Specialist Export Control

Helsing; München; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Helsing in Munich, Germany seeks a Specialist Export Control to bridge regulatory compliance with daily operations. You will own licensing, releases, screening and the customs interface, ensuring accuracy and traceability across BAFA, EU and UK regimes.

In this hands-on role, you will drive system rollouts, automation and licensing architectures for new programs, collaborate with Sales, Engineering and Procurement, and report to the Executive Export Control Officer.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of hands-on export control experience in industrial/defense sectors.
• Proven track record leading cross‑functional projects such as system rollouts or process digitisation.
• Strong BAFA/EU regulatory knowledge including AWG/AWV and EU 2021/821.
• Experience with ERP/export software and master data and screening logic.
• Fluent German and English communication.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end export control operations, including licensing, releases, screening and customs interface.
• Drive system rollouts, automation and licensing architectures for new programs.
• Ensure BAFA ICP compliance and support audits.
• Provide advisory to Sales, Engineering, Procurement; maintain audit-proof records.
• Develop KPIs for throughput, hit rates and process improvements.

Skills

Operational export control

Project leadership

Regulatory expertise

Bilingual German/English

Security clearance eligible

Tools

SAP GTS

AEB

Descartes

Job description

Who we are

Helsing is a defence AI company. Our mission is to protect our democracies. We aim to achieve technological leadership, so that open societies can continue to make sovereign decisions and control their ethical standards. As democracies, we believe we have a special responsibility to be thoughtful about the development and deployment of powerful technologies like AI. We take this responsibility seriously. We are an ambitious and committed team of engineers, AI specialists and customer-facing programme managers. We are looking for mission-driven people to join our European teams – and apply their skills to solve the most complex and impactful problems. We embrace an open and transparent culture that welcomes healthy debates on the use of technology in defence, its benefits, and its ethical implications.

The role

As a Specialist Export Control, you will hold a critical position in bridging the gap between regulatory compliance and operational execution. You will act as a high-agency professional, taking full ownership of our daily export control operations—including licensing, releases, screening, and the customs interface. Beyond day-to-day throughput, your work will directly enable our growth by driving the projects that make these operations scalable, such as system rollouts, process automation, and building licensing architectures for new programs and sites. This role requires a hands‑on specialist who thrives on operational excellence, complementing our ITAR/EAR regulatory function by owning our process architecture. You will work directly with our Executive Export Control Officer (Ausfuhrverantwortlicher) and design the vital controls they rely on, while formal personal liability remains at the management level.

Operations — Driving Daily Execution

• End‑to‑End BAFA Licensing: Manage individual, global, and general licenses (AGG) for exports, transfers, and tech data, including conditions and deadlines.
• Transaction Releases: Clear shipments, services, and software releases (list checks, end‑use/end‑user verification, catch‑all assessments).
• Sanctions Screening: Execute and document EU, UN, OFAC, and UK list screenings, resolving hits and false positives.
• ERP Master Data: Ensure export control classifications (AL‑No., ECCN) in the ERP match the reality of our products.
• Customs Interface: Align with logistics and brokers on ATLAS filings, proofs of origin, and Carnets.
• Advisory & Documentation: Guide internal stakeholders (Sales, Engineering, Procurement) and maintain an audit‑proof record of all compliance decisions.

Projects — Scaling for Tomorrow

• Export Concepts: Build licensing architectures for new programs, consortia, and sites right from the proposal phase.
• System Rollouts & Automation: Drive the implementation and optimization of export control tools (e.g. SAP GTS, AEB, Descartes) to automate workflows.
• ICP Evolution: Upgrade internal processes and control mechanisms to meet BAFA ICP requirements.
• Audits & Metrics: Lead internal checks, support external/AEO audits, and establish hard KPIs (lead times, hit rates) over gut feeling.
• Team Enablement: Design and roll out practical, target‑group‑specific compliance trainings.

Qualifications

• Have deep operational expertise: You bring at least 5 years of hands‑on experience in operational export control within an industrial, technology, or defense company—or in a comparably transaction‑heavy role.
• Drive outcomes through project leadership: You have a proven track record of independently leading projects—such as system rollouts, process digitisation, or building export frameworks—while steering stakeholders across departments.
• Are a BAFA & EU regulatory specialist: You confidently apply AWG/AWV, the EU Dual‑Use Regulation (EU) 2021/821, national control lists (Ausfuhrliste), and EU sanctions law in your daily practice, and have extensive experience with BAFA licensing procedures including ELAN‑K2.
• Understand systems beyond the user interface: You have practical experience with ERP or export control software (e.g. SAP, SAP GTS, AEB) coupled with a strong grasp of underlying master data and screening logic.
• Thrive under real‑time pressure: You maintain a structured, deadline‑driven approach and autonomously prioritise when twenty release requests hit your desk at once.
• Are a clear communicator: You navigate complex topics with professional fluency in both written and spoken German and English.
• Can obtain security clearance: You are willing and eligible to undergo a national security clearance check (SÜG).

Nice to Have Knowledge of ITAR/EAR and US (re‑)export regulations—while deep regulatory expertise sits with the dedicated ITAR counterpart, the ability to spot red…