Job Title: Trade Compliance Specialist
** if you are interested in this opportunity, please feel free to apply and email me your resume at alalfaro @ astoncarter.com so we can schedule a time to connect asap! **
Job Description
The Trade Compliance Specialist oversees and maintains the organization's export and import compliance program, ensuring strict adherence to all applicable U.S. and international trade regulations. This role provides independent compliance oversight across business operations, works cross-functionally to embed robust controls into procedures and systems, and has the authority to review, investigate, and halt transactions that pose potential or confirmed compliance risks. The position also leads employee training, regulatory interpretation, audits, and continuous monitoring of compliance effectiveness within a complex aerospace manufacturing environment.
Responsibilities

• Oversee and maintain the export and import compliance program to ensure adherence to U.S. and international trade regulations.
• Review, prepare, and approve export and import license and permit applications for a variety of aerospace products and transactions.
• Interpret and apply export control and import regulations, maintaining current and accurate knowledge of regulatory changes.
• Advise leadership on trade compliance risks and considerations related to business decisions, contracts, and transactions.
• Partner with department leaders to embed trade compliance controls into procedures, work instructions, forms, tools, and systems.
• Collaborate proactively with cross-functional teams to prevent trade disruptions and compliance violations.
• Ensure accurate product classification, including jurisdiction determination and assessment of regulatory applicability.
• Develop, review, and approve Technology Control Plans (TCPs) and oversee regulated technology transfers in an ITAR environment.
• Conduct due diligence reviews for transactions presenting elevated compliance risk and determine the sufficiency of mitigation efforts.
• Identify and assess trade compliance risks within contracts, agreements, and customer requirements, recommending appropriate controls.
• Maintain accurate records and transaction data within trade compliance management systems and related ERP/MRP tools.
• Prepare, review, and verify export shipping documentation for non-routine or ad-hoc shipments.
• Coordinate with freight forwarders, customs brokers, and logistics partners to ensure regulatory compliance for land, air, and ocean freight.
• Perform internal audits related to trade compliance policies, procedures, and controls, including quarterly audits of receiving, shipping, and documentation.
• Monitor compliance activities and assess the effectiveness of internal controls, recommending and implementing improvements.
• Provide periodic reporting on the compliance program's effectiveness, key findings, and opportunities for improvement.
• Lead classification cleanup and remediation of processes, focusing on process improvements and compliance accuracy.
• Assign and correct HTS, Schedule B, and import/export codes to ensure proper classifications and documentation.
• Deliver training and process improvement initiatives to employees as regulations and compliance requirements change.
• Complete additional compliance-related duties as assigned, acting as an independent decision-maker on trade compliance matters.
• Confidently own compliance decisions independently in a fast-paced, high-accountability environment with minimal backup.

Essential Skills

• Minimum of 5+ years of import/export compliance experience in trade compliance; candidates without a degree may be considered with 7+ years of relevant experience.
• Proven aerospace industry experience, which may include commercial, government, or space programs.
• Strong knowledge of ITAR and related export control regulations within an ITAR-controlled environment.
• Hands-on experience with customs compliance and customs law, including import and export regulations.
• Demonstrated expertise in trade compliance auditing, including internal audits of shipping, receiving, and documentation.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including pivot tables and VLOOKUPs, to support reporting and data analysis.
• Experience with MRP/ERP systems; ability to work effectively in an archaic or legacy ERP environment and use Excel to compensate for limited reporting capabilities.
• Proficiency in using tariff databases and tools for classification and regulatory research.
• Strong understanding of HTS codes, Schedule B codes, and import/export classifications.
• Experience preparing and reviewing shipping and export documentation, particularly for non-routine or ad-hoc shipments.
• Solid experience in logistics, including land, air, and ocean freight coordination in a compliance-focused role.
• Demonstrated risk management skills in assessing trade compliance risks and implementing mitigation strategies.
• Ability to interpret and apply complex regulations accurately and consistently in a high-stakes aerospace context.
• Experience working within or alongside AS9100 or similar aerospace quality systems.
• Comfort working as a primary individual contributor with high accountability and limited backup support.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience in aerospace manufacturing environments involving metal and composite ducting systems or similar engineered products.
• Familiarity with ERP and MRP systems beyond basic usage, with willingness to learn and adapt to internal legacy systems.
• Great in process improvement, including classification cleanup, remediation of processes, and enhancement of compliance workflows.
• Strong interpersonal skills combined with a rule-driven, black-and-white compliance mindset.
• Ability to hold colleagues and stakeholders accountable while maintaining positive and collaborative working relationships.
• Capacity to make quick, confident decisions when appropriate while remaining calculated, strategic, and thorough.
• Comfort operating in a fast-paced, "controlled chaos" environment with high accountability and evolving priorities.
• Effective communication skills for delivering training, explaining regulatory requirements, and advising leadership on compliance matters.
• Detail-oriented approach with a strong focus on accuracy in documentation, classification, and recordkeeping.
• Experience in or exposure to aerospace programs related to commercial aircraft, military platforms, or space launch vehicles.
• Understanding of how trade compliance directly impacts flight safety, mission success, and customer requirements.

Work Environment
This is a 100% onsite, full-time salaried position in a true industrial aerospace manufacturing setting. The role follows a 9/80 work schedule, offering a flexible start time between 7:00 and 8:00 AM, with every other Friday typically off. Minimal travel may be required. The environment is ITAR-controlled, with strict regulatory requirements and high accountability for compliance decisions. The team consists of two people reporting into programs, and this position is primarily an individual contributor role due to team size and the nature of the work, with limited backup available. The culture is described as "controlled chaos," reflecting a fast-paced atmosphere where priorities can shift quickly and where employees are expected to take ownership and deliver results. The broader workforce is heavily influenced by union representation, contributing to a competitive benefits package. The facility is industrial rather than a bright, corporate office, with a casual, practical dress code typical of industrial manufacturing settings. The organization designs and manufactures custom metal and composite ducting systems that manage airflow, exhaust, and propulsion-related functions inside aircraft and rockets. These components are custom-engineered to meet strict aerospace specifications and certifications and are installed on major commercial aircraft, military programs, and U.S. space launch vehicles, meaning the work directly supports flight safety and mission success.
Job Type & Location
This is a Permanent position based out of Los Alamitos, CA.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $105000.00 - $115000.00/yr.
medical, vision, dental. 401 K, PTO
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in Los Alamitos,CA.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Aug 11, 2026.