Senior Director, Global Trade

Multi-function / multi-region leader

Career Explorer · Procurement, Supply Chain & Manufacturing · Global Trade Management

M4 · Senior DirectorIndividual contributorSenior Director

Standard where organizational scale supports the level

What the role involves

Autonomy: Large department / multiple portfolios
Scope: Large department / multiple portfolios
Time horizon: 2-3 years
Expertise and judgement: Integrates functions, shapes enterprise decisions, builds leadership pipeline
Expected impact: Large-scale transformation and business results

Expected skills (24)

Grouped as human, professional and technical. Target proficiency uses the P1–P5 scale, and each row says what that level means for that particular skill.

Human (13)

Skill	Importance	Target	What that level looks like
Coaching Collaboration & Leadership	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Decision making Thinking & Judgment	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Delegation Collaboration & Leadership	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Executive communication Communication & Influence	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Feedback delivery Collaboration & Leadership	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Risk judgment Thinking & Judgment	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Stakeholder management Communication & Influence	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Strategic thinking Thinking & Judgment	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Talent development Collaboration & Leadership	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Conflict resolution Communication & Influence	Supporting	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Inclusive leadership Collaboration & Leadership	Supporting	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Quality mindset Operational Human Skills	Supporting	P4	Models and institutionalizes Quality mindset across teams.
Safety-first judgment Operational Human Skills	Supporting	P4	Models and institutionalizes Safety-first judgment across teams.

Professional (7)

Skill	Importance	Target	What that level looks like
Business acumen Business & Strategy	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Financial acumen Business & Strategy	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Performance management Business & Strategy	Core	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Lean manufacturing Operational Excellence	Supporting	P4	Sets cross-team standards and governance for Lean manufacturing, integrating risk, metrics and stakeholder needs.
Operational excellence systems Operational Excellence	Supporting	P4	Sets cross-team standards and governance for Operational excellence systems, integrating risk, metrics and stakeholder needs.
Resource management Program, Risk & Sustainability	Supporting	P4	Sets standards, integrates the skill across teams and resolves novel or high-impact problems.
Standard work Operational Excellence	Supporting	P4	Sets cross-team standards and governance for Standard work, integrating risk, metrics and stakeholder needs.

Technical (4)

Skill	Importance	Target	What that level looks like
Bill of Materials (BOM) Manufacturing Systems & Automation	Supporting	P4	Designs standards/approaches for Bill of Materials (BOM), leads cross-team implementation and mentors practitioners.
Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) Manufacturing Systems & Automation	Supporting	P4	Designs standards/approaches for Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), leads cross-team implementation and mentors practitioners.
New Product Introduction (NPI) Advanced Manufacturing	Supporting	P4	Designs standards/approaches for New Product Introduction (NPI), leads cross-team implementation and mentors practitioners.
Technology transfer Advanced Manufacturing	Supporting	P4	Designs standards/approaches for Technology transfer, leads cross-team implementation and mentors practitioners.

Career ladder

Reached from

Director, Global TradeM3

Next steps

AVP / Head of Global TradeM5Management promotion
Move into a major function/geography executive layer; translate enterprise strategy into a broad operating domain and own strategic outcomes.

People management requires sustained evidence of coaching, performance management, staffing judgment and organizational leadership - not simply greater individual expertise.

What changes to advance

Move into a major function/geography executive layer; translate enterprise strategy into a broad operating domain and own strategic outcomes.

Source: PROCOMER FTZ benchmark; SFIA; PMI · MF351-M4