International Trade Counsel

IBM
IBM

Legal

Tokyo, Japan · Washington, DC, USA

Posted on Jun 5, 2026
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 education
Doctorate Degree
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.

ABOUT BUSINESS UNIT

IBM Corporate Headquarters (CHQ) team represents a variety of functions such as marketing, finance, legal, operations, HR, and more, all working together to solve some of the world's most complex problems, help our clients achieve success and build collaborative work environments for IBMers.

YOUR LIFE @ IBM

In a world where technology never stands still, we understand that, dedication to our clients success, innovation that matters, and trust and personal responsibility in all our relationships, lives in what we do as IBMers as we strive to be the catalyst that makes the world work better.

Being an IBMer means you’ll be able to learn and develop yourself and your career, you’ll be encouraged to be courageous and experiment everyday, all whilst having continuous trust and support in an environment where everyone can thrive whatever their personal or professional background.

Our IBMers are growth minded, always staying curious, open to feedback and learning new information and skills to constantly transform themselves and our company. They are trusted to provide on-going feedback to help other IBMers grow, as well as collaborate with colleagues keeping in mind a team focused approach to include different perspectives to drive exceptional outcomes for our customers. The courage our IBMers have to make critical decisions everyday is essential to IBM becoming the catalyst for progress, always embracing challenges with resources they have to hand, a can-do attitude and always striving for an outcome focused approach within everything that they do.

Are you ready to be an IBMer?

ABOUT IBM

IBM’s greatest invention is the IBMer. We believe that through the application of intelligence, reason and science, we can improve business, society and the human condition, bringing the power of an open hybrid cloud and AI strategy to life for our clients and partners around the world.

Restlessly reinventing since 1911, we are not only one of the largest corporate organizations in the world, we’re also one of the biggest technology and consulting employers, with many of the Fortune 500 companies relying on the IBM Cloud to run their business.

At IBM, we pride ourselves on being an early adopter of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and blockchain. Now it’s time for you to join us on our journey to being a responsible technology innovator and a force for good in the world.

IBM is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, or other characteristics protected by the applicable law. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.

OTHER RELEVANT JOB DETAILS

IBM offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits program. Eligible employees may have access to:

- Healthcare benefits including medical & prescription drug coverage, dental, vision, and mental health & well being

- Financial programs such as 401(k), cash balance pension plan, the IBM Employee Stock Purchase Plan, financial counseling, life insurance, short & long- term disability coverage, and opportunities for performance based salary incentive programs

- Generous paid time off including 12 holidays, minimum 56 hours sick time, 120 hours vacation, 12 weeks parental bonding leave in accordance with IBM Policy, and other Paid Care Leave programs. IBM also offers paid family leave benefits to eligible employees where required by applicable law

- Training and educational resources on our personalized, AI-driven learning platform where IBMers can grow skills and obtain industry-recognized certifications to achieve their career goals

- Diverse and inclusive employee resource groups, giving & volunteer opportunities, and discounts on retail products, services & experiences

We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable law.

This position was posted on the date cited in the key job details section and is anticipated to remain posted for 21 days from this date or less if not needed to fill the role.

IBM will not be providing visa sponsorship for this position now or in the future. Therefore, in order to be considered for this position, you must have the ability to work without a need for current or future visa sponsorship.

The compensation range and benefits for this position are based on a full-time schedule for a full calendar year. The salary will vary depending on your job-related skills, experience and location. Pay increment and frequency of pay will be in accordance with employment classification and applicable laws. For part time roles, your compensation and benefits will be adjusted to reflect your hours. Benefits may be pro-rated for those who start working during the calendar year.

See more open positions at IBM