Senior Director of Policy & Government Affairs

Position description

Are you interested in building a safer world through international trade? Defense Trade Solutions (DTS) is hiring! We have an opportunity for a Senior Director of Policy & Government Affairs to join our Leadership Team. This position is a functional head and matrix leader with no direct reports, reporting directly to the Vice President and providing support across the organization to orchestrate DTS’ trade‑policy posture, resolve complex export issues, and lead government and industry‑association engagement for DTS and its customers. The Senior Director of Policy & Government Affairs defines and leads DTS’ trade‑policy posture and external relationships with the U.S. Government and industry associations, converting evolving Arms Export Control Act (AECA), International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Export Administration Regulations (EAR), Security Cooperation, and Technology Security & Foreign Disclosure (TSFD) policy into clear, actionable guidance for customers and DTS delivery teams. As a Leadership Team Individual Contributor and Matrix Leader, this role is DTS’ focal point for U.S. Government engagement and escalations, resolution of customer export‑policy issues, association engagement and policy advocacy, and executive thought leadership—partnering with the President and Vice President to accelerate approvals and remove friction across TSFD, export authorizations, Foreign Military Sales (FMS), Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) strategy, and arms‑export‑control policy.

Our Mission:

• To safeguard U.S. and allied military advantage with responsible, simplified defense trade and export control through a holistic, mission-driven approach.

Who You Are: 

• Embody our values of Integrity, Passion, Simplicity, Trust, Curiosity, and Stewardship to our team, our customers, and our business.
• A professional with a strong interest in foreign policy and national security.
• A self-starter who thrives in an environment that rewards ambition.
• An entrepreneur who wants to be involved in building a premier professional services firm.
• A positive person with a “Yes, if” attitude who is always on the hunt for solutions to problems.
• A reliable team player who is willing to lend a hand to teammates at a moment’s notice.
• Invested in "Work-Life Harmony" through success and fulfillment within both your career and personal life.
• Hungry for the fast pace of a start-up environment with the stability and infrastructure of an established business.
• Has an Active DoD Secret Security Clearance, Top Secret preferred.
• Resides in the Washington, DC National Capitol Region

Qualifications

• 10-20+ years of experience in defense trade or security cooperation positions of increasing responsibility.
• Prior experience working in any of the following U.S. Government defense trade or security cooperation offices:
  • Department of State (DOS) Political & Military Affairs Bureau Office of Regional Security & Arms Transfers (PM/RSAT)
  • Department of Defense (DOD) Defense Technology Security Administration (DTSA)
  • DOD Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA)
  • Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs (SAF/IA)
  • Navy International Programs Office (NIPO)
  • Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Defense Exports & Cooperation (DASA DE&C)
• Advanced-level understanding of Foreign Military Sales (FMS) from Pre-Letter of Request (LOR) to Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) Signature
• Advanced-level understanding of ITAR and EAR Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) export licensing.
• Advanced-level understanding of the Department of Commerce Advocacy Request Process
• Advanced-level understanding of Technology Security & Foreign Disclosure (TSFD) processes and associated release.
• Relationships with U.S. Government Action Officers, Senior Executive Service (SES) and Political Appointees in the following offices:
  • Department of State Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC)
  • Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry & Security (BIS)
  • Department of State Office of Regional Security & Arms Transfers (RSAT)
  • Department of State Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM)
  • Department of State Regional Bureaus
  • Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy (OSD-P)
  • Office of the Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering (OSD R&E)
  • Office of the Secretary of Defense for Acquisition & Sustainment (OSD A&S)
  • Defense Technology Security Administration (DTSA)
  • Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA)
  • Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Defense Exports & Cooperation (DASA DE&C)
  • Army Special Programs Office & Tri-Service Committee Representative
  • Army Anti-Tamper Service Lead / ARTPC
  • Navy International Programs Office (NIPO)
  • Navy PMR-51 Tri-Service Committee Representative
  • Navy Anti-Tamper Technical Warrant Holder
  • Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs (SAF/IA)
  • Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition & Special Programs (SAF/AQLS)
  • NSA Technology Security & Export Control Office
  • Department of Defense Chief Information Officer (DOD CIO)
  • Missile Technology Export Committee (MTEC)
  • Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence (USD(I&S))
  • National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA)
  • Joint Chiefs of Staff Technology Security & Export Control Office
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Exceptional ability to engage C-Suite executives and senior U.S. Government officials.
• Creative, resourceful, and energized by cross-functional collaboration.
• Excellent time management skills, attention to detail, and ability to handle confidential information.
• Willingness to travel outside of Washington, DC, up to 20% of the time. 

What Success Looks Like (12-18 Months):

• Government‑Affairs Rhythm: Establish a proactive, repeatable engagement cadence with interagency stakeholders (DOS, DoD, DOC) that helps clients enter global markets faster, deliver on time, and minimize compliance risks.
• Policy Intelligence & Communication: Stand up a concise policy radar that translates ITAR/EAR, TSFD, and Security Cooperation updates into actionable guidance for delivery teams and communicates policy impacts to customers when shaping export strategy.
• Association Influence: Build visible leadership in priority working groups, councils, and committees—representing DTS’ brand as the leader in defense trade and advocating policy positions that support DTS’s customer base.
• Tradecraft Unblocking: Reduce friction on complex cases (e.g., proviso reconsideration, jurisdiction & classification, technology release, TSFD assessments, USG engagement) by integrating advanced Subject Matter Expertise (SME) support into delivery‑team issue processing—finding the faster path to “YES.”
• Brand‑Safe Thought Leadership: Support executive‑level content that reflects DTS’ tone (confident, helpful, craft‑driven) and showcases impact customers care about—accelerated revenue recognition, risk mitigation, and market access.

Responsibilities: 

1) Government‑Affairs Leadership

• Lead DTS engagement with U.S. Government stakeholders across Security Cooperation, TSFD, Global Trade Compliance, and Global Trade Authorizations—owning relationships, meeting prep, escalation pathways, and follow‑through as recurring touchpoints or issue‑resolution sprints.
• Translate interagency feedback into practical actions for delivery teams and customers.

2) Policy Posture & Intelligence

• Build and run a radar for ITAR/EAR, AECA, TSFD, and FMS/DCS updates; publish concise, plain‑English briefs for customers and internal teams that flag changes, operational impacts, and growth opportunities.
• Participate in customer Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) to support the DTS President and Vice President.

3) Association Strategy & External Presence

• Plan and lead DTS participation in priority associations (committees, panels, working groups); secure roles that amplify access to U.S. Government networks, drive advocacy for customers, and enable thought leadership for staff.

4) Security Cooperation, TSFD & Arms Export Control Strategy (Advisor/Owner)

• Proactively guide strategies for releasability/exportability, licenses, agreements (TAA/MLA/WDA), proviso reconsiderations, jurisdiction & classifications, reexports/retransfers, exemptions & exceptions, and USG engagement approaches—partnering with the Vice President to raise tradecraft quality on complex issues.

5) Matrix Leadership & Enablement

• Provide dotted‑line leadership over export‑policy content (TSFD, Jurisdiction & Classification Analysis, releasability/exportability), industry association engagement, and USG‑engagement steps; support the Vice President in coaching staff on deliverable quality, scalability, and proactive identification of day‑to‑day export‑policy/strategy issues and opportunities.

Compensation: 

$150,000 - $195,000 base salary commensurate with years of experience, with 5-20% annual bonus based on individual and company performance.  Benefits include, but are not limited to, Medical, Vision, Dental insurance, 401(k) match, 3 weeks PTO, 1 week of sick leave, Holiday Shutdown, and 9/80 Schedule.   

Application instructions

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