The OpportunityReporting directly to the Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, the
Senior Corporate Counsel will provide legal support across LeoLabs' U.S. Government and defense contracting, commercial transactions, supply chain operations, compliance, corporate governance, and day-to-day business activities.
This role will serve as a trusted legal advisor and business partner, working closely with leadership and teams across Finance, HR, Recruiting, Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Sales, and Business Development to identify and manage legal and regulatory risks while supporting business priorities.
The ideal candidate is an experienced, collaborative, and solutions-oriented attorney who can work independently, provide practical legal guidance, and balance legal risk with business objectives in a fast-paced, growing organization.
You Will Be Responsible For:U.S. Government & Defense Contracting- Provide legal guidance throughout the U.S. Government contracting lifecycle, including proposals, contract formation, negotiations, performance, modifications, audits, and closeout.
- Draft, review, and negotiate prime contracts, subcontracts, teaming agreements, and related arrangements while ensuring compliance with FAR, DFARS, and applicable contractual flow-down requirements.
- Advise on and manage Requests for Equitable Adjustment (REAs), bid protests, claims, government audits, inspections, disputes, and other government contracting matters.
- Partner with internal stakeholders to identify and mitigate contractual, regulatory, and operational risks associated with government programs.
Commercial Transactions & Supply Chain Operations- Draft, review, and negotiate commercial agreements, including strategic agreements, MSAs, SLAs, SaaS agreements, licensing arrangements, purchase orders, statements of work, service agreements, and vendor contracts.
- Provide legal guidance across customer-facing and procurement activities, including supply chain operations, vendor management, logistics, and commercial relationships.
- Advise on contractual risk allocation, indemnification, limitation of liability, insurance, confidentiality, intellectual property, licensing, and data rights.
- Develop and maintain scalable contract templates, playbooks, and processes to support efficient business operations and consistent risk management.
Compliance & Regulatory Matters- Advise on applicable U.S. and international regulatory requirements, including global trade compliance, customs, export controls, sanctions, ITAR, and EAR.
- Partner with internal stakeholders to develop and maintain ethics, compliance, regulatory, industrial security, and information security policies, procedures, training, and controls.
- Monitor legal and regulatory developments, identify emerging risks, and provide practical recommendations to leadership and relevant teams.
Corporate Governance, M&A & Strategic Legal Support- Support the Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary with corporate governance, Board-related activities, strategic initiatives, and other corporate legal matters.
- Provide legal support for M&A and financing transactions, including due diligence, transaction documentation, integration, and post-closing activities.
- Engage and manage outside counsel and legal consultants as needed, ensuring effective and cost-conscious support.
HR, Recruiting & Corporate Operations- Advise HR and Recruiting on employment matters, workforce policies, employee relations, confidentiality, intellectual property, restrictive covenants, and other employment-related legal considerations.
- Partner with Finance and Accounting on contractual obligations, insurance, tax-related matters, audits, and other corporate requirements.
- Serve as a practical day-to-day legal resource, helping teams identify legal considerations early and develop appropriate solutions.
Required Qualifications- J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school and admission in good standing to at least one U.S. State Bar.
- 10+ years of relevant legal experience, including experience supporting a fast-growing, venture capital-backed aerospace and defense company.
- Extensive experience advising on U.S. Government and defense contracts, including FAR/DFARS requirements, prime and subcontract agreements, negotiations, and government contracting compliance.
- Demonstrated experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating commercial agreements, including MSAs, SLAs, SaaS agreements, purchase orders, vendor contracts, and high-value strategic transactions.
- Prior corporate governance and M&A experience.
- Strong knowledge of export controls and international trade compliance, including ITAR, EAR, and related regulatory requirements.
- Experience implementing Know Your Customer (KYC) compliance frameworks.
- Experience advising on intellectual property, licensing, data rights, and related commercial matters.
- Experience supporting HR and Recruiting on employment-related legal matters and broader domestic and international corporate compliance matters.
- Experience managing outside counsel and consultants efficiently and cost-effectively.
- Strong business judgment, communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify legal risks and provide practical, actionable advice.
- Ability to work independently, collaborate across all levels of the organization, and balance legal requirements with business objectives in a fast-paced environment.
Within 1 Month, You'll:- Complete onboarding and become familiar with LeoLabs' business, organizational structure, legal processes, systems, and compliance programs.
- Review existing contract templates, legal workflows, and operational requirements.
- Build relationships with the Chief Legal Officer, internal stakeholders, outside counsel, and consultants.
Within 3 Months, You'll:- Begin independently managing legal inquiries, contract reviews, and routine commercial and government contracting matters.
- Support compliance and operational legal requests while becoming proficient in internal legal systems.
- Establish yourself as a reliable legal resource for cross-functional teams.
Within 6 Months, You'll:- Independently review and negotiate government and commercial contracts, including NDAs, SaaS agreements, purchase orders, and other business arrangements.
- Advise stakeholders on government contracting, supply chain, employment, regulatory compliance, and operational legal matters.
- Partner with the Chief Legal Officer to identify and address legal risks associated with business operations and global expansion.
Within 12 Months, You'll:- Identify and implement improvements to legal processes, contract workflows, compliance practices, and overall legal operations.
- Independently coordinate with outside counsel and provide practical legal recommendations to leadership.
- Support corporate governance, M&A, strategic transactions, and special projects as needed.
- Serve as a trusted legal partner across the organization, helping the business execute efficiently while managing legal and regulatory risk.
CompensationThis position is benchmarked to the Washington Dc Metro with a base salary range of $222,000-$237,000, plus bonus and equity. Actual base salary will be determined based on the candidate's work location, experience, skills, and other applicable factors
Perks and Benefits
- 100 USD monthly wellness benefit to support your health and well-being
- $300 USD home office setup stipend, available for use within your first six months
- $75 USD monthly home internet allowance, paid directly through your regular paycheck
- Individual Development Fund to support training, learning, and professional development
- Employee Recognition Program to celebrate contributions and achievements across the team
- Employee Referral Program so you can help us connect with great talent
- And much more!
ITAR RequirementsTo conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. More information regarding ITAR can be found at DDTC's website.
Vendor NotificationLeoLabs does not engage external staffing agencies or third-party recruiting firms for this role. Unsolicited candidate submissions will not be considered.
