Position SummaryInfleqtion is seeking a Senior Counsel, Government Contracts to report directly to the Chief Legal Officer and serve as a critical legal partner for government contracting, working closely with business development, program management, engineering, finance, and operational leaders.
Approximately 70-80% of this role will focus on leading and supporting complex federal government research and development contracting. The remainder will involve broader legal and operational responsibilities within a lean, high-impact legal team supporting a NYSE-listed company.
This role requires strong government-contracting judgment, transactional discipline, and the ability to operate effectively in a high-growth, technically sophisticated environment where urgency and excellence must coexist.
Core Responsibilities:Government Contracting
- Lead the negotiation, interpretation, and management of a broad range of government agreements, including:
- Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs), including prototype and follow-on production agreements
- Federal research and development contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and other assistance instruments
- Subcontracts, subawards, teaming agreements, and collaboration agreements supporting government programs
- Proposal, pre-award, and post-award documents, including solicitations, modifications, and statements of work
- Contract modifications, claims, disputes, and compliance communications
- Advise business and program teams on FAR, DFARS, agency supplements, and other applicable federal contracting requirements throughout the opportunity, award, and performance lifecycle.
- Identify and help manage legal and business risk involving intellectual property and data rights, cost and pricing, audit, cybersecurity, export control, domestic sourcing, labor, payment, and flow-down requirements.
- Lead internal coordination on significant government-contracting issues, including proposal strategy, approval pathways, contract interpretation, performance risks, and customer communications.
- Partner with Export Control and technical stakeholders on national-security and export-control considerations, including ITAR/EAR requirements, as they intersect with government programs.
- Develop practical templates, playbooks, and training that enable business and program teams to move quickly while maintaining disciplined compliance.
Business Partnership & Operational Integration
- Partner with business development, program management, engineering, and finance to shape bid and proposal strategy, negotiate appropriate risk allocation, and support successful program execution.
- Support internal governance for government contracting, including approval frameworks, documentation, and escalation processes for high-risk or nonstandard terms.
- Provide targeted training to commercial, technical, and program teams on government-contracting requirements, risk awareness, and compliance fundamentals.
- Support cross-functional regulatory, corporate, and strategic matters as needed within a lean legal team.
Requirements- JD from an accredited law school with outstanding academic credentials.
- 8+ years of relevant legal experience, including substantial responsibility for federal government contracting; top-tier law firm, in-house defense contractor, or government-contracts practice experience strongly preferred.
- Significant experience negotiating and counseling on complex federal government contracts and related subcontracts, subawards, and teaming arrangements.
- Demonstrated expertise in FAR and DFARS; meaningful experience with OTAs is required.
- Experience supporting Department of Defense or other federal research and development programs, ideally as a prime contractor or with a major defense, aerospace, technology, or research organization.
- Working knowledge of intellectual property and data-rights issues under government contracts, including technical data and computer software rights, as well as flow-down and compliance requirements.
- Strong executive communication skills and the ability to translate complex government-contracting risk into practical, business-focused guidance. Familiarity with ITAR/EAR and related export-control issues is strongly preferred.
Cultural and Performance Expectations- An ownership mindset with bias toward action.
- Ability to balance urgency with technical and legal excellence.
- Willingness to coach business teams and actively seek coaching and feedback in return.
- Comfort giving and receiving direct feedback.
- Discipline in documentation, process development, and follow-through.
- Intellectual curiosity about emerging technologies and regulated markets.
- Resilience in a resource-constrained, fast-evolving environment.
This is a builder role for a government-contracting lawyer who wants to help shape the operating model of a scaling public technology company.
Benefits- Salary range: $180,000 to $240,000 per year
- 100% company-paid medical, dental, vision, short/long-term disability
- Employer-funded Health Savings Account
- Unlimited PTO
- 401(k) match
- Company-paid Life and AD&D Insurance
- Flexible Savings Account
- Paid FMLA, Maternity/Paternity Leave
- Employee Assistance Program
- Student Loan Repayment
- Equity Package