Research Security & Export Control

About the role

The Research Security and Export Control role will assume a pivotal role at the University of Utah. This position will assist in the direction of export control compliance and advance the University's facilitation of secured research and may serve as the Empowered Official for the University's Export Compliance Program.

Responsibilities

• Regulatory Compliance Oversight
  • Interpret and apply U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions.
  • Monitor changes in relevant regulations and advise university stakeholders accordingly.
  • May serve as the 22 CFR 120.67 Empowered Official for export control.
• Technology and Research Review
  • Review sponsored research proposals, awards, contracts, and technology transfer activities to identify potential export control issues.
  • Determine licensing requirements and advise on permissible activities involving controlled technologies, equipment, software, and technical data.
• Restricted Party Screening
  • Conduct and document restricted party screenings (RPS) of collaborators, visitors, and foreign entities using screening tools.
  • Investigate and escalate potential matches, coordinating with legal counsel as necessary.
• International Travel and Shipping Oversight
  • Review international travel and field research activities for compliance with export regulations.
  • Provide guidance on export classification, license determination, and hand-carry or shipment of controlled items abroad.
• Licensing and Agreements
  • Prepare or assist with the preparation of export license applications, commodity jurisdiction (CJ) and commodity classification (CCATS) requests, and Technology Control Plans (TCPs).
  • Support negotiation and compliance with terms in research contracts and Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs) with export control implications.
• Education and Outreach
  • Develop and deliver tailored training programs and awareness initiatives for faculty, staff, and students on export control compliance.
  • Create and maintain educational materials, procedures, and guidance documents.
• Foreign Influence and Research Security
  • Support institutional efforts related to federal research security requirements, including documentation and review of foreign collaborations, funding, and appointments.
  • Partner with research integrity and compliance offices to address risks related to undue foreign influence.
• Recordkeeping and Audits
  • Maintain documentation of export control reviews, decisions, licenses, and communications in accordance with federal requirements and university policy.
  • Assist in internal audits, federal investigations, and responses to compliance inquiries.
• Collaboration and Policy Development
  • Collaborate with offices such as Sponsored Projects, General Counsel, Technology Transfer, Environmental Health & Safety, and International Affairs.
  • Contribute to the development and revision of export compliance policies and standard operating procedures.
• Legal and Ethical Risk Assessment
  • Leverage legal training to assess legal risk exposure and ensure institutional compliance within a complex regulatory environment.
  • Provide legal analysis to support decisions and enhance defensibility of compliance actions and documentation.

Requirements

Applicants must demonstrate the potential ability to perform the essential functions of the job as outlined in the position description.

Qualifications

• EQUIVALENCY STATEMENT: 1 year of higher education can be substituted for 1 year of directly related work experience (Example: bachelor's degree = 4 years of directly related work experience).
• Department may hire employee at one of the following job levels: Senior Manager: Requires a bachelor's (or equivalency) + 8 years or a master's (or equivalency) + 6 years of directly related work experience. Associate Director: Requires a bachelor's (or equivalency) + 10 years or a master's (or equivalency) + 8 years of directly related work experience. Director: Requires a bachelor's (or equivalency) + 12 years or a master's (or equivalency) + 10 years of directly related work experience.
• Preferences: 3 years of direct experience with the implementation of an NSPM-33 compliant research security program, 7-10 years export control compliance experience at an academic institution or research organization, Experience with Fundamental Research Exclusion (FRE), Demonstrated history of continuing education in research security / export control along with engagement in the research security / export control communities through participation in organizations like AUECO and ASCE.