Specialist, Tariffs & Duties
About Oppy
Grow Our Tomorrow. Oppy is a leading grower, marketer, and distributor of fresh produce from around the world. As one of North America’s top produce companies for nearly 165 years, we bring over 100 varieties of produce from 27 countries to 1,300+ retailers in North America and throughout the world. As much as agriculture has shaped the past for humankind, Oppy’s efforts shape its future by sustainably providing families with healthy, safe, and fresh produce to create a better quality of life for all. Our progressive team is called to a higher purpose that raises the economic wellbeing of families and communities who work the land.
Recognized as one Canada’s Best Managed Companies (for the last 20 years!) and a Top Employer in BC, our diverse team of dedicated professionals collaborate and make connections across our locations throughout North and South America. We owe our success to our adaptability, innovative and entrepreneurial approach, our commitment to our people, and the incredible relationships we build. We are looking for talented people who love a fast-paced, dynamic environment where you can grow your skills and career in a sector with abundant opportunity. Grow your tomorrow with us, today.
Overview
The Specialist, Tariffs & Duties plays a critical role in the financial analysis, risk assessment, and compliance oversight associated with international produce shipments. This position is responsible for managing and analyzing anticipated net grower returns, calculating tariffs, monitoring regulatory changes, and ensuring accurate customs declarations and reconciliations. This role will work closely with Category Directors, the Category Financial Analysis team, Operations, customs brokers, and finance teams to ensure tariff costs are appropriately forecasted, accrued, and reconciled. The ideal candidate brings sharp analytical capabilities, strong financial acumen, and deep understanding of tariff recovery and compliance. The Specialist, Tariffs & Duties supports the development and implementation of procedures around duty optimization, tariff application methodology, and handling of regulatory audits or discrepancies. The role encompasses all elements related to customs valuation, commercial invoice review, and ensuring accurate and timely payment processing to CBP, CBSA and customs brokers. Supports the category financial analysis team as business needs dictate.
Accountabilities
- Maintains in-house knowledge on U.S. and Canadian tariff rules, regulations, and industry practices; offers guidance on permissible sales, expenses and valuation rules.
- Differentiates between deals where Oppy is the Importer of Record (IOR) versus not IOR and applies appropriate tariff recovery methodology and customs declarations accordingly.
- For US Tariffs, calculates and manages anticipated net grower returns per shipment; assesses gross vs. net tariff implications and recovery values, excluding shipments from Mexico and Canada. The same process would apply to Canadian tariffs on US grown fruit.
- Analyzes and maintains current tariff rates and applicable executive orders, ensuring accurate and compliant tariff applications across shipments.
- Ensures tariff declarations are based on correct FOB country of origin prior to shipment arrival and that documentation is compliant with U.S. and Canadian customs requirements.
- Collaborates with the Category Financial Analysis team or independently performs net grower return analysis; identifies appropriate tariff amounts based on projected returns and recommends FOB country of origin for approval by the Category Director.
- Provides timely, proactive updates to customs brokers (e.g. JK Fresh and PCB) on declared fruit values and net grower return estimates to ensure alignment with customs declarations.
- Prepares and reviews commercial invoices, ensuring values, origins, and shipment details are accurately represented; validates ocean freight, air freight, and cargo insurance charges with auditable evidence.
- Ensures all legitimate freight bills (e.g., ocean freight invoices paid by Oppy or growers) are retained for audit support and compliance with valuation methods such as computed value.
- Supports the AP team in coding, reconciling, and accruing tariff-related invoices; monitors and updates
internal systems (e.g., Optimo) to ensure accuracy of tariff accruals. • Processes and reconciles U.S. CBP and CBSA tariff payments to customs broker invoices (i.e. JK Fresh & PCB), ensuring accuracy and alignment with declared values; investigates and corrects any interest charges, payment discrepancies, or audit findings. - Provides oversight and direction to the grower accounting team for the recalculation of tariff values for each grower settlement based on final shipment results and market conditions.
- Tracks and reconciles tariff payments at the time of grower settlement, confirming what was declared, recovered, and paid.
- Coordinates proper handling and classification of dumped fruit upon arrival to ensure customs compliance and accurate accounting.
- Investigates discrepancies between expected and actual sales values (e.g., fruit failures or underperformance); facilitates timely communication with U.S. & Canadian customs authorities to seek refunds or adjustments when appropriate.
- Ensures tariffs are accounted for correctly under both accrual and cash-based methods, with internal documentation aligning to computed value methodology and Canadian tariff frameworks.
- Collaborates with category and compliance teams to maintain consistency in tariff reporting, improve internal processes, and ensure operational alignment.
- Communicates with key stakeholders regarding tariff-related updates and action items.
- Evaluates tariffs for U.S.-grown fruit shipped to Canada and determines whether product can be transferred back to the U.S; accounts for north/south packaging movements.
- Conducts other business and financial analysis projects related to tariffs, grower returns, or trade compliance as assigned.
Category Financial Analysis Support
- As business needs dictate, supports the Category Financial Analysis team as assigned.
- Provides grower risk analysis and category financial management including proactive analysis, review and recommendation of initial advance requests, monthly mid-season updates, and end of season retrospectives.
- Supports the Category Director on developing the annual business plan for the category and assists with monitoring ongoing performance relative to plan so proactive steps can be taken to mitigate risks and realize opportunities.
- Assists the Category Director with annual business planning, meeting reports and analytics to monitor ongoing category performance.
- Makes proactive, informed recommendations to mitigate business risk while appropriately maintaining grower relations and supporting profitable business growth by retaining and expanding grower produce volumes.
- Provides mid-season ‘what if’/ sensitivity analyses on the projected end of season positions with each grower detailing profitability and net grower return.
- Assists the Category Director in setting up reasonable, risk mitigating grower settlement pricing programs. Ensures final balances owed are returned to the grower at season end; provides general ledger coding for the grower accounting team.
- Analyzes and reviews for reasonableness grower expenses (market-based costs) used in cash flows, costing models or grower claims.
- Prepares cash flow reports, forecasting models, post-season analysis and category market analysis reports including specific grower issues/concerns enabling clear communication and understanding that is grounded in analytics.
- Collaborates with category team and other departments to create costing models, program pricing and relevant market report for program sales bids. Establishes consistency of services and reporting to the category program leaders.
- Conducts other business analysis and participates in various financial projects as assigned.
- Promotes a customer-focused, service-oriented culture in alignment with the company’s core values.
Required Knowledge & Abilities - Strong analytical skills with an ability to problem-solve and make appropriate accounting recommendations and decisions; affinity and aptitude for strong financial/business analysis, and risk management.
- Exceptional interpersonal skills, ability to work independently across cross-functional teams and forge strong relationships internally and externally.
- Highly developed communication (written & verbal) and customer service skills; and communicate clearly with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Advanced application skills including Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP, etc.), Word and Outlook, Access DB and Cognos. Proficient in PowerBI, Access DB and Microsoft Office Suite applications (including Outlook, Word, Excel); ability to create complex reports and analyze and model data using Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP, etc.), and PowerBI preferred.
- Strong understanding of and interest in staying current on tariffs/duties customs valuation principles, tariff codes, and international trade regulations.
- Experience with commercial invoice management, customs documentation, and audit compliance.
- Working knowledge of both U.S. and Canadian customs brokerage practices, CBP and CBSA regulations, and internal reconciliation practices.
- Strong attention to detail and ability to manage large volumes of transactional and regulatory data.
- Proven ability to manage complex projects and implementations in fast-paced, dynamic environments.
- Exercises good judgement and critical thinking skills; demonstrates a high level of integrity, ethics, and professionalism.
- Highly organized, detail-oriented, and capable of managing / overseeing multiple department initiatives related to Tariff compliance under tight deadlines.
- Positive and engaging attitude, with a commitment to fostering an inclusive, supportive, and fun working environment.
Required Qualifications
- Degree or diploma in finance, accounting, international business or related field or a combination of equivalent education and experience.
- Minimum, 2 – 4 years’ related experience in financial analysis, trade compliance or tariff-related roles.
- Experience with custom brokers, AP invoice reconciliation or net return analysis considered an asset.
- Experience with U.S. CBP payment processing, customs documentation review, or valuation methodologies considered a strong asset.
Why Oppy?
- We are the perfect size of organization that is still nimble but yet organized, where meaningful impact and contributions happen.
- We have a strong culture with terrific people that care about the business and each other. We want our people to grow and succeed.
- We believe in you bringing your best true self and your best ideas, because diverse perspectives contribute to better problem solving and solutions in a dynamic and ever evolving industry.
- We support your professional development and health with educational reimbursement and wellness programs.
- We offer a competitive total compensation package that includes a full benefits package, lifestyle spending account, continuing educational support and more!
Inclusion and Equal Opportunity Employment
Oppy is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer who actively seeks to recruit retain individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are dedicated to fostering a culture where every employee feels valued, respected, and empowered to be themselves at work. We care about the uniqueness of our applicants, employees, and partners. Diversity is fundamental to our success because it brings a range of perspectives that fuel innovation and excellence. That’s why we’re focused on creating an inclusive culture where every employee can contribute their unique talents and ideas.
We gratefully thank all applicants for their interest, however, only candidates under consideration will be contacted directly.