Trade Compliance Specialist Internships
Trade compliance specialist internships give university students, recent graduates, and early-career switchers hands-on project experience in customs regulations and export controls, mentorship from working trade compliance professionals, and, at many employers, a path toward a full-time offer. Openings are concentrated across {{top_industries_phrase}}, with Jabil, Shure, and Garmin among the employers posting roles now.
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Company Overview
Metrea delivers effects-as-a-service to national security partners across five domains and more than a dozen mission areas. These include airborne ISR, electronic warfare, secure communications, aerial refueling, special air missions, aerial firefighting, and advanced simulation. We own the whole stack: designing, building, and operating turnkey capabilities that give our partners decisive, asymmetric advantage against rapidly evolving threats.
Our operating model is built around three interlocking pillars. The Support Groups provide a global shared-service – spanning people, finance, platform, operations, legal, and engagement. This frees up our Core Groups, who develop and own mission capabilities end-to-end, to focus entirely on delivery. The Market Groups apply a regional lens, ensuring that our agile and adaptable capabilities remain aligned to the wicked problems that matter most to our partners across the Americas, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific.
At the heart of our model is a simple but powerful idea: be a true partner with skin in the game. Our partners need effects, not just equipment. By owning the full stack – from the lab to the field – we are able to drive a continuous cycle of innovation that keeps our partners ahead. It's a fast-moving, intellectually demanding environment where talented people are given real responsibility, work on problems that matter, and contribute to an enterprise that is growing quickly and deliberately.
Headquartered in Washington, DC, with facilities across the United States, the United Kingdom, as well as Continental Europe and Asia-Pacific.
Position Summary
The Global Trade & Customs (GTC) team is responsible for the compliance execution of global export controls, sanction laws, and regulations. The preferred candidate will work closely with GTC, Legal, and programs to apply international trade laws and regulations to support and drive international business
What You'll Do
- Assist the GTC team in any compliance related tasks
- Support in the retention and organization of relevant documentation and records
- Participate in training on export processes, international trade regulations, and compliance requirements
- Research the applicable laws and regulations, as well as Metrea’s business operations in order to audit and assess areas of operational risk
- Review GTC related educational material and assist in improving educational materials.
- Complete, with the assistance of the GTC team, a quarterly compliance audit to be presented before the close of the internship
What You Bring
- Strong commitment to compliance, integrity, and ethical standards
- Excellent judgment and analytical problem-solving skills
- Effective communication, interpersonal, and customer relationship management
- Highly proactive, organized, and detail-oriented
- Dedicated to continuous learning, self-development, and professional growth
- Adaptable and capable of managing multiple priorities
Additional Eligibility Qualifications
- Demonstrated interest in compliance, national security, export, or international trade.
Benefits
- Comprehensive medical plan options
- HSA/FSA accounts
- Dental and vision coverage
- 6% employer 401(k) match
- Fully paid parental leave for all new parents
- Generous PTO
- Life and disability insurance
- Long-term and Short-term disability coverage
- AD&D Coverage
- Pet Insurance
- Employee Assistance Program
- Subsided gym membership / plans through Wellhub
Work Authorization / Security Clearance
- Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States
- Must be a U.S. citizen
- Role may require adherence to export control regulations (ITAR/EAR)
AAP/EEO Statement
This Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.
Position Type and Expected Hours of Work
This is a full-time non-exempt position with typical working hours of Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Hours and work shifts may change in accordance with department and business needs. Non-Exempt employees may be required to work over 40 hours per week with approval from the department manager.
Work Environment
This job operates in an office setting.
Travel
This role requires minimum travel; approximately 5%
Base Pay Range
The compensation range shown below is a good faith estimate and reflects the expected base pay for this position upon hire. This is just one component of Metrea's overall approach to total rewards and final compensation decisions, including the ultimate salary or hourly rate agreed upon, may vary depending on factors such as job location, job-specific knowledge, skills, experience, and the overall negotiated compensation package. Eligible full-time employees also receive a comprehensive benefits package designed to support their health, wellbeing, and long-term success.
Our Firmware
At Metrea, our single core value is Rooted in Humility, and our four cornerstone attributes are Entrepreneurial, Systematic, Discerning, and Over-Deliver. These form what we call our Teammate Firmware. Just like technical firmware connects software and hardware, our Firmware is the constant interface between our mission and our people. It defines how we show up, how we work together, and how we solve complex problems.
Our team Firmware creates a web-like, hyper-collaborative, dynamically hierarchical way of working that helps us adapt quickly, communicate openly, and distribute decision-making to where expertise actually lives. It enables groups to self-organize around hard problems, shift fluidly as priorities evolve, and operate with the trust, curiosity, and discipline required in a complex mission space. This foundation allows us to deliver elegant, effective solutions and uphold our purpose: protecting our precious inheritance.
Trade Compliance Specialist Internship Market
Who's Hiring
Tips for Your Trade Compliance Specialist Internship Search
Apply earlier than you think necessary
Large employers in sectors like manufacturing, retail, and freight recruit summer trade compliance interns during the preceding fall semester. Smaller companies and co-op programs post on a rolling basis closer to start dates. Starting your search well before the semester you want to intern keeps you in the first wave, not the waitlist.
Build a compliance project portfolio before you apply
Hiring teams for trade compliance internships expect limited work history, so your strongest proof is documented project work. A tariff classification analysis, an export control compliance memo, or a sanctions screening case study gives recruiters something specific to evaluate. Name the regulatory frameworks and tools you used in each project.
Work your campus network alongside direct applications
Campus career fairs surface structured trade compliance programs tied to your university, and recruiters there often move faster for students they meet in person. Professors with industry contacts and your career center staff may know which employers recruit from your school before roles post publicly. Applying directly to companies running smaller cohorts alongside campus activity widens the pool you reach.
Practice the actual trade compliance intern screen out loud
Trade compliance intern interviews typically include scenario-based questions on import and export regulations, tariff classification logic, and compliance risk identification. Practice talking through your reasoning on a real case study, not just producing an answer, since interviewers weigh how you work through an ambiguous compliance problem as much as the conclusion you reach.
Target structured rotational and university programs early
Larger companies in global trade, logistics, and manufacturing run cohort or rotational programs designed to train people new to trade compliance. These programs recruit early in the fall and fill quickly because the application pool is competitive. Identify the ones that match your target industry and apply in the first recruitment wave.
Set your work-type filter before you start
On-site roles are 0% of the trade compliance specialist internships listed here. Decide what you can realistically commit to before you start applying, then filter by location and work type so you are not spending time on roles you cannot take.
Trade Compliance Specialist Internships: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a trade compliance specialist internship?
Lead with coursework and completed projects rather than work history, since hiring teams expect limited experience at the intern level. A documented sample, such as a tariff classification analysis, an export control compliance case study, or a trade research memo, gives recruiters something concrete to assess. Pair direct applications to companies with campus career fairs, where trade compliance recruiters often move faster for students they meet in person.
Can a trade compliance specialist internship turn into a full-time job?
Many employers extend return offers to strong trade compliance interns, but conversion is never guaranteed. What drives it most is the quality of your work on real compliance projects, available headcount on the team, and how early you signal interest in returning. Treat the internship as an extended audition without counting on a standing offer at the end.
When should I apply for trade compliance specialist internships?
Earlier than most students expect. Large employers, particularly those in manufacturing, logistics, and global retail, recruit summer trade compliance interns the preceding fall semester. Smaller companies and co-op programs post closer to their start dates, so openings appear year-round. Checking listings regularly, rather than waiting for a single hiring season, keeps you from missing the early waves.
Are trade compliance specialist internships paid?
Most professional trade compliance specialist internships in the United States are paid. Compensation varies by company size, industry, and location. Where an employer discloses pay, the listing will show it, so you can compare options as you apply without needing to ask upfront.
What should a trade compliance specialist internship resume include?
Lead with projects, not work history. Include two or three complete, documented projects showing the tools and regulatory frameworks you applied, such as a tariff classification exercise, a denied-party screening walkthrough, or a sanctions compliance case study. Add relevant coursework in international trade, supply chain, or business law. Keep it to one page.
Are there remote trade compliance specialist internships?
Yes. Remote and hybrid roles make up 100% of the trade compliance specialist internship listings here, with the rest on-site. Remote cohorts fill fast because they draw applicants from outside the local area, so apply early and filter by work type to surface them before they close.
Can international students get trade compliance specialist internships?
Yes. F-1 students can intern through CPT while enrolled or through OPT work authorization after finishing a degree, and the employer does not have to file anything for either, so many companies are open to international interns. Confirm your eligibility and timing with your university's international student office before accepting an offer.
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