Export Control Compliance Lead
CERN · Tills vidare · Deadline 2026-11-20
CERN is recruiting an **Export Control Compliance Lead** for a 60-month contract starting in March 2027, based **fully on-site**. Working within the Resilience team, the role focuses on establishing and leading CERN's new Export Control Compliance Office. Responsibilities include building the internal compliance governance framework, policies, tools, and training to embed a risk-based programme across the organization. The position serves as the central focal point for export controls, advising management and personnel, managing export authorisations, conducting classifications and due diligence screenings, serving as secretariat to the Export Control Compliance Committee, and liaising with peer organisations and national authorities. Applicants must hold a **master’s degree, PhD, or equivalent relevant experience** in international relations, engineering, law, compliance, economics, business, or a related field. Required qualifications include demonstrated experience in export controls within regulated sectors such as research, higher education, aerospace, defence, manufacturing, or energy, alongside proven experience building or maturing compliance programmes and conducting regulatory assessments. Candidates must have spoken and written proficiency in **English or French, with a commitment to learn the other**. Familiarity with U.S., EU, Swiss, or UK export-control regimes and certifications in export control or compliance are advantageous.
What you'll do:
CERN's scientific mission relies on the exchange of knowledge, technologies and equipment across borders. Ensuring that these exchanges meet export-control requirements is essential to managing risks and enabling responsible research.
To support a consistent, proportionate and risk-based approach to export-control compliance, CERN is establishing an internal compliance programme, centred on a new CERN Export Control Compliance Office.
As Export Control Compliance Lead, you will establish and lead the Export Control Compliance Office, developing the governance, policies and processes needed to embed this programme across the Organization.
Working within the Resilience team in OSI-ICS, you will conduct classifications, screenings, due diligence reviews, compliance assessments and export-control evaluations. You will provide expert advice to CERN Management on export-control and related regulatory risks, and work closely with legal, technical and operational experts to ensure effective implementation of export-control requirements.
This is an opportunity to shape a new compliance function at the intersection of science, advanced technology and international regulation.
Your responsibilities:
- Establish and lead CERN's Export Control Compliance Office, developing and implementing the governance framework, policies, processes, guidance, tools and training needed to support a consistent, proportionate and risk-based approach to export-control compliance across the Organization.
- Act as CERN's central focal point for export-control compliance matters, advising personnel, promoting awareness, conducting classifications, screenings, end-user and end-use reviews, compliance assessments, determinations and other due diligence activities, and coordinating inputs as required.
- Support and monitor the operational implementation of export-control requirements and decisions, including the management of export authorisations and associated compliance measures; act as principal adviser and secretariat to the Export Control Compliance Committee and coordinate departmental export-control liaison officers.
- Serve as CERN's contact point on export-control matters with relevant national authorities, external advisers and peer organisations, and maintain an effective external network within the export-control compliance community, particularly in the research sector.
- Maintain authoritative records of export-control compliance assessments, determinations, authorisations, policies, procedures and supporting documentation, including registers of technologies, activities, institutions and persons subject to screening, due diligence or export-control requirements.
- Monitor the effectiveness of CERN's export-control compliance arrangements, identify emerging risks, issues and trends, support the management of incidents, and provide reporting, escalation and recommendations for their continual improvement.
- Carry out such other tasks as may be required to deliver an effective export-control compliance programme.
Your profile:
- Demonstrated experience working in export controls within regulated sectors such as aerospace, defence, manufacturing, energy, research or higher education.
- Strong knowledge of export-control and dual-use regulatory frameworks; familiarity with one or more of the U.S., EU, Swiss and/or UK export-control regimes is an advantage.
- Demonstrated experience establishing, implementing or maturing compliance programmes, governance arrangements and internal controls.
- Demonstrated experience conducting compliance assessments, due diligence activities, export-control evaluations, export licensing or other regulatory-compliance processes.
- Strong interpersonal and coordination skills, with the ability to work effectively across technical, administrative, legal and external stakeholders.
- Strong analytical, drafting and documentation skills, with the ability to translate complex regulatory requirements into practical guidance, procedures and compliance measures.
- Sound judgement and the ability to assess complex compliance matters, weigh competing considerations and formulate clear, evidence-based recommendations and compliance determinations.
- Master's degree or PhD or equivalent relevant experience in the field of International Relations, Engineering, Law, Compliance, Economics, Business or a related field. A recognised qualification or certification in export control or compliance would be an advantage.
Your skills:
- Organisational design & development.
- Knowledge management.
- Organisation, planning and control.
- Risk management.
- Archiving and records management.
- Drives work / projects along and sees them through to their conclusion.
- Remains objective, focussed and productive in a stressful environment; focuses on solutions rather than problems.
- Anticipates obstacles; assesses alternative solutions in order to have a fall-back plan.
- Keeps up-to-date with developments in own field of expertise and readily absorbs new information.
- Develops organisational strategy by anticipating future trends and taking a long term view of issues that impact CERN and its environment.
- Spoken and written English or French, with a commitment to learn the other language.
Ideal start date: 01/03/2027
Contract duration (in months): 60
Grade range: 6
Benchmark job: 5A0010 - Business Process Analyst
Job flexibility: Fully Onsite
For more information abour the vacancy and application process, please visit: https://careers.cern/jobs/osi-ics-2026-212-ld-2/