US Trade Compliance Specialist - Office of Legal & Compliance (Fixed Term for 3 Years)

UAE nationals are encourage to apply

New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) seeks a dedicated, experienced Assistant Compliance Officer and Trade Compliance Specialist, reporting directly to the Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) within the Office of Compliance (OC) in the Office of General Counsel.

The role involves managing the daily operations of Trade Compliance, including policy development, conducting training programs, conducting screening and due diligence processes, and advising on potential trade compliance matters. This position requires active engagement with NYU’s Office of Ethics and Compliance (OEC) and collaboration across NYU’s global network, emphasizing advisory services for faculty at NYU, NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai.

In addition, this position requires an understanding of the operational framework of research grants, procurement contracts, sponsorships, and gifts in a global setting, ensuring they comply with the myriad of trade regulations worldwide.     

Key Responsibilities:

• Uphold ethical standards and integrity in all aspects of trade compliance activities, including avoiding conflicts of interest and ensuring transparency in dealings with regulatory authorities and business partners
• Conduct comprehensive research and review export compliance requirements for projects, grants, contracts, and agreements, ensuring adherence to ITAR, OFAC, EAR, and other pertinent international trade regulations, and provide guidance to NYUAD faculty and researchers on both potential and actual export compliance issues, focusing on collaborative problem-solving and strategic compliance methodologies
• Conduct comprehensive screening of customers, suppliers, and transactions against restricted party lists and embargoed entities to prevent engaging in prohibited transactions.
• Conduct internal self-assessments and audits to identify compliance issues, investigate root causes, evaluate and ensure the effectiveness of export compliance measures, identify areas for improvement, and implement corrective actions to address non-compliance issues and prevent future violations, as needed.
• Identify and support the securing of laboratories by determining which research technologies are or may be export controlled.
• Collaborate with NYUAD faculty to understand all ongoing research and ensure there are no instances of deemed exports as faculty interact with others within the institution.
• Develop and disseminate expert knowledge on trade compliance, facilitating continuous education and training for the university community to maintain compliance with U.S. and foreign laws and university policies
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders, including Legal, University Policy, Finance, Procurement, and Government Affairs, Research Compliance, Office of Sponsored Programs, and Institutional Advancement to ensure alignment and integration of trade compliance requirements into business processes
• Maintain records and documentation related to export transactions, certificates of origin, licenses, classifications, and compliance activities
• Prepare and manage export license applications, commodity jurisdiction determinations, technology control plans, and technical assistance agreements, ensuring adherence to regulatory requirements to include OFAC screening
• Liaise with government agencies, such as the NYU Office of Ethics and Compliance and/or the NYUAD Government Affairs Office, to obtain necessary permits, licenses, and authorizations
• Monitor and report on the university’s trade compliance activities, lead the execution of annual work plans and promote enhanced compliance awareness and education across the institution
• Lead the innovation and implementation of trade compliance policies, procedures, and technology control plans, ensuring robust and effective compliance processes are established
• Stay up-to-date on adapt changes to all relevant trade regulations, laws, and export control requirements, ensuring university-wide awareness and adherence to these regulations and requirements
• Manage and review export documentation, including shipping documents, licenses, permits, declarations, and inventory lists to ensure accuracy and compliance with regulatory requirements and classify products according to export control regulations to determine licensing requirements and restrictions and work with third parties to do the same
• Classify products according to export control regulations to determine licensing requirements and restrictions and work with third parties to do the same
• Maintain records and documentation related to export transactions, licenses, classifications, and compliance activities

Required Education: 

• Bachelor's Degree in in international trade, engineering, science, computer science, business operations, or a related field, or Juris Doctorate or any equivalent combination of education and experience

Required Experience: 

• 5+ years in trade compliance and export controls
• In-depth knowledge of ITAR, EAR, OFAC, and other related regulations and electronic trade compliance systems
• Ability to accurately classify products, technologies, and services according to relevant export control classifications and ensuring compliance with associated licensing requirements
• Ability to assess and mitigate risks associated with exporting goods, including evaluating potential compliance issues, understanding embargoed countries or entities, and assessing the impact of new regulations on existing business operations
• Highly ethical and culturally intelligent and sensitive, and able to maintain confidentiality
• A result-oriented team player
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a strong focus on customer service
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English, including the ability to communicate complex legal, scientific, and business issues in terms that are understandable to non-lawyers, including internal stakeholders, external partners, regulatory agencies, and government authorities
• Strong analytical skills and meticulous attention to detail that ensures accuracy in documentation, classification, and compliance procedures to avoid potential regulatory violations and penalties
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, matrixed organization
• Independent project management skills, with a capacity for collaborative work in a global setting
• Proficiency in office software, including word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, and databases
• Experience in interfacing and submitting licenses through SNAP and DECCS
• Familiar with sanctions and the applicability of those sanctions in a foreign setting
• Demonstrated ability to make independent decisions and to ascertain the need for timely escalation of matters to higher management

Preferred Experience: 

• SIA Member, Certified Export Compliance Specialist (CES), Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) or other relevant qualification

NYU Abu Dhabi is a degree-granting research university with a fully integrated liberal arts and science undergraduate program in the Arts, Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Engineering. NYU Abu Dhabi, NYU New York, and NYU Shanghai, form the backbone of NYU’s global network university, an interconnected network of portal campuses and academic centers across six continents that enable seamless international mobility of students and faculty in their pursuit of academic and scholarly activity. This global university represents a transformative shift in higher education, one in which the intellectual and creative endeavors of academia are shaped and examined through an international and multicultural perspective. As a major intellectual hub at the crossroads of the Arab world, NYUAD serves as a center for scholarly thought, advanced research, knowledge creation, and sharing, through its academic, research, and creative activities.