Description:
About You:We're looking for a seasoned legal executive with deep experience in both venture-backed and high growth environments. You'll serve as a key advisor to the CEO, Board, and leadership team—guiding strategic risk, ensuring regulatory compliance, and building the legal infrastructure to support scale, speed, and scrutiny.You'll own and shape the legal function, navigate complex regulatory landscapes (FAA, DoD, ITAR, etc.), and lead negotiations with both commercial partners and government entities. This is a pivotal role for a business-minded, solutions-oriented legal leader who can translate complexity into clarity—and help build a company that lasts.
Responsibilities:
- Serve as chief legal advisor to the CEO, Board, and executive team across corporate, commercial, regulatory, and compliance matters
- Oversee regulatory compliance across aerospace and defense (FAA, DoD, ITAR, EAR, etc.)
- Draft, negotiate, and manage complex agreements, including government contracts, suppliers, and strategic partnerships
- Partner cross-functionally with product, engineering, and business teams to balance speed with risk
- Support capital raises, secondary transactions, M&A, and board-level strategy
- Build and scale An In-House Firm's internal legal function, including management of external counsel
- Partner with People and Finance on employment law, executive comp, equity, and investigations
- Anticipate and adapt to evolving legal landscapes affecting autonomy, aviation, and dual-use technology
Qualifications:
- JD from an accredited U.S. law school
- 15+ years of experience
- Legal leadership at a venture-backed tech company
- Deep familiarity with agencies such as FAA, DoD, DOT, NASA, or similar
- Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating agreements ; MSA's, Software licenses, subscription agreements, and NDA's
- Demonstrated ability to build legal infrastructure in fast-moving, complex environments
- Exceptional judgment, communication, and business orientation
- A collaborative, trusted leadership style—and a mindset grounded in enabling innovation
Nice to haves:
- Experience supporting dual-use, defense-adjacent, or safety-critical technologies
- Familiarity with international aerospace regulations and global compliance
- SBIR/STTR or government contract negotiation experience
- Comfort advising on legal implications of autonomy, AI, and emerging technologies
