Export Control Director

Cowboy Space Corp.; Seattle, San Carlos (WA, CA); On-site; USD 204,000 - 266,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity in the company

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) retirement savings plan

Paid time off

Paid parental leave

Daily lunch and snacks

Job summary

Cowboy Space Corp. is seeking an Export Control Director in Seattle to lead export compliance across the company. The role involves building a program for compliance with ITAR and EAR regulations and serving as the primary expert in export control issues.

Ideal candidates will have 8+ years of experience in aerospace or other regulated industries. This hands-on position requires strong regulatory expertise, operational skills, and the ability to communicate effectively with technical teams.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of export compliance experience in aerospace or highly regulated environments.
• Experience with ITAR and EAR regulations required.
• Strong operational and analytical skills.

Responsibilities

• Own and improve Cowboy Space’s export compliance program.
• Develop and maintain policies for export-controlled technologies.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements in daily operations.

Skills

Export compliance experience

Regulatory expertise

Risk management

Analytical skills

Excellent communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Job description

About Cowboy Space Corporation

Cowboy Space Corp. is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy.

Our satellites operate in Low Earth Orbit to collect sunlight and enable a new class of capabilities—from powering on-orbit compute, to transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to-space), to delivering secure, high-bandwidth optical data. By rethinking how energy and data are generated and distributed in space, we’re unlocking entirely new ways to operate both in orbit and on Earth.

Founded in 2024 by Baiju Bhatt (co-founder of Robinhood), Cowboy Space Corp. is backed by leading investors and built by a team from top aerospace and defense organizations. We’re moving quickly to solve complex technical challenges and build a new category of space infrastructure.

About the Role

The Export Control Director at Cowboy Space Corporation will operationally own export compliance across the company. This role is responsible for building, implementing, and scaling Cowboy Space’s export compliance program while enabling rapid execution across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, mission operations, business development, and corporate functions. This is Cowboy Space’s first dedicated export compliance hire. You will build the program from the ground up, establishing foundational infrastructure, tools, processes and culture.

Reporting to the COO/CLO, this individual will serve as the company’s primary subject matter expert on export control regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR). The role will partner closely with engineers, technical leaders, and executives to ensure export compliance requirements are integrated into day-to-day operations while supporting the company’s growth and mission objectives.

This is a highly hands‑on role that combines regulatory expertise, operational rigor, risk management, and business partnership. The ideal candidate enjoys building compliance infrastructure, translating complex regulations into practical guidance, and working directly with highly technical teams in a fast‑moving aerospace environment.

This role can be located in San Carlos or Seattle.

Key Responsibilities

Export Compliance Program Leadership

• Own and continuously improve Cowboy Space’s export compliance program
• Develop, implement, and maintain policies, procedures, and internal controls related to export‑controlled technologies, technical data, software, hardware, and services
• Establish scalable compliance processes that support company growth while maintaining regulatory compliance
• Serve as the primary internal resource for export control guidance, interpretation, and decision‑making
• Monitor regulatory developments and assess impacts across engineering, operations, supply chain, and business activities
• Build foundational compliance infrastructure capable of scaling alongside the company’s technical and operational growth

Classification, Licensing & Regulatory Compliance

• Lead export jurisdiction and classification determinations under ITAR, EAR and OFAC regulations
• Prepare, submit, and manage export license applications, agreements, exemptions, and related filings
• Maintain records and documentation required under applicable export regulations
• Support company registration, reporting, and compliance obligations with relevant government agencies
• Partner with external counsel and regulatory agencies (DDTC, BIS and OFAC) regarding licensing, compliance matters and policy interpretation
• Review products, software, technical data, and business activities to ensure appropriate export classifications and controls are maintained

Engineering & Operational Partnership

• Partner closely with engineering, manufacturing, mission management, software, and supply chain teams to assess export control requirements throughout the product lifecycle
• Review technical data, hardware, software, customer engagements, and business activities for export control implications
• Develop and implement Technology Control Plans (TCPs) and related access control processes
• Support technical exchanges, demonstrations, international collaborations, and customer interactions involving export‑controlled information
• Evaluate deemed export considerations, foreign national access requests, and international travel activities
• Provide practical guidance that balances regulatory compliance with operational execution

Compliance Operations & Risk Management

• Conduct export compliance assessments, audits, and process reviews
• Own and operate the company’s denied party and sanctions screening program, including screening of customers, vendors, partners, employees and foreign nationals against OFAC SDN, BIS Entity List, DDTC Debarred Parties and other applicable restricted party lists
• Identify compliance risks and develop corrective action plans and mitigation strategies
• Lead investigations involving potential export compliance concerns and support voluntary disclosures when necessary
• Develop compliance reporting, metrics, and documentation for leadership visibility
• Maintain compliance records and audit readiness across the organization
• Partner with People Operations regarding hiring, onboarding, workforce planning, and foreign national access requirements

Training & Awareness

• Develop and deliver export compliance training programs across the organization
• Build awareness of export control obligations among employees, managers, and executives
• Create practical guidance materials, documentation, and resources to support compliance in day‑to‑day operations
• Foster a culture of compliance that enables innovation while maintaining regulatory integrity
• Serve as a trusted advisor to leaders navigating export control considerations in business and technical decision‑making

Basic Qualifications

• 8+ years of export compliance experience in aerospace, defense, satellite, manufacturing, government contracting, or other highly regulated technology environments
• Deep expertise with International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR)
• Experience interacting directly with DDTC, BIS, OFAC, and related regulatory agencies
• Experience performing export classifications and managing export licensing activities
• Experience developing, implementing, and scaling export compliance programs, policies, and procedures
• Experience partnering directly with engineering and technical organizations
• Experience managing denied party and sanctions screening programs
• Strong understanding of deemed exports, technical data controls, foreign national access requirements, and technology transfer regulations
• Experience conducting compliance assessments, investigations, audits, and corrective action activities
• Strong operational and analytical skills with the ability to translate regulatory requirements into practical business solutions
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate credibly with engineers, executives, regulators, and external partners
• Experience operating in ambiguous environments with evolving requirements
• High ownership mindset and bias toward action

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting satellite, space, launch vehicle, defense, communications, or dual‑use technology programs
• Experience building or scaling an export compliance program in a startup or high‑growth environment
• Experience with TAAs, MLAs and other license agreement types under ITAR Part 124/125
• Familiarity with MTCR and multilateral export control regimes
• EMPCA, ITAR compliance certification or equivalent preferred
• Experience developing and administering Technology Control Plans (TCPs)
• Familiarity with NISPOM, classified programs, or government security requirements
• Startup experience (Seed–Series C) strongly preferred
• JD, advanced degree, or relevant export compliance certification preferred

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $204,000 – $266,000 annually. The actual base salary offered will depend on factors such as job‑related skills, experience, qualifications, and internal equity.

• Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.
• Employees and their eligible dependents may enroll in medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement savings plan
• Paid time off
• 10 paid holidays per calendar year
• Paid parental leave
• Relocation assistance if applicable
• Daily lunch in the office and a fully stocked kitchen with beverages and snacks

ITAR Requirements

• Export Control Requirement: To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about ITAR here.

Disclaimer

This job description is a summary of the primary duties and responsibilities of the job and position. It is not intended to be a comprehensive or all‑inclusive listing of duties and responsibilities. Contents are subject to change at Cowboy Space Corp.’s discretion.

Cowboy Space Corp. is an equal employment opportunity employer. We consider individuals for employment or promotion according to their skills, abilities and experience. Cowboy Space Corp. is committed to complying with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religious creed, age, national origin, ancestry, physical, mental or developmental disability, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and medical conditions relating to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding), veteran status, military status, marital or registered domestic partnership status, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics), genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, as well as any other category protected by federal, state or local laws.