Global Head of Export Control & Trade Compliance

TikTok; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 251,000 - 521,000; Full time

Job summary

TikTok is seeking an experienced Export Control & Trade Compliance Team Leader to build and lead a global program. You will partner with legal, product, engineering, and operations to scale controls for cross-border technology deployments and ensure regulatory compliance across BIS, OFAC, and related regimes.

The role emphasizes translating complex export control requirements into actionable guidance for executives, shaping a scalable compliance function, and guiding a growing team in a

Qualifications

• Experience leading export control and trade compliance programs, ideally in technology sectors.
• Proven ability to translate regulatory requirements into practical, operational guidance.
• Demonstrated people management and leadership of a high-performing team.
• Strong executive communication skills for translating complex issues to senior leadership.
• Deep knowledge of EAR, BIS enforcement, and import/customs requirements.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic, risk-based legal and compliance advice to senior leadership on export control, import, sanctions-adjacent trade compliance, product deployment, and cross-border activities.
• Lead the enhancement and scaling of the global export control and trade compliance program, including policies, controls, and governance.
• Oversee operations: classification, licensing, screening, recordkeeping, training, monitoring, audits, and enforcement readiness.
• Monitor regulatory developments across BIS, OFAC, CBP, and non-US regimes and translate into practical program updates.
• Partner with legal, product, engineering, infrastructure, procurement, and operations to embed compliance in workflows.
• Manage external counsel and internal team members, driving efficiency and fostering a high-performing culture.

Skills

Export control expertise

Trade compliance leadership

Regulatory risk assessment

In-house legal experience

Cross-functional collaboration

Executive communication

Education

Qualified to practice law in US or common law jurisdiction

Job description

Responsibilities

Our Global Legal Compliance (GLC) team provides key support for the company's innovative initiatives, advanced technology development, and integrated platforms serving our global markets. We partner closely with legal, business, product, engineering, infrastructure, and operations teams to help enable strategic growth while managing complex regulatory risk.

We are looking for an experienced Export Control & Trade Compliance Team Leader to lead our export control and trade compliance team within Global Legal Compliance. This role will lead the development, implementation, and continuous enhancement of the company’s global export control and trade compliance program in response to a rapidly evolving regulatory environment affecting advanced semiconductors, AI models, cloud infrastructure, software, and related technologies.

The ideal candidate is a qualified lawyer with substantial experience leading trade compliance programs in-house, ideally in the semiconductor, advanced computing, cloud, or data center sectors. This individual should have a demonstrated ability to build scalable compliance frameworks, translate complex export control and trade compliance requirements into operational controls, advise on high-risk cross-border technology matters, and lead a growing team supporting business-critical, high-visibility issues. The candidate should possess strong executive communication skills, with the ability to translate highly technical issues into layman’s terms and help executives make informed business decisions. This is a fast-paced, high-visible, and high-impact role with the opportunity to shape a foundational compliance function supporting the company’s global infrastructure and its expansion.

Core Responsibilities

• Provide strategic, risk-based legal and compliance advice to senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholders on export control, import/customs, sanctions-adjacent trade compliance, product deployment, infrastructure expansion, technology transfers, vendor and customer onboarding, and other cross-border business activities; serve as a trusted advisor who can translate complex regulatory requirements into practical, commercially grounded guidance.
• Lead the enhancement, implementation, and continuous improvement of the company's global export control, import, customs, and trade compliance program, including policies, procedures, internal controls, governance frameworks, and escalation pathways; drive program maturity assessments and ensure the compliance framework remains risk-based, scalable, and responsive to the company's evolving business footprint.
• Oversee core compliance operations including classification, restricted party screening, licensing, import/customs compliance, record keeping, training, monitoring, internal reviews, and audit and enforcement readiness; maintain operational standards that produce defensible documentation and support the program's ability to withstand regulatory scrutiny.
• Monitor and assess evolving regulatory and enforcement developments across BIS, OFAC, CBP, and relevant non-US regimes, and translate those changes into practical, scalable program enhancements, updated internal guidance, and timely business communications, especially about semiconductor, advanced computing, cloud, data center, logistics, supply chain, or broader technology sectors.
• Partner closely with legal, product, engineering, infrastructure, procurement, supply chain, logistics, public policy, and operations teams to embed trade compliance requirements into business and technical workflows; participate in strategic and operational reviews to surface trade compliance implications early and drive durable, workflow-integrated solutions.
• Manage external counsel and internal team members, driving operational efficiency, and fostering a high-performing, solutions-oriented team culture; establish clear priorities, support professional development, and ensure the team is resourced and structured to meet the program's current and anticipated demands.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Qualified to practice law in the U.S. or another common law jurisdiction with relevant in-house and/or law firm experience in export control, import/customs, trade compliance, international trade, or related regulatory legal work in the sectors of semiconductor, advanced computing, cloud, data center, logistics, or supply chain.
• Demonstrated experience building or materially enhancing trade compliance programs for complex multinational businesses, ideally in the technology, semiconductor, advanced computing, cloud, data center, or infrastructure sectors.
• Demonstrated people management experience, including direct management, coaching, and development of high-performing team members.
• Deep familiarity with U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the EAR, BIS enforcement frameworks, licensing concepts, restricted party screening, and governance expectations, as well as strong knowledge of import and customs compliance requirements, including customs valuation, tariff classification, country of origin, import documentation, broker management, and related regulatory risks. Practical experience handling export control, import, and customs compliance issues is equally important.
• Strong understanding of cross-border technology, supply chain, and infrastructure risks, including export controls affecting advanced semiconductors, AI technologies, software, cloud/data center operations, and intangible technology transfers.
• Proven ability to assess legal, operational, and reputational risk and provide practical, business-oriented guidance to senior executives in a fast-moving global environment.
• High integrity, professionalism, and discretion, with a pragmatic, solutions-oriented approach and the ability to operate effectively under ambiguity.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in the semiconductor, advanced computing, cloud, data center, logistics, supply chain, or broader technology sector.
• Experience managing sensitive enforcement, disclosure, internal investigation, customs audit, or regulatory response matters.
• Familiarity with multi-jurisdictional trade compliance developments involving key jurisdictions such as the U.S., UK, EU, and Singapore.
• Experience helping build or scale a global trade compliance function in a high-growth environment.

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)

The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $250800 - $520800 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.

For Los Angeles County (unincorporated) Candidates:

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. Our company believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:

1. Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
2. Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems;
3. Exercising sound judgment.