Trade Compliance Manager

Trade Compliance Manager

Washington, District of Columbia, United States

CHAOS Industries is redefining modern defense with a multi-product portfolio that gives the ultimate advantage—domain dominance. The company's products are powered by Coherent Distributed Networks (CDN™), empowering warfighters, commercial air operators, and border protection teams to act faster, adapt rapidly, and stay ahead of evolving threats.

CHAOS Industries was founded in 2022 and has raised a total of $1 billion in funding from leading investors, including 8VC, Accel, and Valor Equity Partners. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, and London. For more information, please visit

Role Overview:

We are looking for a skilled and motivated Trade Compliance Manager to join our team onsite at our Los Angeles office. Reporting to the VP of Legal and Operations, you will be at the forefront of shaping and executing our trade compliance strategy, ensuring strict adherence to ITAR, EAR, and other export control regulations. You will work closely with internal teams (including Engineering, Business Development, and Operations) and regulatory agencies to manage our export and ITAR compliance programs, driving excellence in compliance across the organization. This is an opportunity to drive strategy around our compliance posture and how we succeed in a regulated environment.

Responsibilities:

• Develop, implement, and maintain trade policies, standards, and procedures to ensure compliance with Department of State, Department of Commerce, and Department of Treasury regulations.
• Establish, manage, and maintain the company's Export Management Control Policy (EMCP) consistent with DDTC requirements.
• Define, conduct, and oversee regular trade compliance audits and investigations to identify and mitigate potential risks and exposures.
• Determine classification and licensing requirements based on applicable government regulations (e.g., ITAR, EAR) and apply for necessary licenses through the relevant government systems (DECCS, SNAP-R, etc.).
• Perform and maintain records for restricted party screenings.
• Design and deliver tailored export control and global trade compliance training programs for both internal and external stakeholders.
• Provide training and awareness programs to educate employees on information security policies, procedures, best practices, and proper handling of classified information.
• Stay up to date with evolving regulatory requirements, emerging threats, and industry best practices to enhance the company's trade compliance posture.
• Collaborate with IT and Engineering teams to ensure secure system architectures and robust data protection measures for systems processing controlled information.

Minimum Requirements:

• You have 5+ years of experience in trade compliance roles
• What we have to do next won't always be obvious; you're comfortable figuring out what is needed and then doing it
• You are comfortable learning technical concepts and willing to dig deep into how our products work
• Ability to work with engineers, BD, and lawyers
• Comprehensive knowledge of U.S. regulations governing export-controlled items.
• In-depth expertise in the U.S. Munitions List (USML), Export Control Classification Number (ECCN), deemed exports, Export Administration Regulations (EAR), and the Commerce Control List (CCL).
• Hands-on experience with DDTC licensing applications (e.g., DSP-5, TAA, MLA).
• Proven track record in developing and implementing export control programs, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.
• Must be a U.S. Person due to the nature of work & required access to U.S. export-controlled information
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance.

Why CHAOS?

• Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision benefits 100% paid for by the company
• Additional benefits: 401k (+ 50% company match up to 6% of pay), FSA, HSA, life insurance, and more
• Our Perks: Free daily lunch, 'No meeting Fridays', unlimited PTO, casual dress code
• Compensation Components: Competitive base salaries, generous pre-IPO stock option grants, relocation assistance, and (coming soon!) annual bonuses
• Team Growth: 250 employees and counting across 5 global offices

Salary Range: $115,000 - $180,000

The stated compensation range reflects only the targeted base compensation range and excludes additional earnings such as bonus, equity, and benefits. If your compensation requirements fall outside of the range, we still encourage you to apply. The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations.