Director, Compliance

ICON; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

ICON seeks a Head of Compliance to build and lead ICON's compliance function from the ground up. You will own corporate compliance and ensure ICON aligns with FAR/DFARS and agency supplements across government work.

You will report to the General Counsel, hire and lead the team, and provide visibility on compliance to the executive team. You will design risk-based programs, manage audits, and integrate cybersecurity and export controls with ICON's contracting activities, while managing budgets

Qualifications

• Build and run ICON's corporate compliance program.
• Lead government contracts compliance including FAR/DFARS and agency supplements.
• Present and communicate compliance matters to the executive team.
• Willingness to travel 15–25% to project sites and facilities.

Responsibilities

• Design and run ICON's corporate compliance program: risk assessment, policy framework, training, monitoring and testing, investigations, corrective action, regulatory change management, metrics, and reporting.
• Cover ethics and business conduct, conflicts of interest, anti-corruption, trade and export, supply chain, and data privacy.
• Run internal investigations and own the process from intake through resolution and remediation.

Skills

Leadership

Regulatory compliance

Executive reporting

Project management

Education

Juris Doctor (JD) or MBA

10+ years in compliance or government contracts

Tools

GRC platforms

Job description

This is ICON's first Head of Compliance. You will build the compliance function from scratch and then run it. You own two areas: ICON's corporate compliance program, and ICON's compliance with the FAR, DFARS, and agency supplements across all government work. ICON's Government Contracts team owns contract review, negotiation, and administration; you own whether ICON meets the obligations those contracts create.

You will report to the General Counsel, hire and lead the compliance team, and report on compliance to the exec team.

Responsibilities

Corporate Compliance Program

• Design and run ICON's corporate compliance program: risk assessment, policy framework, training, monitoring and testing, investigations, corrective action, regulatory change management, metrics, and reporting.
• Cover ethics and business conduct, conflicts of interest, anti-corruption, trade and export, supply chain, and data privacy, and add coverage as ICON's business and regulatory exposure grow.
• Run internal investigations and own the process from intake through resolution and remediation.

Government Contracts Compliance

• Ensure ICON meets its FAR, DFARS, and agency supplement obligations across the government portfolio, including subcontract flow-downs, representations and certifications, and responses to Contracting Officer inquiries.
• Build and maintain the documentation and evidence that demonstrate compliance to the government.
• Lead audit readiness and response for DCAA, DCMA, Contractor Purchasing System Reviews, Inspector General inquiries, and similar reviews.

Cybersecurity Compliance Partnership

• Serve as the compliance partner to the Head of IT on CMMC and NIST SP 800-171: how those obligations attach through ICON's contracts, what ICON represents to the government, and whether the supporting evidence holds up to outside review.

Team and Operations

• Hire, develop, and lead the compliance team. Own the function's budget, tooling, and outside counsel and vendor relationships.
• Set the operating cadence (reviews, testing cycles, reporting) so the program runs without you in every meeting.

Leadership Reporting

• Report program health, open risk, and remediation status to the executive team and, as needed, to the Board, in a form they can act on.

Minimum Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree and 10+ years of experience in compliance, ethics, government contracts, internal audit, or regulatory legal practice, or an advanced degree (JD, LLM, MBA, or MS) and 8+ years of that experience.
• Experience designing, implementing, or running a corporate compliance program, or a major component of one.
• Experience presenting compliance matters to an executive team, an audit committee, or a board of directors.
• Ability to travel approximately 15 to 25%, including project sites, government installations, supplier facilities, and industry events.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Experience applying the FAR and DFARS in a contractor environment, including subcontract flow-downs, representations and certifications, and responses to Contracting Officer inquiries.
• Experience preparing for or responding to a U.S. Government audit, review, or investigation (DCAA, DCMA, CPSR, Office of Inspector General, or GAO).
• Experience at a hardware, manufacturing, aerospace, space, or construction company that performs government contracts.
• Experience administering U.S. export controls and sanctions, including ITAR, restricted party screening, and foreign national access controls.
• Experience supporting MILCON, NASA, or intelligence community programs.
• Experience at a venture-backed or high-growth company.
• Experience standing up a compliance program from the ground up and then running it.
• Juris Doctor with active bar membership in good standing, or an MBA.
• CCEP, CCEP-I, CFE, CIA, NCMA CFCM or CPCM, or an export compliance credential such as ECoP or CUSECO.
• An active or previously held U.S. Government security clearance.
• Working familiarity with GRC platforms, contract lifecycle management systems, restricted party screening tools, and training and attestation systems.

ICON is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an innovative, inclusive, diverse and discrimination-free work environment. Employment with ICON is based on merit, competence, and qualifications. It is our policy to administer all personnel actions, including recruiting, hiring, training, and promoting employees, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin or ancestry, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other legally protected classification in accordance with applicable federal and state laws. Consistent with the obligations of these laws, ICON will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.

Furthermore, as a federal government contractor, the Company maintains an affirmative action program which furthers its commitment and complies with recordkeeping and reporting requirements under certain federal civil rights laws and regulations, including Executive Order 11246, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as amended) and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (as amended).