Global Export Compliance Counsel

TikTok; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 157,000 - 266,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) match

Parental leave

Disability coverage

Life insurance

Wellbeing programs

Paid holidays

Sick days

Paid personal time

Job summary

TikTok is seeking an experienced export controls counsel to join its Global Legal Compliance team in Washington, DC. You will advise on export controls-related issues, support product classifications, and lead international due diligence for strategic transactions.

The role requires a JD, strong knowledge of US EAR, and a track record in export controls compliance. You will collaborate with cross‑functional teams across time zones in a fast-paced tech environment.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate from an ABA-accredited law school, eligible to practice law in a common law jurisdiction.
• Proven experience in export controls compliance, including trade compliance program management.
• Strong knowledge of U.S. Export Administration Regulations and related national security laws.

Responsibilities

• Advise and counsel stakeholders on export controls-related issues and provide practical solutions in complex environments.
• Advise R&D and engineering on legal implications of product classifications, cross-border technology transfers, and new product development.
• Draft and negotiate trade compliance provisions in commercial agreements and lead international trade due diligence for M&A and investments.
• Represent the company before government agencies (e.g., BIS), manage licensing strategies, and lead internal investigations and disclosures.
• Partner with stakeholders to design the Export Compliance Program, draft policies, and deliver targeted training.
• Develop and maintain internal policies, control plans, and export compliance program tools tailored to operations.
• Support export compliance practices including process automation tools.
• Monitor evolving export controls laws and maintain knowledge of relevant agency guidance.
• Assess impacts of changes to export controls and identify compliance gaps.

Skills

Export controls expertise

Regulatory compliance

Drafting & negotiation

Communication & project mgmt

Education

Juris Doctorate (ABA-accredited)

Job description

Responsibilities

About the Team

Our Global Legal Compliance team provides key support for TikTok’s innovative initiatives, state-of-the-art products, and integrated platforms servicing our global markets. We help our technological and business teams enable their vision by providing integrated legal and compliance guidance and support.

We are looking for experienced export compliance counsel to join our Global Legal Compliance team as a key member to advise and counsel on export controls related issues. The ideal candidate is willing to work in a fast-paced, global environment with cross-functional teams in different time zones.

Key Responsibilities

• Be a key member of the export controls compliance team to advise and counsel stakeholders on export controls-related issues and provide thoughtful and practical solutions when navigating complex geo-political environments.
• Advise R&D and engineering teams on the legal implications of complex product classifications, cross-border technology transfers, and new product development.
• Draft and negotiate trade compliance provisions in commercial agreements and lead international trade due diligence for mergers, acquisitions, and strategic investments.
• Represent the company before government agencies (e.g., BIS), manage complex licensing strategies, and lead internal investigations and voluntary self-disclosures.
• Partner with stakeholders to design the corporate Export Compliance Program, draft foundational legal policies, and deliver targeted training to mitigate global trade risks.
• Develop, implement, improve, and maintain internal policies, internal control plans, procedures, guidelines, and other export compliance program tools tailored to specific operations and demands of our company.
• Support global export compliance practices, including supporting or developing export compliance process automation tools.
• Maintain competency in evolving export controls laws and regulations and strong working knowledge of the U.S. Export Administration Regulations and relevant agency guidance.
• Work with stakeholders to monitor, assess, and determine impacts of potential changes to export controls.
• Conduct periodic risk assessments of operations to identify vulnerabilities and close compliance gaps.
• Respond to country/territory specific sanctions intersections with U.S. export controls laws and regulations.
• Support ad hoc projects as needed by the Global Legal Compliance Team

Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate from an ABA-accredited law school, with up-to-date qualifications to practice law in a common law jurisdiction.
• Proven law firm and/or in-house export controls compliance experience, including trade compliance program management.
• Deep understanding and strong working knowledge of the U.S. Export Administration Regulations and related national security laws.
• Experience with product, part, and component classifications under the Commerce Control List.
• Ability to proactively identify export controls issues and experience researching companies and individuals for export controls risks.
• Excellent communication, organization, project management, and documentation skills.
• Possesses the highest standard of ethics, a positive attitude, and a willingness to learn new skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment while demonstrating commitment to teamwork, and a willingness to change assignments to meet client needs and deliver with timeliness, accurately sensing the urgency and sensitivity of a situation.
• Ability to manage heavy workload volume and meet critical deadlines with little supervision.
• Proactively makes recommendations for necessary process improvements.
• Demonstrates an in-depth understanding of the clients’ business, industry, and organization.
• Experience working with multinational technology companies.

About TikTok

TikTok is the leading destination for short‑form mobile video. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok's global headquarters are in Los Angeles and Singapore, and we also have offices in New York City, London, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.

Why Join Us

Inspiring creativity is at the core of TikTok's mission. Our innovative product is built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect – and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity and bring joy - a mission we work towards every day. We strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and innovate as one team. We're resilient and embrace challenges as they come. By constantly iterating and fostering an "Always Day 1" mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless. Join us.

Diversity & Inclusion

TikTok is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.

TikTok Accommodation

TikTok is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at https://tinyurl.com/RA-request

Job Information

【For Pay Transparency】 Compensation Description (Annually) - Washington, DC

The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $ 156600 - $ 266220 annually.

Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies and experience, and location. Base pay is one part of the Total Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work, and this role may be eligible for additional discretionary bonuses/incentives, and restricted stock units.

Benefits may vary depending on the nature of employment and the country work location. Employees have day one access to medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) savings plan with company match, paid parental leave, short‑term and long‑term disability coverage, life insurance, wellbeing benefits, among others. Employees also receive 10 paid holidays per year, 10 paid sick days per year and 17 days of Paid Personal Time (prorated upon hire with increasing accruals by tenure).

The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.