Director, Export Compliance - Global Trade Management Americas

Eaton Group; Beachwood (OH); Hybrid; USD 165,000 - 242,000; Full time

Job summary

Eaton seeks a Director of Export Compliance - Global Trade Management Americas to lead export controls, sanctions, and risk management across the Americas. The role collaborates with the Global Trade Management team and other functions to standardize and optimize trade operations.

The position requires deep regulatory knowledge, a minimum of 8 years in export compliance, US citizenship or equivalent, and the ability to travel as needed. Strong leadership and communication skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 8 years of experience in export compliance, including EAR/ITAR.
• US Citizenship or authorized Green Card required.
• Experience with multinational manufacturing or industrial companies preferred.

Responsibilities

• Oversee export compliance and risk management for the Americas.
• Develop and execute regional trade compliance strategies aligned with global objectives.
• Provide strategic guidance on trade regulations and risk mitigation to senior leadership.
• Lead internal audits, identify violations, and oversee remediation efforts.
• Deliver training programs on trade compliance for internal stakeholders.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Communication

Leadership

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business, law, or related field

JD or advanced degree preferred

Tools

ERP systems

Export licensing

Job description

Eaton is seeking a Director, Export Compliance- Global Trade Management Americas. The preferred location for this role is in Beachwood, Ohio at Eaton's US HQ. Will also consider the option to be remote with travel as needed.

What you’ll do:

We are seeking an exceptional strategist and communicator to support global trade compliance to ensure Eaton’s trade operations are standardized, compliant, and strategically aligned. The Director, Export Compliance - Global Trade Management Americas will oversee export and sanctions compliance and risk management within Eaton's Americas region, while working closely with the entire Global Trade Management team. The person in this role will bring immediate value by supporting Eaton's licensing and trade compliance due-diligence and coordinating changes to US and other applicable jurisdictions export and sanctions law and regulations. The position requires deep expertise in international trade regulations, enabling operational excellence in trade flows for a diverse global enterprise.

Job Responsibilities

As Director, Export Compliance - Global Trade Management Americas, you will play a critical role in protecting and advancing Eaton's interests and goals, which include helping to solve the world’s most urgent power management challenges and building a more sustainable society for people today and generations to come.

Strategic Leadership & Governance

• Develop and execute regional trade compliance strategies aligned with global objectives.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for export and sanctions compliance in the Americas.
• Provide strategic guidance to senior leadership on trade regulations and risk mitigation strategies; work closely with product managers, sales, operations, engineering and R&D.
• Lead and mentor teams responsible for export compliance across the region.

Trade Compliance & Operations

• Ensure compliance with U.S., Canadian, Mexican, and other regional export controls and sanctions. Examine potential trade-compliance risks and provide effective solutions including developing clear policies and procedures and supporting improvement of business processes and trade compliance controls.
• Support export classification determinations.
• Monitor export control laws and sanctions.
• Support strong processes for licensing and due diligence.

Risk Management, Audit & Training

• Develop regional risk assessment programs for trade compliance.
• Lead internal audits, identify potential violations, and oversee remediation efforts.
• Deliver training programs on trade compliance for internal stakeholders.
• Maintain documentation to support regulatory audits and inquiries.

Technology & Process Optimization

• Evaluate and manage relationships with third-party compliance providers.
• High emotional intelligence, exceptional courage, excellent presentation skills, and enthusiasm for driving lessons learned across the enterprise will be key to your success.

Our Law team is committed to continuous learning, exploring process and policy improvements, and collaborating across the organization.

Qualifications:

Education level required:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, law, or related field from an accredited university or institution; JD or advanced degree preferred.

Other area of experience and requirements:

• Minimum of 8 years of experience in export compliance, including both EAR and ITAR experience, within a multinational manufacturing or industrial company.
• Direct or indirect management experience working across global partnerships.
• Must be a US Citizen or authorized Green Card holder in the US.

Technical knowledge:

• Deep knowledge of export regulations in the Americas.
• Expertise with ERP systems and export licensing.
• Proven ability to lead audits, risk assessments, and regulatory disclosures.

Demonstrated ability in the following areas:

• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strategic thinking, writing, and presenting.
• Proactive issue spotting and problem solving.
• Attention to detail, follow through, and execution.
• Managing competing priorities and limited resources effectively and efficiently to drive results.

Skills:

Soft skills:

In addition to advanced technical ability, the successful candidate will lead with courage, emotional intelligence, and accountability. Must be able to exercise sound judgment with minimal supervision, but also be eager to socialize strategy, seek feedback, and check blindspots with the team.

All positions may require participation in video and in-person interviews as part of the hiring process. All candidates will be evaluated based on job-related competencies, and all candidates’ privacy rights and data security will be protected in accordance with applicable laws.

At Eaton, we strive to provide compensation and benefits that attract, engage, and retain the best talent. This includes competitive pay and a variety of benefit programs for eligible employees. The expected annual salary range for this role is $165,000 - $242,000 a year. This role is also eligible for a variable incentive program. Please note the salary information shown above is a general guideline only. Salaries are based upon candidate skills, experience, and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations.

Eaton is committed to ensuring equal employment opportunities for all job applicants and employees. Employment decisions are based upon job-related reasons regardless of an applicant's race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, marital status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by law.

Eaton believes in second chance employment. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction history will be considered regardless of their arrest or conviction history, consistent with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the California Fair Chance Act and other local laws.

You do not need to disclose your conviction history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if Eaton is concerned about conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report.

To request a disability-related reasonable accommodation to assist you in your job search, application, or interview process, please call us at 1-800-836-6345 to discuss your specific need. Only accommodation requests will be accepted by this phone number.

We know that good benefit programs are important to employees and their families. Eaton provides various Health and Welfare benefits as well as Retirement benefits, and several programs that provide for paid and unpaid time away from work. Please note that specific programs and options available to an employee may depend on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements.