Richemont Trade Compliance Expert
- Location
- Seniority
- Senior
- Department
- Legal & Compliance
- Industry
- Fine Watches & Horology
- Posted
- Apr 29, 2026
About Richemont
Richemont is a Swiss-based luxury goods holding company that houses several leading maisons in watches, jewellery and leather goods. As an employer, Richemont emphasizes craftsmanship, brand heritage and exacting standards, operating through global, matrixed teams that balance commercial ambition with strong corporate governance and regulatory compliance.
Richemont seeks a Trade Compliance Expert in Villars‑sur‑Glâne, Switzerland to manage customs, export controls and sanctions compliance.
Role & Responsibilities
- Own day-to-day management of export/import controls, customs compliance and sanctions screening for Swiss and cross-border operations.
- Classify goods (HS codes), determine customs valuation and manage preferential origin documentation and claims.
- Maintain and secure necessary export/import licences and authorisations; co-ordinate applications and renewals with authorities and external brokers.
- Develop, implement and maintain trade compliance policies, internal controls and standard operating procedures.
- Provide expert regulatory advice and timely interpretation of changes in EU/UK/US/Swiss export control, sanctions and customs regimes.
- Lead audits, compliance assessments and remediation actions; prepare reports and present findings to senior management and internal audit.
- Deliver training and guidance to commercial, logistics, sourcing and legal teams; act as primary point of contact for customs brokers and freight forwarders.
- Support cross-border movements for events, exhibitions and repairs including temporary admission procedures (e.g., ATA carnets) and inward/ outward processing.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in law, international trade, logistics, business or a related discipline; advanced degree or specialised trade compliance certification preferred.
- Demonstrable knowledge of customs law, export controls, sanctions regimes and rules of origin applicable to Switzerland and major export markets.
- Proven experience drafting and implementing compliance policies, internal controls and remediation programmes.
- Strong stakeholder management skills with experience advising commercial, legal and logistics partners across multiple jurisdictions.
- Fluent professional written and verbal communication; ability to present complex regulatory issues clearly to non‑specialists.
Skills
Experience
Minimum 5 years of progressive trade compliance experience in a multinational environment, ideally within luxury goods, watchmaking, jewellery or manufacturing; hands‑on experience with customs authorities, brokers and export control regimes required.
Education
Bachelor’s degree in law, international trade, logistics, business or equivalent; master’s degree or recognised trade compliance certification preferred.
Workplace
This position is based in Villars-sur-Glâne, Fribourg, Switzerland, within easy reach of Bern.
Culture
Richemont combines the precision and heritage of Swiss luxury craftsmanship with an international, matrixed operating model. The organisation values professionalism, discretion and rigorous compliance, while encouraging collaboration between commercial, legal and operations teams to protect brand integrity.
About Cerulean
Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.
Frequently Asked Questions
The luxury industry is characterised by a diverse and nuanced nomenclature. Esteemed houses frequently employ proprietary terminology, and even within a single organisation like Richemont, titles may vary across global markets to reflect local conventions. To ensure absolute clarity, Cerulean assigns a standardised, industry-coherent canonical title to every listing. However, it is worth noting that this role is functionally synonymous with «Export Controls Specialist», «Customs & Trade Compliance Specialist», «International Trade Compliance Advisor», «Trade Compliance Officer», «Global Trade Compliance Specialist», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.