Listed on Orbital Diplomat 20 Jul 2026
Thales Alenia Space is a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), employing around 8,900 people across 10 countries with 17 European sites and a US plant. For over 40 years it has delivered high-technology solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, environmental management, exploration, science, and orbital infrastructure — serving governments, space agencies, and commercial operators worldwide. This Trade Compliance Manager position reports to the entity's Trade Compliance Director and is delegated by the GBU/CBU Trade Compliance Director to ensure that Thales Alenia Space's Italian operations comply with all applicable export control regulations, restrictive measures, and customs requirements. The role encompasses the full trade compliance lifecycle — from classification of hardware, software, services, and technologies through licence management, internal audits, training, and regulatory monitoring — with the aim of protecting the company against non-compliance risk in an increasingly complex and rapidly evolving international regulatory environment. For space law and governance professionals, this is a substantive in-house compliance role at one of Europe's two largest space prime contractors, offering direct engagement with the export control frameworks — EU Dual Use Regulation, ITAR, EAR, and national Italian regulations — that govern the most sensitive technologies in the European space industrial base. The position requires 15-22 years of relevant experience.
15-22 years of relevant professional experience in trade compliance, export controls, or international regulatory affairs Deep knowledge of national and international export control regulations applicable to space, defence, and dual-use technologies Familiarity with EU restrictive measures, customs regulations, and multilateral export control regimes Experience deploying and implementing trade compliance programmes in an industrial or manufacturing environment Ability to advise programme teams, legal counsel, and senior management on compliance risks and mitigation strategies Italian language proficiency required for local regulatory engagement; English proficiency required for international operations Eligibility to work in Italy required