Senior Compliance Counsel

Job description

The Role As EnerVenue expands into new international markets, cross-border sales expose the company to growing export control, anti-corruption and regulatory risk — risk that is currently handled reactively, with no dedicated owner. The Senior Compliance Counsel builds and independently runs a proactive compliance program: export control classification and screening, anti-corruption due diligence, training, and risk assessments. The objective is to clear market-entry and deal risk ahead of time rather than after a shipment or a deal is already exposed — preventing costly enforcement issues, protecting revenue-generating deals from late-stage compliance surprises, and building the governance track record the company will need for future financing or listing diligence. Key Responsibilities Compliance Program Design & Risk Assessment: · Independently design, implement and continuously improve the company's compliance program — including but not limited to export control and trade compliance, anti-corruption, data privacy and other applicable regulatory areas — tailored to the company's international operations and risk profile. · Conduct periodic compliance risk assessments across business units and markets, prioritizing areas of highest exposure and translating findings into actionable remediation plans. · Monitor regulatory developments across the jurisdictions in which the company operates and proactively advise the business on the impact of new or changing requirements. Export Control & Trade Compliance: · Serve as the company's expert on export control and trade compliance matters, including product classification, licensing determinations and restricted-party screening under the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and equivalent regimes in other markets. · Design and administer the export control screening protocols, recordkeeping and escalation procedures applied to new markets and new customers. · Partner with Sales and Supply Chain to clear export control and trade compliance questions ahead of new market entry or customer onboarding. Training, Investigations & Compliance Culture: · Independently design and deliver compliance training programs — covering export controls, anti-corruption, data privacy and other applicable topics — tailored to different functions and seniority levels across the organization. · Lead or support internal investigations into potential compliance violations, from initial fact-finding through remediation. · Build and maintain compliance policies, procedures and reporting mechanisms, including any whistleblower or reporting channel, keeping them current with regulatory change and operational reality. Position Requirements: Required: · Qualified lawyer (PRC legal qualification and/or foreign bar admission) with a minimum of 8 years of relevant experience, including substantial in-house or law firm compliance experience. · Demonstrated track record of independently designing and running compliance programs and projects at an internationally operating company. · Fluent written and spoken English and Mandarin Chinese. Preferred: · Experience with U.S. export control and trade compliance regimes (EAR, OFAC sanctions) relevant to manufacturing or technology companies with cross-border sales. · Experience with anti-corruption and anti-bribery compliance (e.g., FCPA or equivalent regimes) in emerging or higher-risk markets. · Experience independently designing and delivering compliance training programs and leading internal investigations. Mandatory Core Competencies • Independent Program Ownership: Designs and runs compliance projects end-to-end without needing close direction, and knows when to escalate a matter versus resolve it independently. • Regulatory Translation: Converts complex, cross-jurisdictional regulatory requirements into clear, actionable guidance that business teams can actually follow. • Training & Influence: Delivers training and communicates compliance expectations in a way that changes day-to-day behaviour, rather than checking a box. What Success Looks Like • First 90 days: Onboarded on the company's operations, markets and existing compliance posture. An initial compliance risk assessment completed, identifying the highest-priority gaps. Key stakeholders across Sales, Supply Chain, HR and Finance met. • 6 months: At least one full compliance training program designed and rolled out. Export control screening and classification procedures established or refined for the company's core markets. A compliance policy and reporting framework built covering the highest-priority risk areas identified in the initial assessment. • 12 months: An independently run compliance program in operation, with regular risk assessments, a training cadence and investigation protocols in place. A demonstrated track record of resolving compliance issues before they escalate. Trusted by the business as a proactive advisor rather than a late-stage blocker. Key Working Relationships Internal: · General Counsel and Legal team (regular) · Sales, Supply Chain and HR leaders (regular, cross-functional) External: · Outside compliance and regulatory counsel (as needed) · Regulators and industry compliance networks (as needed) What EnerVenue Offers · A greenfield mandate: you will build the company's compliance program from the ground up and run it independently, not administer someone else's framework. · Direct partnership with the General Counsel and with sales, supply chain and HR leadership as the company enters new international markets. · Governance work that matters commercially — the program you build is what future financing and listing diligence will be measured against. · A well-capitalized growth stage: US$300M Series B extension closed in 2026, with the Changzhou base scaling from 250 MWh toward 1 GWh. · A mission-driven team building grid infrastructure designed to last 30 years, not a short-cycle consumer product. About EnerVenue EnerVenue is a Silicon Valley-based energy infrastructure company commercializing metal-hydrogen battery technology originally developed by NASA for the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station. Founded in 2020 by Stanford Professor Yi Cui, EnerVenue adapts this proven aerospace chemistry for grid-scale terrestrial energy storage, delivering batteries with 30,000+ cycle lifetimes, inherent fire-safety, and a 30-year design life. In 2026, EnerVenue closed a $300 million Series B extension and is well capitalized for growth. Funds are being deployed to build a high-volume manufacturing facility in Changzhou, China, targeting 250 MWh capacity by Q3 2026 and 1 GWh by 2027. EnerVenue has been named one of Time magazine's Top 10 US Green Technology Companies of 2025.