Director of Trade Compliance

At Winchester Interconnect, we always do the right thing, the right way. Winchester Interconnect is committed to inspiring the most innovative teams. We foster a dynamic, inclusive environment that thrives on collaboration and continuous growth. We hire exceptional people, celebrate wins, empower employee growth, and provide opportunities to thrive. Winchester is where potential transforms into purpose, and every team member plays a vital role in shaping our shared success.

The Director of Trade Compliance is responsible for leading the company’s global trade compliance and export control program, ensuring full adherence to U.S. laws and regulations governing defense articles, dual‑use items, technology, and services.

This role serves as the company’s senior subject matter expert on export controls, sanctions, and jurisdiction/classification determinations, with direct accountability for ensuring the organization operates only with authorized parties, in approved jurisdictions, and in compliance with all applicable regulations.

This position is expected to build, lead, and scale a trade compliance function, including establishing team structure, defining roles and responsibilities, and overseeing day‑to‑day execution of compliance operations.

The Director partners closely with Sales, Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, and Legal to provide authoritative guidance on:

• EAR vs. ITAR jurisdiction determinations
• ECCN and USML classification of products, software, and technology
• Dual‑use technology controls and licensing requirements
• End‑use / end‑user permissibility and country restrictions

• 10+ years of experience in export controls within aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing, or similarly regulated industries
• Bachelor’s degree required;
  Juris Doctor (JD) a plus.
• Proven expertise in EAR, ITAR, and OFAC regulations, with strong working knowledge of FAR/DFARS, U.S. Customs, and global trade compliance requirements across EU, APAC, and EMEA jurisdictions
• Demonstrated expertise in jurisdiction and classification analysis, including:
  • EAR vs. ITAR determinations
  • ECCN classification (including complex categories such as 5D002, 9x515, etc.)
  • USML categorization and CJ strategy
• Strong technical fluency to interpret engineering data and map to control regimes
• Proven experience with dual‑use technologies, software controls, and deemed export requirements
• Experience building or scaling a compliance function and managing direct reports
• Hands‑on experience with licensing (BIS & DDTC), compliance investigations, and regulatory engagement
• Recognized authority on defense trade compliance requirements, with decision ownership over restricted party determinations, end‑use/end‑user approvals, country eligibility, technical data controls, deemed export risk assessments, and military and dual‑use classification frameworks
• Owns and leads the enterprise export compliance program, including final approval authority for ECCN/USML classifications, export licensing strategy, use of exemptions/exceptions, Technical Assistance Agreements (TAAs), commodity jurisdiction requests, and voluntary disclosures
• Leads and directs complex compliance investigations, including those involving unauthorized technology access and deemed exports, with full accountability for risk assessments, root cause analysis, and implementation of corrective and preventive actions (CAPA)
• Serves as the senior compliance authority to influence and direct cross‑functional stakeholders, providing clear, risk‑based guidance and enforcing alignment with regulatory requirements in a fast‑paced, engineering and operations environment
• Acts as the primary compliance authority supporting U.S. Government subcontracting requirements, including interpretation and enforcement of customer flow‑down obligations and contractual compliance commitments (preferred)

• Establish and lead the company’s global trade compliance organization, including hiring, developing, and managing staff
• Define governance structure, escalation paths, and compliance ownership across business units
• Serve as the primary…