Trade Compliance Manager

Trade Compliance Manager – Aerospace & Defence

📍 The Hague, Netherlands

🏢 Hybrid | Full-time

An innovative and rapidly growing aerospace and defence technology company is looking for an experienced Trade Compliance Manager to take ownership of its global export licensing and trade compliance activities.

The organisation develops advanced aerospace technologies for international defence programmes. This is a business-critical role ensuring that complex shipments, technology transfers and international projects receive the necessary export authorisations while remaining compliant with Dutch, EU and international regulations.

The role:

You will act as the central point of contact for export controls and licensing matters across the organisation, working closely with Engineering, Programme Management, Procurement, Operations and Legal teams.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Managing export licence applications from initial assessment through to approval
• Assessing products, technologies and destinations against military and dual-use export regulations
• Coordinating technical, commercial and legal information for licence applications
• Working with external legal advisers specialising in Dutch export controls
• Communicating with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant authorities
• Tracking applications and proactively resolving potential delays
• Responding to requests for additional information from government bodies
• Advising project teams on export requirements for international programmes
• Maintaining accurate export authorisation and compliance records
• Developing internal trade compliance processes, governance and documentation
• Supporting expansion into new international markets
• Promoting export-control awareness across the organisation

What we are looking for

• Experience in export controls, export licensing or international trade compliance
• Background in aerospace, defence or another highly regulated technical industry
• Good knowledge of Dutch, EU and US export-control regulations
• Understanding of military and dual-use goods and technologies
• Experience working with government authorities and external legal advisers
• Strong project-management and stakeholder-coordination skills
• Ability to consolidate technical, legal and commercial information
• Excellent organisation and attention to detail
• Professional fluency in Dutch and English
• A bachelor’s degree in Law, International Trade, Business, Engineering or a related discipline

Experience with aerospace systems, military technologies or international defence programmes would be particularly valuable.

This opportunity would suit someone who enjoys taking ownership, bringing structure to complex regulatory processes and enabling international programmes to move forward safely and efficiently.

Interested in learning more? Apply directly on this link and someone from our recruitment team will contact you