International Trade Compliance Lead

Pay Range:

The actual annual salary offered to a candidate will be based on variables including experience, geographic location, education, and skills/achievements, and will be mutually agreed upon at the time of offer.

We are seeking an International Trade Compliance Program Lead with experience in the application of the International Traffic and Arms Regulations (ITAR), Export Administration Regulations (EAR), Office of Foreign Asset Controls (OFAC) and Arms Export Control Act (AECA) licensing and compliance. The position will report to the Export Compliance Manager, who is also an Empowered Official, within the legal and compliance group.  As the Trade Compliance Program Lead, you will help guide the mission areas by managing and assessing jurisdiction and classification enumerated under the ITAR, EAR, and Foreign Trade Regulations. Appropriate classification determinations will allow for the creation of the appropriate defense and commercial import and export authorizations. This position is responsible for reviewing program and project proposals as well as contracts and determining licensing and compliance requirements associated with the various foreign interaction complexities and recommending import/export contract clauses that will facilitate the use of various ITAR exemption and EAR exceptions, Technical Assistance Agreements (TAA), Warehouse and Distribution Agreements (WDAs), and Manufacturing License Agreements (MLAs).

The Trade Compliance Program Lead must understand the business operational needs and coordinate with Export Compliance Manager and Associate General Counsel on all operational aspects of the international programs being managed. The Trade Compliance Program Lead will be the first point of contact by employees for trade licensing and compliance support, first-level triage, working with staff to determine the appropriate trade authorizations, and coaching staff on the use of a variety of import/export forms and recordkeeping requirements.

The position will require the incumbent to be based out of either our Anoka, MN, Lewiston, ID, or Lonoke, AR locations, with a preference towards Minnesota. 

What You’ll Do

• Demonstrate proficient technical knowledge of various trade regulations.
• Know and understand business plans and strategies.
• Function as professional authority and consultant, providing analysis of governmental export/import regulations, laws and requirements and interpretation of their interrelationships with specific and general activities.
• Learn and apply your knowledge of parts, components and systems as delineated in the ITAR and EAR.
• Interact with various personnel to understand products, software, technology, and services utilized in the mission area business segments.
• Assist in the preparation, implementation, and modification of export license applications, TAAs, MLAs, WDAs, and exemption/exception usage to support program execution and new business opportunities.
• Provide focused training and guidance to ensure compliance with terms and conditions of approved export/import authorizations, and research/interpret complex Government regulations such as the ITAR, EAR, AECA and OFAC.
• Evaluate operational processes to identify gaps based on areas of potential compliance risks and collaborate with key stakeholders to develop and adopt corrective actions, remedial measures or other mitigation.
• Provide guidance on EAR/ITAR, OFAC sanctions and trade controls, global export controls and sanctions, sanctioned country licensing, restricted party screening, anti-boycott activity and reporting.
• Ensure that all products and technologies are classified correctly.
• Assist in the completion of audits, investigations, and disclosures regarding the company’s export, sanctions or boycott compliance activities.
• Assist with the internal auditing of all export activities and review internal controls (procedures, work instructions, forms, checklists, tools) to ensure compliance.
• Assist in the development and management of technology control plans and manage the approval process for all foreign visitors.
• Review international travel requests as required.

• Oversee and guide compliance with tariff classification, country of origin determination, valuation and applicable tax or other regulations, Export Administration Regulation (EAR), Commerce Control List (CCL) and applicable regulations and requirements of the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), U.S. Customs, and any other applicable regulations or requirements.

• Develop and execute a comprehensive training program in coordination with ethics department to ensure compliance with international trade related requirements.
• Develop strong partnerships and drive results from employees outside their reporting chain to include business and functional leaders such as Sales, Finance, Sourcing, and others.
• Supervise and/or perform third party due diligence of international business partners.
• Stay up to date with legal, regulatory, and trade developments that impact business and provide interpretation and implementation guidance to impacted businesses.
• Communicate and maintain relationships with Suppliers, Customers, Freight Forwarders, and staff from the U.S. Dept of State, DDTC, the U.S. Dept of Commerce, BIS, Export Enforcement at BIS, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Dept. of Homeland Security.
• Maintain and manage Trade Compliance recordkeeping requirements.
• Act as the backup for the import compliance function when required.

Experience You Bring

• Bachelors degree preferred with 3-5 years of relevant experience.
• Strong operational understanding of global trade compliance issues, including experience and knowledge of import and export trade laws and regulations, including at a minimum, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), the Export Administration Regulation (EAR) of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), and regulations of the U.S. Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
• Experience in developing global trade compliance programs, including implementing and updating compliance policies, procedures, manuals, and other operational documents
• Ability to collaborate with teams, as well as collaborate and coordinate activities with outside counsel, as needed
• Strong critical thinking and project management skills, extreme attention to detail, ability to exercise independent judgment, manage complexity, and ability to work effectively under pressure
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Experience writing, interpreting, and managing policies, procedures, and training programs
• Have strong knowledge and experience utilizing the DECCs and SNAP-R licensing systems
• Must be able to travel a minimum of once per quarter or as needed to perform audits and inspections, familiarize with other locations, attend conferences and support business needs at other Kinetic locations.

You might have:

• Experience with digital trade compliance solutions, such as SAP GTS and/or OCR EASE.
• Are qualified as an Empowered Official.
• Experience as a Paralegal.
• Experience working with State Department consent agreements.
• Experience with mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures.
• Experience managing import/export compliance for a firearms, ammunition, or military product related business.
• Experience with regulatory oversight, government investigations, third party auditing, and risk management.

Work Environment:

Employee work assignments may include tasks working with and/or exposure to potentially hazardous areas, including flammables and explosives. Safety training is provided to all employees to ensure compliance with company and federal regulations.

Benefits:

At The Kinetic Group, we believe the people who build great products deserve great support. That's why we offer day-one healthcare coverage, company-paid parental leave, a dollar-for-dollar 401(k) match up to 6%, career development opportunities, education assistance, and paid time away from work to help you thrive both professionally and personally.