Trade Compliance Specialist in Luton

Your Impact

As a Trade Compliance Specialist you will work within our Trade Compliance department to support the management of aspects relating to UK Export Control and Trade Compliance. You will be part of a team which provides a business support service, including advice and guidance, to Leonardo's Luton business operations and functions to ensure the business remains compliant with UK and other relevant trade control laws and regulations. The role may involve some national travel and possibly international travel. Hybrid working, the role will be a mixture of onsite working and home working.

What you'll do as a Trade Compliance Specialist

• Ensure record keeping is in accordance with company procedures to comply with HMRC and DBT regulations.
• Processing of re-exports of imported goods under Customs control to ensure financial liabilities can be discharged.
• Work with Project Teams and functions to ensure that Export Control and Trade Compliance aspects of Equipment and Technology (including data) are properly managed by IPTs in compliance with UK and Foreign export authorisations.
• Support preparations for internal/external audits relating to Export Control and Trade Compliance matters.
• Provide advice and guidance to Project Teams to ensure compliance with UK Export Control regulations, as well as conforming with internal corporate policies and procedures. This will include advising the internal business of the most appropriate and valid UK export licences for their needs including any required authorisations, e.g. MOD Form 680s, End User Undertakings and other government permissions necessary for the export from the UK of tangibles and intangibles.
• UK Export Licensing: submission and management of Export Licence applications to the UK Department for Business & International Trade Export Control Joint Unit (“DBT-ECJU”) via SPIRE / LITE to ensure UK export licences meet company requirements.
• Submission, where required, of MoD Form 680 (“F680”) applications to UK MoD via SPIRE/LITE and liaison with UK MoD in order to secure approvals consistent with the company requirements.
• Undertake specialist work and provide professional advice and make recommendations to Project Teams (“IPTs”) to support their effectiveness to ensure Commodity List Classification (CLC)/ Export Control Ratings are in place to support compliance with UK Export regulations.
• Ensure the IPTs achieve clear guidance on licensing and customs matters in order to secure outputs to time.
• Contribute at all stages of the IPTs delivery to ensure that compliance is taken into account and adhered to at all stages.
• Proactively contribute to planning and management through the application of technical expertise of export licensing and customs management.
• Import Control. Ensure the correct processing of imported goods in accordance with the relevant Customs Authorisations, including associated record keeping and periodic reporting to HMRC. Provide import clearance instructions to freight agents in an efficient and timely manner to enable prompt customs clearance and delivery of goods to the business. Process internal reports and ensure record keeping is completed to ensure compliance with HMRC regulations.
• Export Control and related customs procedures: process export notifications and requests, providing the business with accurate export documentation in an efficient and timely manner, assigning appropriate Export licences and customs procedures within the company business systems (currently SAP). Provide export clearance documentation and instructions to the Shipping.

What you'll bring

• Experienced export control/trade compliance practitioner with detailed knowledge of UK Export Licensing, including Trade Controls.
• Good working knowledge of foreign import/export regulations, particularly EU Member States and the US ITAR and US EAR, including US ITAR Agreements and General Correspondence/Retransfer requests under US and other export control regulations.
• Good working knowledge of UK/EU Customs regulations.
• Presentation skills in order to deliver training.
• Good all round computer literacy including Microsoft Office applications.

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV).

Why join us

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

• Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.
• Secure your Future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
• Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity.
• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.
• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
• Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.
• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
• Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety. At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know. Be part of something bigger - apply now!