Export Control Officer; hybrid

Position Summary

Reporting to the Research Compliance Officer, the Export Compliance Specialist provides enterprise-wide leadership, operational support, and regulatory guidance to ensure Boston Children’s Hospital complies with federal export control laws and research security mandates. This role oversees the day-to-day management of compliance frameworks including ITAR, EAR, OFAC, and Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program (MFTRP) requirements while spearheading investigations, updating institutional policies, and delivering targeted training to faculty and staff.

• Compliance & Classification:
  Conduct export control and research security reviews for hospital, research, and educational activities. Determine accurate classifications, jurisdictions, and eligibility for licensing exemptions or the Fundamental Research Exclusion (FRE).
• Policy & Program Development:
  Develop, implement, and maintain enterprise-wide policies and procedures aligned with federal/state laws, emerging technologies, and industry best practices.
• Risk Mitigation & Screening:
  Perform Restricted Party Screening (RPS) and comprehensive background checks on international visitors, end-users, and remote personnel to mitigate security and reputational risks.
• Control Plans & Auditing:
  Create and monitor Technology Control Plans (TCPs). Develop an annual work plan featuring internal audits and routine compliance monitoring.
• Contract & Agreement Support:
  Review research proposals, clinical trials, data/material transfer agreements (DTAs/MTAs), and contracts to identify export risks and ensure proper safeguarding terms for Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).
• Research Security & Foreign Influence:
  Manage compliance with federal research security mandates (e.g., NSPM-33, CHIPS and Science Act). Oversee documentation of foreign collaborations, funding, and appointments to mitigate insider threats and undue foreign influence.
• Training & Advisory:
  Design and deliver targeted training for faculty, clinicians, and researchers on export controls, international travel, dual-use items, the DoJ Bulk Data Rule, and the NIH Biospecimen Security Policy.
• Chair the Export Control Working Group, partnering with key departments such as Supply Chain, IT, and Global Health. Serve as a formal member of the Institutional Review Entity (IRE) and Foreign Talent Recruitment Program (FTRP) subcommittees, while benchmarking best practices with Harvard Medical School affiliates and peer academic medical centers.
• Conducts inquiries and investigations relating to export compliance. Receives, investigates, documents, and tracks export compliance complaints from workforce members, the compliance hotline, or other sources. Develops and oversee as needed, corrective action plans (including ensuring consistent application of disciplinary action standards) in response to such complaints and investigations. Cooperates with federal and state entities in any export compliance program audits, inquiries, or investigations.

Education:

Bachelor's Degree required. Area of study:
Research and academic compliance, research administration, information security, or a related field required

Experience:

5 years experience in an export compliance position at an academic medical center, research-based university, or comparable experience, including experience in technology or technical data classifications according to the federal regulations, and the submission and management of export and deemed export licenses required.

Preferred:
Knowledge of academic (biomedical) research regulatory environment, experience with FRE, implementation of NSPM-33 research security program, working knowledge of EAR, ITAR, NIST SP 800-171, DFARS , and National Security Directive 189. Familiarity with secure research environments and cybersecurity concepts.