus and recharge, plus paid sick or safe time (1 hour per 30 hours worked, or more, as required by applicable state or local law)
Mental health and wellness support
Employer-paid basic life and disability coverage
Annual learning and development stipend to fuel your professional growth
Daily meals in our offices, and meal delivery credits as eligible
Relocation support for eligible employees
Additional taxable fringe benefits, such as charitable donation matching and wellness stipends, may also be provided.

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

import customstrade operationscustoms valuationHTS classificationcountry of origincustoms documentation controlslanded-cost analysiscross-border executionbroker managementprototype and temporary-import frameworks

Soft Skills

strong judgmentprogram buildingscaling programscommunication skillswriting skillscollaborationdiscretionexecution qualityproblem-solvingadaptability