Trade Compliance Specialist

Firestorm is hiring a Trade Compliance Specialist to execute the day-to-day mechanics of our trade compliance program in a high-autonomy, execution-focused individual contributor role. You will report directly to the General Counsel and work closely with outside export compliance legal counsel to ensure Firestorm remains fully compliant in a heavily regulated, ITAR/EAR environment.

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) 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, maintaining configuration-specific classification records, and routing close-call determinations to outside export counsel.
• 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, and track license conditions, provisos, and reporting obligations.
• 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.
• Keep training content current, 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 complex issues to the General Counsel.
• Maintain visitor and foreign person access control logs in coordination with facilities and security, and process visitor requests for compliance with ITAR/EAR deemed export restrictions.
• Coordinate with the Information System Security Officer (ISSO), IT, and program teams to enforce access controls for controlled information and restricted areas.
• Conduct internal audits and self-assessments of the trade compliance program; 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.
• Support responses to government inquiries, audits, or compliance reviews by assembling documentation as directed.
• Flag recurring issues or process gaps to the General Counsel and help implement practical fixes (e.g., forms, checklists, workflow changes).
• Coordinate with engineering, IT, and security to identify, mark, and segregate ITAR technical data and EAR-controlled technology, maintaining access-control matrices consistent with applicable licenses and exemptions.
• Work with engineering and product teams to identify changes that may affect jurisdiction or classification determinations, ensuring classifications are reviewed and updated before export.
• Serve as the day-to-day point of contact for routine trade compliance questions from engineering, program, BD, and operations teams.
• Translate guidance from outside export counsel into clear, practical next steps for teams.
• 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 technical information before release.

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 DoD security clearance.
• 5+ years of hands-on experience executing tasks within U.S. export/import compliance programs (ITAR/EAR), with direct 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.

Preferred Qualifications

• 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.

Work Environment

• Based onsite at our San Diego, CA Headquarters; relocation assistance may be available.
• Willingness to travel up to 10% domestically and internationally.
• Operates in a standard office setting and manufacturing environment; may involve exposure to loud noise, heat, cold, dust, or chemicals (with PPE).
• Physical demands include the ability to sit, stand, bend, reach, climb, and move about regularly throughout the day, with manual dexterity to operate standard office equipment.

About the Company

At Firestorm, we are building the future of expeditionary defense manufacturing and autonomous systems. We develop mission-adaptable aerial systems and deployable manufacturing infrastructure designed to put capability directly into the hands of the warfighter. From modular unmanned aircraft to xCell — our deployable microfactory — our goal is to make defense systems rapidly deployable, adaptable, and producible at the point of need. Backed by leading investors across defense, aerospace, and technology, Firestorm is redefining how defense capability is built, fielded, and sustained in contested environments.

Pay

Base salary: $95,000 - $110,000, commensurate with experience. Meaningful equity grant in a growth-stage defense technology company.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans.
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan.
• Unlimited PTO and an extremely generous company holiday calendar, including holiday hiatuses in July and December.
• Generous parental leave.
• Lifestyle Spending Account (LSA).
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Savings Account (HSA).
• Hospital Indemnity, Critical Illness, and Accident insurance.
• Basic Life/AD&D, short-term and long-term disability insurance, 100% covered by Firestorm, with the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your family.
• Free mental health resources 24/7, including therapy, plus additional work-life services such as free legal and financial support.