Director of Logistics and Customs

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.

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.

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