Trade Compliance Officer

Firestorm•San Diego, CA

7d•$170,000 - $210,000•Onsite

About The Position

Firestorm is hiring a Trade Compliance Officer to own and lead our trade compliance program. As we move from prototypes to production, and from domestic programs to international partners, co-production, and a deployable manufacturing platform, export controls stop being a back-office function and become part of how we design, sell, build, and ship. You will make sure compliance moves at the speed of the business — and that the business never outruns compliance. Reporting to the General Counsel, you will be Firestorm’s senior trade compliance authority and the connective tissue between Engineering, Legal, Business Development, and Operations. You will make and document jurisdiction, classification, licensing, and screening determinations; set the compliance requirements for new programs, partnerships, and deals before they are signed; and hold the authority to pause a shipment, a technical data release, or a transaction until it is properly authorized. You will direct outside export counsel on novel or high-risk questions rather than rely on them for day-to-day answers. This is a builder’s role. The foundations exist; your job is to turn them into an Export Management and Compliance Program that scales — embedded in our engineering tools, our deal process, and our supply chain — and to build the team that runs it as we grow. We are looking for a seasoned practitioner who pairs deep ITAR/EAR expertise with business judgment: someone who can tell BD how to structure a foreign deal so it is licensable, tell Engineering what a design change does to a classification, and tell leadership plainly where the risk sits and what it will take to manage it.

Requirements

Bachelors degree in International Business, Supply Chain Management, Economics, Finance, Accounting or equivalent degree
U.S. Citizenship required due to ITAR regulations with the ability to obtain and maintain a Department of War (DoW) security clearance
8+ years of U.S. export compliance experience (ITAR and EAR)
3+ years owning or leading a trade compliance program at a defense or aerospace manufacturer
Experience with U.S. Munitions List (USML), Export Control Classification Numbers (ECCN), the Commerce Control List (CCL), including the 600 series, order of review, deemed exports, exemptions, and license exceptions — and the judgment to make and defend determinations
Experience securing complex DDTC (Directorate of Defense Trade Controls) authorizations, including TAAs (Technical Assistance Agreements) and MLAs (Manufacturing License Agreements) with foreign partners, as well as BIS (Bureau of Industry & Security) licenses; fluent in DECCS (Defense Export Control & Compliance System) and SNAP-R (Simplified Network Application Process-Redesign)
Experience leading or supporting internal investigations and voluntary disclosures, and engaging directly with DDTC, BIS, or OFAC
Experience building or rebuilding an EMCP/ICP, including policies, procedures, risk assessment, internal audit, and training
Experience advising engineering and BD teams, translating regulation into design and deal decisions, and to influence senior leaders across functions without direct authority

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in International Trade, Business, Law, Engineering, or a related field; JD or advanced degree a plus
Prior designation as an ITAR Empowered Official
Certifications such as Export Compliance Professional (ECoP), Certified Export Compliance Professional (CECP), or Licensed Customs Broker (LCB)
Experience with international co-development and co-production programs, manufacturing license agreements, or transfer of production capability abroad
Experience with OFAC sanctions, import/customs compliance, and allied and partner nation export control regimes
Familiarity with CUI, NIST SP 800-171/CMMC, and FOCI/CFIUS considerations
Experience implementing trade compliance software integrated with ERP and PLM systems
Experience at a fast-growing or venture-backed hardware company, building the program while the business was running

Responsibilities

Own Firestorm’s Export Management and Compliance Program (EMCP) end to end — policies, procedures, internal controls, risk assessment, and continuous improvement — aligned with DDTC and BIS compliance program guidelines
Serve as, or be positioned for designation as, Firestorm’s ITAR Empowered Official, with authority to sign license applications and to stop any export, release, or transaction that is not properly authorized
Maintain Firestorm’s DDTC registration and serve as the company’s primary point of contact with DDTC, BIS, OFAC, and CBP
Report program health, risks, and metrics to the General Counsel and executive leadership, and brief the Board as required
Direct and manage outside export counsel and consultants; decide what is handled in-house and what warrants outside advice, and manage the associated budget
Build and lead the trade compliance function over time, including hiring and developing a Trade Compliance Specialist as volume grows
Embed compliance into the product lifecycle — jurisdiction and classification reviews at design gates, configuration change control, technical data marking and segregation, and foreign person access to controlled data — so determinations stay current as products evolve and are updated before anything leaves the building
Partner with the General Counsel on regulatory strategy, export-related contract terms (end-use/end-user certifications, flow-downs, re-export restrictions), partner and investor diligence, and any potential violation, investigation, or government inquiry
Engage at the earliest stage of international opportunities to assess export feasibility, licensing pathways (DCS vs. FMS, exemptions and license exceptions, TAAs/MLAs), and realistic timelines; shape proposal, teaming, and partnership structures so deals are licensable and close on schedule
Own export and import controls alongside Operations — item classifications in ERP, shipment authorization, EEI/AES filings, HTS and country-of-origin determinations, broker and freight forwarder oversight, and supplier flow-downs
Partner with the FSO, ISSO, and IT on physical and logical access to controlled technical data, visitor and foreign person access, deemed export controls, and the overlap between export controls and CUI/CMMC requirements
Translate regulatory requirements into clear, practical decisions and workflows for the teams who need to act on them — compliance that people follow because it is built into how they already work
Lead licensing strategy and execution — DSP-5, DSP-73, TAA, MLA, and BIS license applications through DECCS and SNAP-R — including the agreements that support international co-development, co-production, and the deployment of manufacturing capability abroad
Make and document jurisdiction and classification determinations under the USML and CCL for hardware, software, technical data, and production technology, including digital build files and manufacturing data for xCell; lead Commodity Jurisdiction and CCATS submissions when warranted
Govern the use of ITAR exemptions and EAR license exceptions, and manage the full lifecycle of licenses and agreements — provisos, conditions, amendments, reporting obligations, and expirations
Oversee restricted party, end-use, and end-user screening and red-flag review across customers, partners, suppliers, and visitors; resolve potential matches and escalate true risks
Control the release of technical data in foreign customer demonstrations, technical diligence, facility visits, trade shows, and exchanges of drawings, CAD files, and specifications
Extend the program beyond ITAR/EAR as the business requires, including OFAC sanctions, U.S. import and customs compliance, and the export control regimes of allied and partner nations where we operate
Monitor regulatory change — including rules affecting unmanned systems, advanced manufacturing, and emerging technology — and assess and communicate its impact on products, programs, and deals
Support the General Counsel on foreign investment (CFIUS) and foreign ownership, control, or influence (FOCI) considerations where they intersect with export controls
Lead internal investigations of potential violations with the General Counsel and outside counsel, and prepare voluntary disclosures to DDTC, BIS, or OFAC where appropriate
Lead Firestorm’s response to government inquiries, audits, and compliance reviews
Design and deliver role-based training so that Engineering, BD, Operations, and leadership each get what they actually need to make compliant decisions
Run a risk-based internal audit program; document findings, drive corrective actions to closure, and use the results to strengthen controls
Select and implement trade compliance tools (screening, classification, license management) and integrate them with ERP, PLM, and document control so compliance is automated wherever it can be
Keep recordkeeping audit-ready at all times, with the metrics to show the program is working
Perform other duties as required

Benefits

Comprehensive medical, dental, and visions plans
401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
Equity grants for new hires
Unlimited PTO
Extremely generous company holiday calendar, including a holiday hiatus in July, & December.
Generous Parental Leave
Lifestyle Spending Account
FSA
DCFSA
HSA
Hospital Indemnity insurance
Critical Illness insurance
Accident insurance
Basic Life/AD&D, short-term and long-term disability insurance, 100% covered by Firestorm. Plus, the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your family.
Mental Health Resources: We provide free mental health resources 24/7 including therapy and more. Additional work-life services, such as free legal and financial support, are available to you as well.