Trade Compliance Officer

AeroVironment; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 101,000 - 154,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) with company matching

9/80 work schedule

Holiday shutdown

Job summary

AeroVironment seeks a Trade Compliance Officer to manage export licensing and ensure adherence to US regulatory and internal policy requirements. This role leads documentation, training, and audits across licensing, classifications, and international collaborations.

Key responsibilities include coordinating with TC leadership, participating in compliance councils, and guiding international business development while ensuring strict adherence to ITAR/EAR and related regulations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, International Trade, Law or related field.
• 12+ years of export administration experience with an aerospace firm, defense contractor or government entity.
• Experience dealing with U.S. Government entities (e.g., DOD, Department of Commerce) and international customers.
• Experience working with outside Trade Compliance consultants.

Responsibilities

• Prepare, submit, and manage export license applications (DSP-5, DSP-73, DSP-61, TAA, MLA, etc.).
• Maintain currency of laws and regulations; ensure full compliance.
• Maintain product classifications (ECCN, ITAR, HTS, Schedule B).
• Collaborate with outside TC consultants and legal counsel as directed.

Skills

Export licensing

Regulatory compliance

International trade

Communication

Program management

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/International Trade/Law

12+ years export administration experience

Tools

DECCS/SNAPR

ITAR/EAR knowledge

Job description

Albuquerque, NM

Dayton, OH

Huntsville, AL

Simi Valley, CA

Sunrise, FL

Reston, VA

Arlington, VA

Annapolis Junction, MD

Germantown, MD

San Diego, CA

Full time

8195

Worker Type

Regular

Job Description

Summary

Under the direction of the Trade Compliance Leadership, the primary responsibility of the Trade Compliance Officer is to be a strong individual contributor to the AV organization. Responsible for performing the day to day activities required to operate a fully effective export compliance program to ensure company compliance with US regulatory and internal policy requirements relating to export licensing, exemption usage, export training and recordkeeping.

Position Responsibilities

• Export licensing and Agreements, CJ’s, and AO’s – Prepare, submit, and manage export license applications (DSP-5, DSP-73, DSP-61, TAA, MLA, etc.), plus license and agreements management, both Department of State and Department of Commerce. Prepare and submit requests for Commodity Jurisdictions, advisory opinions and general correspondence.
• Empowered Official – High potential to serve as an Empowered Official.
• Ensure that AV is fully compliant with all Trade Compliance Laws and Regulations. Maintain currency of Laws and Regulations.
• Product Classifications – Assist in maintaining accurate product Export and Import classifications, ECCN, ITAR category, HTS and Schedule B codes, etc., and maintenance of a current and robust database of all product Export and Import classifications.
• Outside TC Consultants - Work with outside Trade Compliance consultants and legal counsel as directed by the TC Leadership.
• Document retention – Maintain excellent Trade Compliance records in full compliance with USG Export Regulations.
• Attend and participate in the AV Export Compliance Council monthly meetings.
• Shipping & Receiving – Maintain an active role on export shipments. Develop a close and active working relationship with the shipping department and its personnel, to prevent Export violations. Ensure that imports are properly handled.
• Export Compliance Training – Participation in Export Training curriculum development, curriculum presentation, maintenance of company training logs.
• Oversee international visitors and travelers’ policies and control.
• Procedures and auditing – Maintain TC processes and procedures. Train company employees. Audit compliance to the company procedures.
• Continuous Improvements – Identify improvement opportunities and problems, then provide guidance to AV Sr. management for solutions. Implement solutions when approved by Sr. management, and report on progress.
• International Business Development and Program Management Support – Provide expert guidance to the Int’l BD and PM organizations in their pursuits of capturing and performing on new business for AV. Active participation in gated proposal process reviews during all 6 stages. This also includes coordination necessary for Trade Show and Demo support. Conduct contract review for trade compliance requirements.
• Acts independently to determine methods and procedures on new or special assignments. May supervise the activities of others within the team
• Works on significant and unique issues where analysis of situations or data requires an evaluation of intangibles
• Other duties as assigned

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience)

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, International Trade, Law or related field, or equivalent is required
• Minimum of 12+ years of overall export administration experience with an aerospace firm, defense contractor or government entity
• Experienced in dealing with entities such as U.S. Government entities (e.g., DOD, Department of Commerce), international customers or international brokers / freight forwarders
• Experienced in working with outside Trade Compliance consultants

Other Qualifications & Desired Competencies

• Expert understanding of DECCS and SNAPR Systems, and license applications
• Expert knowledge of International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Export Administration Regulations (EAR), and applicable International regulation, with the ability to understand, interpret and communicate compliance-related language.
• Having broad expertise, uses skills to contribute to development of company objectives
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with direct involvement in writing and implementing trade compliance policies and procedures, Technical Assistance Agreements, Warehouse Distribution Agreements and Manufacturing License Agreements.
• Ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment and work with minimal supervision.
• Able to excel in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, where small teams share a broad variety of duties
• Displays strong initiative and drive to accomplish goals and meet company objectives
• Takes ownership and responsibility for current and past work products
• Is committed to learning from mistakes and driven to improve and enhance performance of oneself, others, and the company
• Has effective problem-solving, analytical, interpersonal and communication skills. Focuses on teamwork, collaboration and puts the success of the team above one's own interests

Physical Demands

• Ability to work in an office/remote environment (Constant)
• Required to sit and stand for long periods; talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard (Frequent)

Clearance Level

No Clearance

The salary range for this role is:

$101,000 - $154,000

AeroVironment considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the location, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills.

ITAR Requirement

This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment’s determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment’s business requirements. A “U.S. person” according to the ITAR definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee. See 22 CFR § 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.

Benefits

AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown. For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit: http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits .

We also encourage you to review our company website at http://www.avinc.com to learn more about us.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans. AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.

About AV:

AV isn’t for everyone. We hire the curious, the relentless, the mission-obsessed. The best of the best.

We don’t just build defense technology—we redefine what’s possible. As the premier autonomous systems company in the U.S., AV delivers breakthrough capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. From AI-powered drones and loitering munitions to integrated autonomy and space resilience, our technologies shape the future of warfare and protect those who serve.

Founded by legendary innovator Dr. Paul MacCready, AV has spent over 50 years pushing the boundaries of what unmanned systems can do. Our heritage includes seven platforms in the Smithsonian—but we’re not building history, we’re building what’s next.

If you're ready to build technology that matters—with speed, scale, and purpose—there’s no better place to do it than AV.

We don’t just build defense technology—we redefine what’s possible. As the premier autonomous systems company in the U.S., AV delivers breakthrough capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. From AI-powered drones and loitering munitions to integrated autonomy and space resilience, our technologies shape the future of warfare and protect those who serve.

Founded by legendary innovator Dr. Paul MacCready, AV has spent over 50 years pushing the boundaries of what unmanned systems can do. Our heritage includes seven platforms in the Smithsonian—but we’re not building history, we’re building what’s next.

About AV:

AV isn’t for everyone. We hire the curious, the relentless, the mission-obsessed. The best of the best.

We don’t just build defense technology—we redefine what’s possible. As the premier autonomous systems company in the U.S., AV delivers breakthrough capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. From AI-powered drones and loitering munitions to integrated autonomy and space resilience, our technologies shape the future of warfare and protect those who serve.

Founded by legendary innovator Dr. Paul MacCready, AV has spent over 50 years pushing the boundaries of what unmanned systems can do. Our heritage includes seven platforms in the Smithsonian—but we’re not building history, we’re building what’s next.

Careers at AeroVironment (https://www.avinc.com/careers/our-team)