Senior Director of Policy & Government Affairs

Defense Trade Solutions•Washington, DC

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Defense Trade Solutions (DTS) is seeking a Senior Director of Policy & Government Affairs to join their Leadership Team. This role is a functional head and matrix leader, reporting to the Vice President. The position is responsible for orchestrating DTS’ trade-policy posture, resolving complex export issues, and leading government and industry-association engagement. The Senior Director will define and lead DTS’ trade-policy posture and external relationships with the U.S. Government and industry associations, translating evolving Arms Export Control Act (AECA), International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Export Administration Regulations (EAR), Security Cooperation, and Technology Security & Foreign Disclosure (TSFD) policy into actionable guidance. This role serves as the focal point for U.S. Government engagement, customer export-policy issue resolution, association engagement, policy advocacy, and executive thought leadership, partnering with leadership to accelerate approvals and remove friction across various export control and security cooperation processes.

Requirements

10-20+ years of experience in defense trade or security cooperation positions of increasing responsibility.
Prior experience working in any of the following U.S. Government defense trade or security cooperation offices: Department of State (DOS) Political & Military Affairs Bureau Office of Regional Security & Arms Transfers (PM/RSAT), Department of Defense (DOD) Defense Technology Security Administration (DTSA), DOD Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs (SAF/IA), Navy International Programs Office (NIPO), Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Defense Exports & Cooperation (DASA DE&C).
Advanced-level understanding of Foreign Military Sales (FMS) from Pre-Letter of Request (LOR) to Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) Signature.
Advanced-level understanding of ITAR and EAR Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) export licensing.
Advanced-level understanding of the Department of Commerce Advocacy Request Process.
Advanced-level understanding of Technology Security & Foreign Disclosure (TSFD) processes and associated release.
Relationships with U.S. Government Action Officers, Senior Executive Service (SES) and Political Appointees in the following offices: Department of State Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry & Security (BIS), Department of State Office of Regional Security & Arms Transfers (RSAT), Department of State Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM), Department of State Regional Bureaus, Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy (OSD-P), Office of the Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering (OSD R&E), Office of the Secretary of Defense for Acquisition & Sustainment (OSD A&S), Defense Technology Security Administration (DTSA), Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Defense Exports & Cooperation (DASA DE&C), Army Special Programs Office & Tri-Service Committee Representative, Army Anti-Tamper Service Lead / ARTPC, Navy International Programs Office (NIPO), Navy PMR-51 Tri-Service Committee Representative, Navy Anti-Tamper Technical Warrant Holder, Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs (SAF/IA), Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition & Special Programs (SAF/AQLS), NSA Technology Security & Export Control Office, Department of Defense Chief Information Officer (DOD CIO), Missile Technology Export Committee (MTEC), Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence (USD(I&S)), National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA), Joint Chiefs of Staff Technology Security & Export Control Office.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
Exceptional ability to engage C-Suite executives and senior U.S. Government officials.
Creative, resourceful, and energized by cross-functional collaboration.
Excellent time management skills, attention to detail, and ability to handle confidential information.
Willingness to travel outside of Washington, DC, up to 20% of the time.
Active DoD Secret Security Clearance, Top Secret preferred.
Resides in the Washington, DC National Capitol Region.

Nice To Haves

Top Secret security clearance preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead DTS engagement with U.S. Government stakeholders across Security Cooperation, TSFD, Global Trade Compliance, and Global Trade Authorizations—owning relationships, meeting prep, escalation pathways, and follow-through.
Translate interagency feedback into practical actions for delivery teams and customers.
Build and run a radar for ITAR/EAR, AECA, TSFD, and FMS/DCS updates; publish concise, plain-English briefs for customers and internal teams.
Participate in customer Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) to support the DTS President and Vice President.
Plan and lead DTS participation in priority associations (committees, panels, working groups); secure roles that amplify access to U.S. Government networks, drive advocacy for customers, and enable thought leadership.
Proactively guide strategies for releasability/exportability, licenses, agreements (TAA/MLA/WDA), proviso reconsiderations, jurisdiction & classifications, reexports/retransfers, exemptions & exceptions, and USG engagement approaches.
Provide dotted-line leadership over export-policy content (TSFD, Jurisdiction & Classification Analysis, releasability/exportability), industry association engagement, and USG-engagement steps.
Support the Vice President in coaching staff on deliverable quality, scalability, and proactive identification of day-to-day export-policy/strategy issues and opportunities.