Senior Director Clearance Operations

Role Purpose

Reporting under the Global Office, this role is responsible to globally represent, and act on behalf of, the business capability domain for clearance operations, with regards to process quality, compliance, productivity, operational efficiency, system capabilities and business readiness.

The role is accountable for the definition, prioritization, development, deployment and continuous improvement of clearance operations processes and business solutions across existing and new clearance tools. The role owns the business roadmap and capability direction for Clearance Operations, including existing tools and new capabilities.

Key Responsibilities:

Capability Strategy & Roadmap Management

• Define and own the Clearance Operations capability roadmap in conjunction with business stakeholders.
• Prioritize deliverables, changes, and improvements by balancing business value, compliance, and implementation feasibility.
• Lead global projects, identifying synergies across existing and new tools to maximize business benefit.
• Ensure that clearance operations requirements are clearly defined, globally harmonized and translated into scalable business and IT solutions in close collaboration with IT Solution Design & Delivery, regional and country customs teams, compliance, operations and other business capability domains.
• Scan regulatory horizon across regions for regulatory needs.

Business Analysis & Process Excellence

• Drive structured analysis to translate regulatory requirements, operational needs, and process gaps into clear improvement actions.
• Benchmark current processes, introduce best practices, and drive standardization to enhance compliance, productivity, and operational efficiency.
• Identify operational bottlenecks, providing structure to complex problems to ensure an aligned approach across regions and toolsets.
• Conduct regular operations reviews and chair user forums to identify regulatory demands, operational trends, process gaps, country requirements, best practices and improvement opportunities for clearance operations processes and tools.

Tool Ownership & Development

• Manage the improvement agenda for existing tools (e.g., DCC, DCE, CRMS, GTS), ensuring alignment with Global SOPs and compliance
• objectives.
• Lead the capability development for new tools (e.g., CLEAR, CCT Portal, CIP 2.0-allied tools), overseeing scope definition, MVP logic, antesting.
• Participate in the full software development lifecycle—from project briefing and process design to requirements definition, testing, and
• user acceptance.

Operations, Deployment & Support

• Conduct operations reviews and chair user forums to identify trends, regulatory demands, and improvement opportunities.
• Oversee deployment preparation, including training, documentation, and pilot execution, ensuring solutions are properly signed off, accepted, and fully embedded into operational processes.
• Monitor post-implementation adoption, conducting functional reviews and initiating corrective measures
• Provide end-to-end business knowledge to support contingency operations and resolution of issues.

Governance, Project & Stakeholder Management

• Guide regions and countries to ensure projects are managed in a harmonized way, meeting agreed scope, cost, time, quality, and governance standards.
• Lead and mentor the direct Clearance Operations team and maintain an active leadership role within the global community.
• Manage user groups and feedback to ensure functional input, change management, and project transparency.
• Operate effectively in a multi-national environment, fostering collaboration across global, regional, country, IT, and external partner teams.

Do you have what it takes?

• University degree or equivalent (or substantial years of relevant service), with a strong foundation in Programs/Project Management and Lean methodologies.
• 8 years of multi-disciplined experience, including min 5 years of proven business leadership in Network Operations, Customs, or relevant global domains.
• Demonstrated success in delivering complex business process solution designs that are directly tied to strategic business goals and have yielded world-class operational results.
• Proven experience in navigating and leading within large-scale, cross-functional, and multi-cultural matrix organizations, with a strong ability to manage senior stakeholder expectations.
• Deep, hands-on expertise in customs, clearance regulations, and compliance environments, with a track record of translating complex regulatory requirements into actionable technical frameworks.
• Exceptional communication and executive-level presentation skills, capable of driving change and fostering collaboration across global, regional, and IT delivery teams.

Preferred:

• Advanced degree (e.g., MBA or Master’s in Business Administration, Logistics, Supply Chain, or Information Technology) is highly desirable
• Demonstrated knowledge of software development life cycles (e.g., Agile, DevOps), process engineering, and a high level of technology awareness to effectively interface with IT partners.