Trade Compliance Specialist

Firestorm•San Diego, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Firestorm is hiring a Trade Compliance Specialist to execute the day-to-day mechanics of our trade compliance program. You will be in a high-autonomy, execution-focused individual contributor role responsible for screening, licensing administration, classification intake, training delivery, audits, and recordkeeping — with the discipline required in a heavily regulated, ITAR/EAR environment. This is not a strategy or program-design role. You will report directly to the General Counsel, ensuring tight coordination on regulatory and licensing matters, and you will work closely with outside export compliance legal counsel, who will provide ITAR/EAR legal interpretation and guidance on complex classification, licensing, and enforcement questions. Your job is to take that guidance and execute it so Firestorm remains fully compliant, which will include keeping records audit-ready, keeping employees trained, and making sure nothing falls through the cracks. You will work closely with the COO, engineering, and program teams to ensure trade compliance tasks are handled accurately and on time — not buried in a policy binder nobody opens. We are looking for someone who can move fast, stay organized under regulatory pressure, and execute compliance tasks with rigor and consistency. You are an operator first — someone who keeps the day-to-day running smoothly, escalates legal judgment calls to the General Counsel and outside export counsel, and makes sure the basics never slip.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, International Business, Finance/Economics, Legal Studies or a related field.
U.S. Citizenship required due to ITAR regulations, with the ability to obtain and maintain a DoW security clearance
5+ years of hands-on experience executing tasks within U.S. export/import compliance programs (ITAR/EAR), with direct, practical experience in screening, licensing administration, and classification intake
Working knowledge of the U.S. Munitions List (USML), Export Control Classification Numbers (ECCN), the Commerce Control List (CCL), and deemed export concepts
Hands-on experience preparing and tracking DDTC license applications (e.g., DSP-5, TAA, MLA) and familiarity with DECCS and SNAP-R
Experience performing restricted/denied party screening and maintaining associated documentation
Demonstrated ability to operate and continuously improve a trade compliance program in a fast-moving engineering or manufacturing environment.
Comfortable operating under the direction of the General Counsel and outside export counsel, escalating judgment calls rather than making independent legal determinations
Experience delivering compliance training to a non-specialist workforce
Strong organizational skills and meticulous recordkeeping habits; comfortable maintaining trackers, logs, and audit-ready documentation

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Business, International Trade, Finance, or a related field
Certifications such as Certified Export Compliance Professional (CECP) or Licensed Customs Broker (LCB)
Experience supporting U.S. and international sanctions compliance (e.g., OFAC, UN)
Experience working in a defense contractor or ITAR-regulated manufacturing environment
Familiarity with EMCP/ICP program documentation and internal audit processes
Experience coordinating with outside counsel on regulatory matters
Prior experience at a fast-growing or venture-backed company

Responsibilities

Perform and maintain records for restricted/denied party screening across customers, partners, vendors, and visitors, escalating any potential matches to the General Counsel and outside export counsel immediately
Prepare and track export related submissions (e.g., DSP-5/748P, TAA/MLA, CJ/C-CATS, etc.) through DDTC’s DECCS and Commerce’s SNAP-R systems; maintain a clean status log of all active, pending, and expiring licenses and agreements
Manage the classification process for items, technical data, software and technology under the U.S. Munitions List (USML) and Commerce Control List (CCL)/ECCN framework, including coordinating with engineering to obtain technical information, maintaining configuration-specific classification records, routing close-call or ambiguous determinations to outside export counsel for classification
Administer use of EAR license exceptions and ITAR exemptions, including required eligibility reviews, certifications, notices, acknowledgments and recordkeeping, under guidance from the General Counsel and outside export counsel. Maintain organized, audit-ready documentation for all licenses, classifications, screenings, and authorizations
Track license conditions, provisos, and reporting obligations to ensure ongoing compliance after a license is granted
Deliver Firestorm’s export control and trade compliance training to employees, contractors, and relevant third parties using materials provided by the General Counsel and outside export counsel
Help keep training content current as regulations or company practices change, flagging needed updates to outside export counsel
Maintain training completion records and follow up on gaps to ensure full coverage across the workforce
Serve as the first point of contact for employee questions on export control basics, escalating anything beyond routine guidance to the General Counsel.
Maintain visitor and foreign person access control logs in coordination with facilities and security
Screen and process visitor requests for compliance with ITAR/EAR deemed export restrictions prior to facility access
Coordinate with the Information System Security Officer (ISSO), IT, and program teams to ensure access controls for controlled information and restricted areas are properly documented and enforced
Conduct internal audits and self-assessments of the trade compliance program on a regular schedule; document findings and track corrective actions to closure
Maintain Firestorm’s Export Management Compliance Program (EMCP) documentation, keeping policies and procedures current under guidance from the General Counsel and outside export counsel
Maintain the recordkeeping systems, trackers, and checklists that keep the program organized and inspection-ready at all times
Support responses to government inquiries, audits, or compliance reviews by assembling documentation as directed by the General Counsel and outside export counsel
Flag recurring issues or process gaps to the General Counsel; help implement practical fixes — forms, checklists, or workflow changes — as directed
Coordinate with engineering, IT and security to identify and appropriately mark/segregate ITAR technical data and EAR-controlled technology, and maintain access-control matrices consistent with applicable licenses, license exceptions, exemptions and provisos
Work with engineering and product teams to identify design, performance, payload, software, end-use, and configuration changes that may affect existing jurisdiction or classification determinations, and ensure classifications are reviewed and updated before affected products or technical data are exported
Serve as the day-to-day point of contact for routine trade compliance questions from engineering, program, BD, and operations teams
Coordinate with the COO’s team on operational logistics and with the General Counsel on anything requiring legal interpretation or risk judgment
Translate guidance from outside export counsel into clear, practical next steps for the teams who need to act on it
Stay current on regulatory changes and proactively flag relevant updates to the General Counsel and outside export counsel
Coordinate export-control review of foreign customer demonstrations, technical diligence, facility visits and exchanges of drawings, CAD files, specifications and other technical information before release.

Benefits

Relocation assistance is available and may be included in the offer package where appropriate
Comprehensive medical, dental, and visions plans
401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
Equity grants for new hires
Unlimited PTO
Extremely generous company holiday calendar, including holiday hiatuses 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.
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.