Trade & Export Compliance Program Lead

About Hydra Host

Hydra Host is a fast-growing technology company delivering cloud infrastructure, developer tooling, and data services to enterprise and government customers worldwide. Our products touch customers in virtually every jurisdiction, making trade and export compliance a mission-critical function that directly enables our ability to sell, ship, and grow globally. We are building a world-class compliance program and are looking for an experienced operator to lead it.

Position Overview

The Trade & Export Compliance Program Lead owns Hydra Host's end-to-end trade compliance program. You will translate complex U.S. regulations — EAR, OFAC sanctions, import rules, and related regimes — into scalable operational processes, automated tooling, and clear internal policies. You will partner closely with others in Legal, Sales, Logistics/Supply Chain, Engineering, and Finance to ensure that compliance is embedded in every product, transaction, and customer relationship. This is a senior individual-contributor role with the expectation that it will grow into a team leadership position as the program matures.  There is also a potential opportunity to expand the role into other compliance areas as the team evolves and grows.

Key Responsibilities

Program Design & Implementation

• Design, build, and continuously improve Hydra Host's trade compliance program from policy through operational execution, with an emphasis on scalability as the company grows.
• Translate new and amended U.S. export control regulations (EAR, OFAC sanctions, ITAR where applicable) into clear internal requirements, working hand-in-hand with outside and in-house counsel.
• Develop, maintain, and train on written compliance policies, procedures, and desk guides across impacted business units.

Advanced Computing & Emerging Technology Controls

• Serve as the company's subject-matter expert on Advanced Computing export controls, including classification of AI chips, accelerators, and related software and technology under EAR controls.
• Monitor BIS regulatory activity — including Entity List updates, new Foreign Direct Product Rules, and rule changes affecting AI/semiconductor supply chains — and operationalize new requirements on tight timelines.
• Advise Product, Sales, and Engineering on classification (ECCN determination), jurisdiction analysis, and de minimis / foreign-direct product rule assessments.

Licensing & License Exceptions

• Draft, submit, and manage Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) and OFAC license applications.
• Maintain a license management system tracking conditions, reports, authorized end-users, and renewal deadlines.
• Identify and operationalize applicable license exceptions (ENC, LPP, RPL, etc.), including implementing exception-specific recordkeeping and semi-annual / annual reporting obligations.

Screening & Automated Tools

• Own and continuously improve Hydra Host's automated restricted-party screening infrastructure, including screening against the Consolidated Screening List (CSL), SDN/OFAC lists, and other government deny/watch lists.
• Define screening logic, match-rate thresholds, and escalation workflows; partner with Engineering to integrate screening into order management, provisioning, and CRM systems.
• Evaluate and implement third-party screening platforms as the business scales; manage vendor relationships and SLAs.
• Implement and operationalize OFAC's 50 Percent Rule for ownership-based blocking, including the data enrichment and beneficial-ownership workflows needed to identify SDN-owned entities not themselves on the SDN List.

Military End-Use / End-User & KYC Due Diligence

• Operationalize military end-use and end-user controls under EAR Part 744, including Red Flag identification protocols and procedures for catching prohibited MEU/MEU transactions.
• Lead Know Your Customer (KYC) due diligence for higher-risk transactions and customer segments, developing tiered review procedures proportionate to risk.
• Manage escalations, internal investigations, and voluntary self-disclosures in coordination with legal counsel.

Reporting & Recordkeeping

• Ensure timely submission of all required regulatory reports (e.g., ENC semi-annual reports, OFAC annual reports, BIS license condition reports).
• Maintain records in compliance with EAR Part 762 and OFAC retention requirements; manage audit-readiness across the program.

Training & Culture

• Design and deliver export compliance training for Sales, Engineering, Finance, and other impacted teams; adapt training content for technical and non-technical audiences.
• Serve as a visible internal resource and escalation point; foster a culture where employees proactively surface compliance questions.

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of hands-on trade compliance program experience, with demonstrated ownership of program implementation and scaling and significant experience developing export compliance operational strategy, preferably in a technology, SaaS, semiconductor, or cloud infrastructure company.
• Deep working knowledge of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), OFAC sanctions regulations, and associated enforcement guidance.
• Proven experience managing Advanced Computing export controls (e.g., EAR controls on high-performance GPUs/accelerators, AI chips, and related software/technology), including ECCN classification and FDP rule analysis.
• Experience drafting and managing export license applications and advisory opinions with BIS and/or OFAC.
• Demonstrated ability to identify, implement, and manage license exceptions (ENC, LPP, RPL, etc.) including associated reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
• Experience building, deploying, or managing automated restricted-party screening systems, including defining match logic and integrating screening into business workflows.
• Solid understanding of military end-use / end-user restrictions under EAR Part 744 and experience implementing MEU/MEU compliance procedures.
• Hands-on KYC due diligence experience, including risk-based tiering, beneficial ownership analysis, and red-flag investigations.
• Strong command of OFAC sanctions programs and practical experience applying the 50 Percent Rule, including beneficial-ownership data workflows.
• Ability to independently read, analyze, and synthesize complex regulatory text and translate requirements into actionable operational processes in partnership with legal counsel.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to explain nuanced regulatory requirements to non-expert audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

The following are not required but will distinguish candidates:

• Experience with EU Dual-Use Regulation (EU 2021/821) and/or EU sanctions compliance.
• Familiarity with import compliance requirements, including HTS classification, CBP entry procedures, and import licensing.
• Experience in a high-growth or scaling technology company, including building compliance programs with limited resources and maturing them as the organization grows.
• Juris Doctor (J.D.) or equivalent law degree. A J.D. is not required — deep regulatory and operational expertise is what matters most — but legal training may be beneficial given the interpretive complexity of export control law.

What We Offer

• A high-impact, high-visibility role at a company where export compliance is a strategic priority, not an afterthought.
• Direct partnership with Legal, Product, and Executive leadership on consequential regulatory and business decisions.
• Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits.
• Flexibility to work remotely with travel as needed for team meetings and regulatory engagements.
• A collaborative environment that values deep subject-matter expertise and operational excellence.

Hydra Host is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds.

To apply, submit your resume and a brief cover letter describing your export compliance experience to careers@hydrahost.com.