Compliance Manager - ATF/NFA/ITAR
Travelers Rest, SC | Full-Time | Onsite
Base Salary: 100K–110K + 13% Variable Compensation
Have you actually owned firearms or regulated-manufacturing compliance — not just worked somewhere that had a compliance department?
Do you know how to take a changing regulation, determine what it means to the business, turn it into an operating procedure, train the organization on it, and make sure people actually follow it?
If so, check this out.
We’re partnering with a growing U.S. manufacturer in the firearms and defense space that is looking for a Compliance Manager to own its regulatory compliance function.
This is not a paperwork-processing role and it is not a position for someone whose experience has primarily been following someone else’s compliance procedures.
You’ll be responsible for leading firearm regulatory compliance and risk management surrounding ATF, National Firearms Act (NFA), ITAR, export controls, DoD requirements, serialized products, licensing and distribution. The company’s existing job description specifically calls for ownership of firearm regulatory policy, ATF/NFA interaction, internal audits, physical product controls and the ongoing revision of compliance procedures as regulations change.
The company already has a strong Compliance Administrator. They need the person above that function who can set the standard, interpret the rules and own the program.
You’ll be the internal authority on regulatory compliance across manufacturing and distribution.
That means:
Owning compliance related to ATF, NFA, ITAR, export licensing and applicable DoD requirements
Serving as a Responsible Person on the company’s license
Working directly with the ATF, NFA branches, law enforcement and other regulatory bodies
Ensuring accurate ATF forms, Bound Book records and transaction records for serialized inventory
Monitoring legislative, regulatory and judicial developments affecting production, distribution, transfer and export
Translating regulatory changes into practical policies, procedures and work instructions
Developing and maintaining internal compliance controls
Training employees and operational teams
Conducting internal audits of processes, documentation and physical product controls
Preparing for and helping lead ATF or other regulatory audits
Managing the company’s Compliance Administrator
Partnering closely with manufacturing, shipping/receiving, inventory, supply chain, finance and executive leadership
Supporting import/export requirements, rules of origin and government/DoD contracting activity
Those ATF forms, Bound Book requirements, serialized inventory controls, regulatory monitoring and supervision responsibilities are all specifically part of the existing position.
This company does not want a compliance cop whose answer to every question is “no.”
They want somebody who understands that compliance exists to protect the company and allow the business to operate successfully inside the rules.
You should be comfortable assessing risk, explaining it to leadership and helping the organization find a compliant path forward.
The company describes this as delivering “pragmatic, risk-based direction.”
5+ years of regulatory/compliance experience within firearms, suppressors, ammunition, defense manufacturing or another highly regulated manufacturing environment
Direct experience with ATF and/or NFA-regulated products
Experience owning a compliance program or meaningful portions of one
Working knowledge of ITAR, export licensing and DoD requirements
Experience writing policies, procedures or work instructions
Experience training employees on compliance requirements
Experience conducting or leading regulatory/internal audits
Familiarity with serialized inventory and physical product controls
Experience interacting directly with regulators or government agencies
The ability to communicate with executives and operating teams without becoming a roadblock
The formal requirements also include a Bachelor’s degree and U.S. citizenship due to ITAR regulations.
Someone who has owned compliance for a firearms, suppressor or ammunition manufacturer should immediately get our attention.
We would also consider someone coming from defense, aerospace or another heavily regulated manufacturer who has substantial ITAR/export, government contracting, audit and controlled-inventory experience and can learn the firearms-specific regulatory environment.
You probably aren't the right fit if your firearms experience has primarily been:
Retail gun-store compliance
Completing forms somebody else designed
Following established SOPs without creating them
Administrative processing of transfers
Working around regulated products without actually owning compliance
Legal/paralegal support without operational manufacturing responsibility
There is an experienced Compliance Administrator already doing the transactional work.
They need the person who builds, interprets, teaches, audits and owns the system.
That distinction matters.
Be prepared to walk us through:
“Tell me about your experience dealing directly with ATF/NFA-regulated products.”
From there, we’re going to want to understand:
What part of compliance did you personally own?
What policies or procedures did you create?
Have you trained employees?
Have you led or participated in an ATF or regulatory audit?
Have you managed serialized inventory or Bound Book requirements?
What did you do when a regulatory interpretation changed?
How did you turn a regulation into an operating process?
How did you work with operations without becoming a roadblock?
Tell us about a regulatory risk you identified before it became a problem.
What direct interaction have you had with regulators?
Have you managed employees?
Those answers will tell us considerably more than the title on your résumé.
The compliance function currently consists of the Compliance Manager and Compliance Administrator.
As part of an organizational evolution, this position is expected to ultimately report to the CFO, creating intentional separation between the operating teams executing the procedures and the compliance organization responsible for establishing and auditing them.
You’ll have visibility across the company and regular interaction with senior leadership.
100K–110K base salary
13% variable compensation, based on company profitability and departmental KPIs
Variable compensation paid monthly
Potential total compensation approaching approximately $125K
Health insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Disability insurance
PTO
401(k)
The company's formal package includes health, vision, dental and disability insurance, PTO and 401(k).
And perhaps most importantly: this is an ownership role.
Y
ou are not being hired to inherit a binder and keep filling out forms.
You are being hired to help determine how a growing regulated manufacturer operates responsibly, efficiently and compliantly as the business evolves.
October 4, 2026