{"id":1909939,"url":"https://alion.io/job/vatn-trade-compliance-manager","title":"Trade Compliance Manager","company":{"id":720699,"name":"Vatn","domain":"vatn.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/vatn-2","size_band":"51-200","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Greenhouse","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":91,"open_postings":7,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.143,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":80,"computed_at":"2026-10-22T06:10:10Z"}},"role":"Management","role_family":"Management","seniority":"middle","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Washington, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":75000,"max_usd":140000,"period":"year","method":"role_seniority_country_remote_cell","sample_n":1960},"experience_years_min":4,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"CMMC","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-05T12:33:49Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-05","last_verified_at":"2026-10-22T21:28:14Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":17,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":17},"description":"About Vatn Systems:\nVatn is an innovative startup pioneering the design and manufacturing of attritable autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). Our mission is undersea superiority through mission-focused innovation, delivered at scale. We are revolutionizing underwater security through advanced technology, engineering excellence, and collaboration with industry leaders, research institutions, and government agencies. We develop highly adaptable AUVs optimized for complex environments - driving innovation, reliability, and performance in every system we deploy.\nPosition Overview:\nThe Trade Compliance Manager serves as Vatn’s day-to-day owner of the company's global trade compliance program, administering compliance with the ITAR, the EAR, and associated U.S. sanctions and customs requirements. The successful candidate will have practical experience safeguarding controlled technical data and hardware in an operating environment, along with a strong grasp of the defense industry landscape, including contractor obligations and associated risk frameworks.\nThe position owns jurisdiction and classification determinations, license and agreement preparation, and the tracking of provisos, conditions, and reporting obligations through the life of each authorization. The individual in this role will manage a wide range of compliance matters, including restricted party screening, technology control plans and deemed export controls for foreign person access, recordkeeping, supply chain and contract flow-downs, export classification of shipments and AES filings, internal audits, training, and voluntary disclosures, while providing practical guidance to leadership, program teams, and engineers. They will ensure that program activity, international engagement, and hiring are structured to support operational needs and meet technical and regulatory requirements.\nThe ideal candidate is a proactive, detail-oriented compliance professional with experience in the defense ecosystem and comfort working in a fast-paced engineering and manufacturing environment, able to translate regulatory requirements into decisions engineers and program managers can act on. This is Vatn's first dedicated trade compliance role, and the successful candidate will be as comfortable building procedures, tooling, and training from a limited existing baseline as administering an established program. This role is critical to helping Vatn operate compliantly, protect controlled technology, and scale rapidly across product lines, programs, and international customer engagements.\nKey Responsibilities:\nProgram Ownership & Governance\nMaintain and administer Vatn's Global Trade Compliance Program, covering the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Export Administration Regulations (EAR), U.S. economic sanctions, anti-boycott rules, and the Foreign Trade Regulations.\nDevelop and maintain trade compliance policies, procedures, work instructions, training, and audit mechanisms supporting continuous compliance.\nConduct periodic self-assessments and report program status, metrics, and open risks to leadership.\nMaintain DDTC and related registrations, including renewals and § 122.4 notifications for material changes in ownership, address, or senior officers.\nServe as a designated Empowered Official following an initial onboarding period, with signature authority for license applications and agreements on behalf of the company.\nClassification & Licensing\nDetermine and maintain export classification (ITAR USML categories, EAR ECCNs) for company technology, hardware, software, and technical data.\nConduct export jurisdiction analysis and prepare commodity jurisdiction (CJ) requests to DDTC and classification requests (CCATS) to BIS where jurisdiction or classification is unsettled.\nPrepare, submit, and track export license applications (e.g., DSP-5, Technical Assistance Agreements, Manufacturing License Agreements) and EAR license requests or exceptions as needed.\nManage post-approval obligations: proviso and condition compliance, agreement execution and party amendments, annual sales and brokering reports, and expiring agreement close-out.\nMaintain a license and classification compliance matrix, keeping it current as programs and technology evolve.\nProvide guidance and interpretation of U.S. government export regulations to leadership and technical teams.\nContracts Support\nReview contracts, teaming agreements, NDAs, and proposals for export control clauses, flow-down requirements, and compliance risk.\nWork directly with the Director of Contracts to classify deliverables and assess foreign national involvement in contract performance before commitments are made.\nFlag export control risk during proposal development, not just after contract award.\nManage receipt and handling of government-furnished and prime-supplied technical data, including distribution statement obligations and DD Form 2345 / Joint Certification Program requirements.\nSupport supplier and vendor flow-downs, including classification guidance to suppliers and screening of the supply base.\nTechnology Control & Party Screening\nDevelop and maintain Technology Control Plans (TCPs) for programs involving foreign national access or international collaboration.\nOwn screening of customers, vendors, partners, visitors, and employees against denied and restricted party lists (e.g., BIS Entity List, OFAC SDN List, DDTC debarred parties, SAM exclusions), including periodic rescreening.\nConduct end-use and end-user diligence and red-flag review on international opportunities, including § 126.1 prohibited and proscribed destinations, embargoes, and intermediary or brokering arrangements.\nPartner with IT and Security on access controls for export-controlled technical data across engineering, PLM/CAD, and collaboration environments, including encryption and cloud storage standards.\nTrade Operations: Shipping, Import, Dangerous Goods, & Travel\nAuthorize and document physical exports of hardware, including temporary export and import authorizations (DSP-73, DSP-61) for demonstrations, exercises, and repair or return.\nManage freight forwarders and customs brokers, including EEI/AES filings, license decrementation, and accuracy of export and import documentation.\nOwn U.S. import and customs compliance, including HTS classification, country-of-origin and valuation determinations, entry accuracy, duty treatment, and CBP recordkeeping obligations.\nOwn the company's dangerous goods program for lithium-battery-powered vehicles and components, including 49 CFR (HMR), IATA DGR, and IMDG requirements - classification, UN-specification packaging, marking and labeling, and shipper's declarations.\nMaintain the DG training matrix and certification currency for hazmat employees in Shipping & Receiving, Production, and Engineering, and qualify forwarders and carriers for dangerous goods handling.\nCoordinate with Engineering on UN 38.3 test documentation, state-of-charge requirements, and packaging design for battery-powered systems.\nAdminister procedures governing international travel with controlled technical data, company laptops, and hand-carried hardware.\nSupport international partnerships, field exercises, demonstrations, and customer engagements - ensuring compliant movement of people, information, and materials.\nTraining & Compliance Culture\nDevelop and deliver ITAR/EAR awareness training, particularly for employees in Contracts, Engineering, and Program Management who routinely touch export-controlled information.\nProvide new-hire onboarding and role-based refresher training, and maintain completion records.\nServe as the go-to point of contact for day-to-day trade compliance questions from those teams.\nRecord-keeping & Audit Support\nMaintain export and import compliance records in accordance with regulatory retention requirements (five years under ITAR § 122.5, and CBP recordkeeping rules for import records).\nSupport internal compliance reviews and government audits.\nConduct internal reviews of potential violations and support preparation of voluntary self-disclosures to DDTC or BIS when necessary.\nCross-Functional Engagement & External Representation\nWork closely with engineering, operations, production, finance, and growth teams to determine export and import needs and to develop practical strategies that meet business requirements while ensuring full regulatory compliance.\nServe as the coordination point between Contracts, Engineering, Program Management, and Security on trade compliance matters, and participate in program reviews and planning cycles as the trade compliance representative.\nServe as the working-level point of contact with DDTC, BIS, and CBP, and support interactions with contracting officers and prime contractor compliance counterparts.\nCoordinate with outside trade counsel on novel jurisdictional questions, disclosures, and enforcement matters.\nEscalate anything ambiguous or high-risk - a new technology transfer scenario, an unclear classification, a foreign national access question without precedent - to company leadership, including seeking a DDTC advisory opinion where precedent is genuinely absent.\nQualifications:\nRequired\n4-7 years, or equivalent depth, of experience in export control and trade compliance (ITAR/EAR) within a defense contractor, aerospace, or other regulated technology environment\nWorking knowledge of ITAR (22 CFR 120-130) and EAR (15 CFR 730-774)\nDirect experience with export licensing processes (DSP-5/73, TAA/MLA, EAR license exceptions), including hands-on filing and management of authorizations in DDTC's Defense Export Control and Compliance System (DECCS)\nMust be a U.S. Person as defined by ITAR (22 CFR 120.62) due to routine exposure to export-controlled systems, technical data, and facilities\nEligibility and willingness to be designated as an Empowered Official under 22 CFR 120.67 following an initial onboarding period\nStrong written and verbal communication skills - this role translates regulatory requirements for non-compliance audiences (contracts, engineering, program management) daily\nAbility to pass a background check appropriate to a defense contractor environment\nPreferred\nExperience supporting maritime, naval, or unmanned systems programs\nExperience reviewing or supporting U.S. government contracts, including Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) to foreign government end users\nExport compliance certification (e.g., Export Compliance Professional (ECoP)) or contracts-related certification (e.g., NCMA CFCM/CPCM)\nExperience with AES (Automated Export System) filing\nExperience with U.S. import and customs compliance, including HTS classification, CBP entry, and temporary import procedures\nDangerous goods certification (49 CFR HMR, IATA DGR, and/or IMDG), particularly for lithium battery shipments\nExperience developing or administering Technology Control Plans and foreign national access programs\nWorking knowledge of FAR/DFARS, sufficient to identify and address export control implications in government contract clauses and flow-down requirements\nPrior experience in a CMMC/NIST SP 800-171 environment\nAbility to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance\nBachelor's degree in a related field (business, international affairs, engineering, or paralegal/legal studies), or equivalent hands-on experience\nVatn is an equal opportunity employer.","description_format":"text","description_chars":11421,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":4,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":true,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Military","Naval Systems","Underwater & Marine Robotics"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-05T14:15:01Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":86,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.858,"p_room":1,"age_days":16,"expected_fill_days":80,"reasons":["conf:2","win:early"],"computed_at":"2026-10-22T06:10:10Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/vatn-trade-compliance-manager","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/vatn-trade-compliance-manager.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-22T22:27:44Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":7693,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-23T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":720699},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=720699"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fvatn-trade-compliance-manager"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fvatn-trade-compliance-manager"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fvatn-trade-compliance-manager"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/vatn-trade-compliance-manager\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fvatn-trade-compliance-manager"}]}