ITAR Compliance Coordinator

Career Guide
An ITAR Compliance Coordinator helps an organization follow United States export control rules for defense related products, technical data, and services. The role focuses on keeping records, coordinating approvals, training staff, and supporting audits so the company can do business legally and reduce risk.

Key Responsibilities

  • Maintain ITAR compliance records and documentation
  • Support export license applications and coordinate required inputs
  • Screen customers, partners, and transactions for restricted party concerns
  • Coordinate controlled technical data handling and access controls
  • Track employee citizenship status needs for access to controlled data
  • Support classification workflows for products and technical data
  • Create and update compliance procedures and checklists
  • Deliver compliance training and track training completion
  • Support internal reviews and respond to audit requests
  • Coordinate incident reporting and corrective actions for potential violations

Top Skills for Success

Attention to Detail
Written Communication
Stakeholder Coordination
Process Documentation
Risk Awareness
Export Controls Knowledge
ITAR Knowledge
Restricted Party Screening
License Application Support
Recordkeeping Management
Technical Data Control
Audit Readiness

Career Progression

Can Lead To
Export Compliance Specialist
Trade Compliance Analyst
Global Trade Compliance Specialist
Export Licensing Specialist
Compliance Program Coordinator
Transition Opportunities
ITAR Compliance Manager
Trade Compliance Manager
Export Compliance Manager
Compliance Officer
Global Trade Compliance Lead

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills
Product ClassificationLicense DeterminationTechnical Data MarkingTechnology Control Plan DevelopmentInternal Investigation SupportVendor Compliance ManagementContract Compliance ReviewMetrics Reporting
Development SuggestionsBuild experience by supporting at least one end to end license workflow, maintaining a clear recordkeeping system, and partnering with engineering and information security on technical data access. Create simple reporting that tracks screenings, licenses, training completion, and audit findings.

Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range
Entry LevelUSD 55,000 to 75,000
Mid LevelUSD 75,000 to 105,000
Senior LevelUSD 105,000 to 140,000
Growth Trend
Steady demand, especially in aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing, and organizations working with controlled technical data. Hiring tends to increase with government contract activity and tighter compliance expectations.

Companies Hiring

Major Employers
Lockheed MartinNorthrop GrummanRaytheonBoeingGeneral DynamicsL3HarrisBAE SystemsSpaceXBlue OriginHoneywellCollins AerospaceGeneral Electric Aerospace
Industry Sectors
AerospaceDefenseSpaceAdvanced ManufacturingElectronicsRoboticsGovernment ContractingLogistics and Freight Forwarding

Recommended Next Steps

1
Learn the basics of ITAR, export licensing, and recordkeeping expectations
2
Practice running restricted party screening checks and documenting results
3
Create a repeatable checklist for shipping, data sharing, and visitor management
4
Support an internal audit and write a corrective action plan draft
5
Partner with engineering to understand how technical data is created and shared
6
Develop a simple dashboard for training completion and open compliance tasks
7
Update your resume with measurable outcomes such as audits supported and licenses coordinated