International Trade Counsel

Introduction

IBM Legal Counsel provide the strategic guidance and oversight that enable IBM to innovate responsibly, navigate global markets, and operate with integrity. Our teams manage high-stakes legal, regulatory, and compliance matters across the globe, ensuring trust with clients, partners, and international regulatory bodies.

Working as International Trade Counsel means tackling complex, fast-moving challenges at the intersection of technology and global commerce—from export controls and economic sanctions to customs compliance and cross-border trade policy. You’ll collaborate with product, engineering, and supply chain teams worldwide to protect IBM's global operations while actively enabling growth and market expansion. With continuous learning, deep global exposure, and unique opportunities to shape the future of technology through law and policy, IBM offers a dynamic environment to build your career while making a meaningful impact on a global scale.

Your Role And Responsibilities

As an International Trade Counsel, you will leverage your deep expertise in global trade regulations and the technology sector to drive strategic decision-making and safeguard the company's global operations. You will proactively navigate complex international frameworks to enable innovation, secure our global supply chain, and establish industry-leading compliance practices. Your work will directly impact how our hardware, software, and digital services scale globally.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide Global Trade Strategy & Counsel: Offer authoritative advice on complex international trade matters, including export controls (e.g., EAR, ITAR), economic sanctions (e.g., OFAC), import/customs regulations, and anti-boycott laws. Ensure agile compliance while supporting the rapid deployment of emerging tech (e.g., AI, cloud infrastructure, cryptography).
• Mitigate Geopolitical & Supply Chain Risk: Monitor, analyze, and brief leadership on shifting international trade policies, tariffs, and regulatory changes. Develop proactive mitigation strategies to protect the company’s global supply chain, cross-border data flows, and international market access.
• Oversee Trade Regulatory Audits & Investigations: Oversee internal reviews, disclosures, and responses to government inquiries or audits related to trade compliance. Serve as a primary legal point of contact for trade regulatory bodies.
• Provide Legal Guidance to Build & Modernize Trade Compliance Frameworks: Provide legal guidance to IBM's Export Regulation Office and Import Regulation Office to design, implement, and scale robust global trade compliance programs. This includes drafting policies, implementing automated screening screening tools, and delivering targeted training to engineering, product, and supply chain teams.
• Collaborate with Cross-Functional Stakeholders: Partner closely with product, engineering, logistics, procurement, ecosystem, and government affairs teams to anticipate regulatory impacts and integrate trade compliance seamlessly into the product development lifecycle and go-to-market strategies.
  
  

Required Technical And Professional Expertise

• Expertise in International Trade Law: Ability to drive strategic decision-making and shape organizational approaches to complex global trade matters, leveraging extensive professional legal training and experience in international commerce.
• Comprehensive Knowledge of Trade Regulations: In-depth understanding of global trade frameworks, specifically including export controls (EAR, ITAR), economic sanctions (OFAC), customs and import regulations, antiboycott laws, and foreign investment reviews (CFIUS/national security protocols).
• Regulatory Enforcement & Risk Mitigation: Experience handling regulatory inquiries, disclosures, and audits before trade enforcement agencies (such as BIS, OFAC, DDTC, and CBP) and designing and implementing global trade compliance programs.
• Tech-Sector Trade Management: Familiarity with technical trade challenges unique to the technology sector, such as the export classification of hardware, software, and encryption/dual-use technologies, as well as managing global supply chain compliance.
• Strategic Legal Planning & Cross-Functional Alignment: Ability to define and implement comprehensive compliance strategies that align with organizational objectives, partnering closely with product, engineering, logistics, and business development teams to drive long-term, compliant global growth.
  
  

Preferred Technical And Professional Experience

• Corporate, Government, and/or Law Firm Experience: At least five years of experience serving as corporate internal trade counsel, within a relevant government regulatory or enforcement agency (e.g., OFAC, BIS, DOJ National Security Division), and/or within an internationally recognized law firm's international trade practice.
• Emerging Tech & Digital Trade Expertise: Experience handling trade controls related to cutting-edge technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) models, Quantum computing, advanced semiconductors, cloud computing, and cryptographic hardware/software.
• Global Jurisdictional Familiarity: Experience navigating not just U.S. regulations, but also non-U.S. trade regimes, particularly European Union (EU) dual-use regulations, UK sanctions, and Asia-Pacific (APAC) trade compliance frameworks and blocking statutes.
• Trade Automation & Legal Tech: Familiarity with leveraging modern Global Trade Management (GTM) software, data analytics (e.g., SQL, Power BI), or automated screening systems to scale compliance programs across millions of transactions.
• M&A and Third-Party Risk Management: Proven track record of conducting international trade due diligence for corporate mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures, as well as vetting complex global distributor and vendor networks.
• Exceptional Communication & Ambiguity Management: Demonstrated ability to translate highly technical, ambiguous legal regulations into clear, actionable product requirements for engineering and product management teams.