Senior Counsel, Trade & Export Compliance

Why Castelion, Why Now

Castelion is moving incredibly fast to develop and deliver advanced defense systems at a time when execution matters more than ever. We believe focus and technical excellence are decisive advantages - and we are building a team that can deliver real capability, not just concepts.

This is a rare opportunity to join at an early stage, where your work will directly shape critical systems, influence major technical decisions, and have immediate, real-world impact.

Senior Counsel, Trade & Export Compliance

Castelion is seeking a Senior Counsel, Trade & Export Compliance to help build and scale the company's international trade, export controls, sanctions, and defense compliance program.

This is a hands-on senior legal role for someone who can operate at the intersection of law, engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, business development, security, and government contracting. You will advise the business on complex trade and compliance issues, help protect controlled technology, and build durable systems that allow the company to move quickly while complying with U.S. law.

The ideal candidate has strong experience with ITAR, EAR, export licensing, technology-control plans, deemed exports, and defense-related compliance. Just as importantly, this person should be pragmatic, operationally minded, and comfortable working in a fast-moving hardware environment where legal judgment must translate into executable processes.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the senior legal advisor on export controls, sanctions, and international trade issues across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, business development, security, and government programs.
• Support classification of hardware, software, technical data, services, and defense articles under the ITAR and EAR.
• Draft, submit, and manage export licenses, agreements, exemptions, and related authorizations.
• Develop and maintain technology-control plans, export-control procedures, visitor controls, shipping controls, and access-control processes.
• Partner with engineering, security, IT, and facilities teams to protect controlled technical data and manage access by employees, contractors, suppliers, customers, and visitors.
• Advise on deemed export issues, foreign person access, supplier interactions, international travel, conferences, demonstrations, customer engagements, and technical collaborations.
• Help design and implement scalable compliance systems for a rapidly growing defense manufacturer.
• Train employees on export controls, sanctions, controlled technical data, and practical compliance expectations.
• Support internal audits, investigations, disclosures, corrective actions, and continuous improvement of the compliance program.
• Work closely with Legal, Security, Supply Chain, People, Engineering, Finance, and Business Development to identify and resolve compliance risks early.
• Help establish the compliance culture, systems, and judgment expected of a trusted national security company.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school and active membership in at least one U.S. state bar.
• 4+ years of relevant experience in international trade, export controls, sanctions, or defense compliance.
• Strong working knowledge of ITAR, EAR, and export licensing.
• Experience supporting defense, aerospace, space, advanced manufacturing, hardware, or another highly regulated technical business.
• Ability to translate complex legal requirements into practical guidance for engineers, operators, and business teams.
• Strong judgment, ownership, and ability to make decisions in ambiguous, fast-moving environments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to access export-controlled information, including technical data subject to the ITAR and EAR.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience at a defense, aerospace, space, or advanced manufacturing company.
• Prior experience working with DDTC, BIS, OFAC, Customs, DoD, or other relevant U.S. government stakeholders.
• Experience building or scaling a trade compliance program inside a growing company.
• Familiarity with government contracts, CFIUS, foreign ownership/control issues, facility security, or classified programs.
• Experience working directly with engineers, manufacturing teams, supply chain teams, security teams, and business development teams.
• Comfort operating in a startup or high-growth environment.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to put in extended hours, including evenings and weekends, when required to meet aggressive timelines
• This role can be based in LA or DC 

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Benefits And Perks

All full-time employees are granted meaningful long-term equity, sharing in the company's significant growth trajectory. We offer four (4) weeks of paid time off, ten (10) company-paid holidays, and comprehensive health benefits - including 100% employee-covered medical and strong dependent coverage, along with dental and vision plans. We also provide paid parental leave to support growing families, a $100 monthly fitness stipend to promote health and performance, and onsite EV charging for convenience. In addition, employees enjoy perks like catered meals, company-covered food during high-demand periods, and a fully stocked kitchen to stay fueled throughout the day.

While this position does not currently require a U.S government-issued security clearance, it may in the near future. Therefore, the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government–issued security clearance is required. U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance.

Affirmative Action/EEO Statement

Employment with Castelion is governed on the basis of competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.