Trade Compliance Counsel

Summary:

This role provides the opportunity to work with projects driving innovation in astrophysics instrumentation and contributing to the strategic development of new resources for the future of space exploration. The successful candidate will play a critical role through the support of trade compliance program development and continuous improvement for a variety of projects with export control sensitivities.

Reporting to the Director of Global Trade Compliance, this role will support risk mitigation of the most complex trade compliance challenges, focusing on policy development for sensitive business units, export licensing strategy support, internal investigations, and corrective action plans.

In order to facilitate many different types of projects, dedicated legal counsel within trade compliance enables rapid response to incidents, ensures policies reflect legal requirements and best practices, and provides sophisticated analysis for high-stakes decisions. This position bridges specialized regulatory knowledge and corporate legal strategy.

Key Responsibilities:

Trade Counsel Leadership:

• Provide expert advice and guidance concerning the requirements and obligations for handling export-controlled commodities, material, software, technical data, and defense services under the International Traffic and Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administrations Regulations (EAR)
• Drive continuous growth and improvement for shared services export compliance program under the ITAR and the EAR, including by drafting and updating compliance policies and procedures, and utilizing technology tools (such as artificial intelligence) to optimize export compliance procedures
• Support interactions with the U.S. Departments of State, Commerce, and Treasury regarding interpretations of relevant regulations, including required export or sanctions authorizations
• Prepare and manage export and sanctions licenses and use of license exceptions and exemptions as applicable
• Support investigations into potential matters of non-compliance with trade regulations, including preparing investigation reports and implementing corrective actions
• Conduct and participate in internal compliance audits and support continuous improvements of forms, policies, and processes to help streamline and simplify deals and product/service terms
• Develop strong, trusted advisor relationships with internal and related entities’ business partners

Risk Management & Reporting:

• Conduct comprehensive risk assessments related to export control compliance
• Prepare executive-level reporting on compliance metrics, trends, and risk exposure
• Lead incident response and voluntary disclosure processes when necessary
• Maintain audit trail documentation for all trade compliance regulatory decisions

Additional Responsibilities:

• Institute, maintain, and update internal policies, procedures, and instructions.
• Conduct internal audits, risk assessments, and investigations related to trade compliance.
• Remain current on trade compliance news, requirements, changes, and trends.
• Communicate relevant information effectively to stakeholders through various channels.
• Manage, undertake, and assist with other trade compliance activities as directed by the Director of Global Trade Compliance

Required Qualifications:

• JD with at least 8-10+ years in trade compliance work with significant ITAR and EAR regulatory focus in international, mission-focused contexts
• Strong preference for in-housework experience; work in the tech sector, aerospace, or an engineering field a plus
• The ability to work effectively across disciplines; understand technical specifications; and provide export control guidance that enables business growth within compliance boundaries.

Technical Expertise:

• Deep understanding of ITAR and EAR regulations, including recent regulatory changes
• Proven track record in commodity classification and jurisdiction determination
• Experience with government agency interactions (DDTC, BIS, DOS, DOC)
• Knowledge of international trade regulations and foreign export control regimes

Core Competencies:

• Adept at building multi-stakeholder collaboration and enabling a complex set of business teams and operations with compliance solutions
• Proven leadership experience, including supervising and mentoring trade compliance professionals with a range of educational backgrounds and skill sets
• Excellent project management and cross-functional leadership abilities
• Skilled at assessing enterprise-wide trade compliance risk and designing right-sized risk mitigation strategies
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic business environment

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in government relations or regulatory affairs
• 4-5 years of export control experience focused specifically on aerospace export controls
• Experience with system and process design
• A working understanding of risk management and internal control frameworks, and a solid understanding of the concepts of control design and operational efficiency
• Ability to work effectively across functional teams and stakeholders to drive for results and solve problems
• Ability to effectively manage multiple projects, prioritize workload, have excellent attention to detail, and work effectively under deadlines
• Excellent written, verbal, and analytical skills
• Strong communication and presentation skills with the ability to articulate complex problems and solutions through concise and clear messaging