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Trade Compliance Manager

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Trade Compliance Manager to join Kongsberg Maritime Ltd, based at either our Dunfermline or Gateshead UK location. In this critical role, you will lead and oversee the company's trade compliance activities, ensuring adherence to UK, US and international regulations while supporting the successful delivery of both commercial and naval programmes.

Working across a broad range of business activities, you will be responsible for managing import and export control compliance, with a particular focus on export licensing, regulatory engagement, process development, and providing guidance and training across the organisation. Acting as the subject matter expert for import and export control matters, you will help ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations whilst enabling efficient and effective business operations.

The role offers extensive collaboration with stakeholders across Sales, Engineering, Project Management, Supply Chain, Customer Support and Service functions, making it ideally suited to someone who enjoys combining regulatory expertise with practical business support. You will play a key role in fostering a culture of compliance, supporting strategic growth, and ensuring the successful delivery of customer commitments within a complex and evolving regulatory environment.

What you will be doing

  • Manage export license applications and related documentation.
  • Act as the primary point of contact with relevant authorities.
  • Develop and maintain export control and sanctions processes, procedures, and guidelines.
  • Support and advise the organization on export control requirements, sanctions and compliance matters.
  • Deliver training and awareness activities related to trade compliance regulations.
  • Monitor changes in relevant laws and regulations and translate them into practical business requirements.
  • Represent Kongsberg Maritime during regulatory inspections and audits.
  • Coordinate with U.S. counterparts regarding U.S. authorisation and trade compliance requirements.
  • Provide operational support for parties and transaction reviews to confirm compliance with export regulatory requirements.
  • Manage and prepare reports, ensure accurate record keeping as required by law.
  • Collaborate with internal stakeholders across sales, projects, supply chain, engineering, and aftermarket functions.
  • Support strategic opportunities and programme delivery through pragmatic, risk-based advice that enables compliant business growth in new sales and aftermarket activities.
  • Act as a member of Kongsberg Maritime's Export Control and Sanctions community and maintain a functional reporting line to the VP Export Control & Sanctions, ensuring alignment of policies, risk assessments, licensing strategies, compliance reviews and best practices across the business.

We think you should have

Essential

  • Significant experience in export control, international trade compliance or a similar regulatory role.
  • Strong working knowledge of UK Export Control legislation and licensing requirements.
  • Experience working within defence, naval, maritime, aerospace, engineering or other highly regulated industries.
  • Understanding of military and dual-use classifications, sanctions compliance and international trade regulations.
  • Experience managing export licence applications and ensuring compliance with licence conditions.
  • Knowledge of UK sanctions regulations
  • Strong stakeholder management, communication and influencing skills, with the ability to build effective relationships across all levels of an organisation.
  • Ability to interpret complex regulations and translate them into practical business guidance.
  • Excellent organisational skills with a structured, results-oriented approach and the ability to work independently.
  • Experience in leading internal audits, risk assessments, and compliance reviews and submitting voluntary disclosures.

Desirable

  • Experience supporting UK naval, defence or military programmes.
  • Knowledge of US Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).
  • Familiarity with UK MOD F680 and F1686 application process.
  • Experience of customs compliance and international logistics operations.
  • Experience in regulatory compliance, process development, process management or project management.
  • Technical knowledge or experience within maritime, defence or engineering sectors.
  • Professional qualifications in international trade, compliance, customs, legal studies or a related discipline.

You are able to

We are looking for someone with the mindset and motivation to guide colleagues towards export control compliance in a continually evolving regulatory environment.

To succeed in this role, you will:

  • Be collaborative and team-oriented, with a service-minded and supportive approach.
  • Communicate clearly and confidently with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
  • Demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to influence and engage others.
  • Take an analytical, pragmatic and solution-focused approach to challenges.
  • Be comfortable navigating changing requirements, competing priorities and complex regulatory environments.
  • Show initiative and drive tasks through to completion whilst maintaining a strong focus on compliance and business objectives.
  • Be committed to fostering a culture of compliance whilst enabling efficient business operations.

This employment will require a pre-employment check (BPSS) in accordance with company security standards, role or site requirements. Please note that this might affect the offer process or employment. The successful candidate must also be able to obtain and maintain the appropriate level of UK Security Clearance if requested as a condition of employment.

Why join us

  • An exciting and important position working for the world-leading supplier of maritime solutions
  • Play a key role in shaping export control and sanctions compliance across advanced maritime and naval programmes within a global compliance network.
  • Be part of a diverse team spread across several countries, embracing collaboration and cultural diversity.
  • We offer competitive pay based on objective criteria to ensure fairness and internal equity along with pension contributions, health- and employee insurance.
  • We offer hybrid working arrangements.

Where you will be working
Dunfermline or Gateshead, UK

Interested in knowing more? Contact
Graham Bletcher, VP Stabilisers and Naval Steering Gear

Kongsberg Maritime is a global leader in maritime technology. We deliver advanced solutions to the merchant fleet, offshore, fishing, and naval vessels, setting new standards for safe, efficient, and sustainable operations - both for new builds and existing fleets. In close collaboration with customers and research environments, we develop technology that solves real challenges at sea.  Today, more than 30,000 vessels operate with our systems on board.  Kongsberg Maritime has more than 8,300 employees in 35 countries.

Our Propulsion and Handling division delivers world class products for propulsion, handling systems and waterjet for all marine industry sectors including merchant, offshore and naval. Our products enhance operational efficiency and deliver safe, secure, reliable and sustainable products to our valued customers.

Technologies for sustainable oceans