Director of Logistics and Customs

Director of Logistics and Customs

Research Triangle Park, NC

Vulcan Elements is manufacturing American rare-earth permanent magnets to enable a secure and resilient future. With a focus on national security and economic resilience, we serve critical industries including defense, aerospace, and automotive—powering a high-technology future. Vulcan Elements is building a team of ambitious professionals committed to Mission Focus, Technical Excellence, and Transparency.

As the Director of Logistics and Customs, you will architect and lead the end-to-end logistics, distribution, and international trade compliance strategy for our domestic magnet production. You will be responsible for building a world-class logistics and customs organization from the ground up, ensuring efficient, secure, and compliant movement of raw materials and finished goods across global supply chains while supporting rapid manufacturing ramp-up.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and continuously improve logistics, distribution, and customs compliance systems for inbound raw materials and outbound finished goods.
• Build and scale the logistics and customs team, including transportation, warehousing, trade compliance, and import/export operations.
• Establish and maintain a robust global trade compliance program, ensuring adherence to U.S. and international regulations (e.g., ITAR, EAR, Customs regulations, HTS classification, country of origin, valuation).
• Oversee import/export operations, including customs brokerage, duty optimization strategies, and tariff mitigation.
• Responsible for Inbound and outbound packaging requirements and designs.
• Develop and manage relationships with freight forwarders, customs brokers, and logistics providers to ensure reliability, cost efficiency, and compliance.
• Implement systems for accurate classification, documentation, and recordkeeping for all cross-border shipments.
• Partner with Engineering, Operations, and Data Informatics to integrate digital tracking, automation, and compliance monitoring into logistics workflows.
• Lead the design and optimization of warehouse and distribution networks to support high-volume production and global shipping requirements.
• Establish KPIs and performance metrics for logistics efficiency, cost control, and compliance adherence.
• Collaborate with Procurement, Manufacturing, Legal, and Customer Operations to align logistics and trade strategies with business objectives.
• Proactively monitor changes in trade regulations, tariffs, and geopolitical risks, adjusting strategies to ensure supply chain resilience.

Responsibilities and tasks outlined are not exhaustive and may change as determined by the needs of the business.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in logistics, supply chain, or international trade compliance, ideally within manufacturing environments such as advanced materials, aerospace, automotive, battery, or high-volume production.
• 8+ years of demonstrated leadership experience in logistics, customs, or supply chain operations.
• Deep expertise in global trade compliance, including ITAR, EAR, U.S. Customs regulations, HTS classification, and import/export documentation.
• Experience managing customs brokers, freight forwarders, and international shipping operations.
• Familiarity with ERP/MRP systems, transportation management systems (TMS), and global trade management (GTM) software.
• Strong understanding of supply chain risk management, tariff strategy, and cross-border logistics optimization.
• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Business, or a related technical field.

Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export-controlled information or facilities.