Associate General Counsel

The role

The Senior Counsel will support the Legal Department and functional and program management teams. This role provides strategic legal advice to senior management for a publicly traded company performing U.S. Government contracts.

What you will do

• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership and business unit and operational leadership.
• Lead contract and trade compliance teams.
• Manage external counsel relationships and budgets.
• Establish and continuously improve legal processes, policies, and templates.
• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of agreements including prime contracts and subcontracts.
• Create and implement contract playbooks, fallback positions, templates, and clause libraries.
• Advise on global trade compliance frameworks.
• Develop and maintain policies, SOPs, and training.
• Design and execute legal due diligence plans for M&A.
• Coordinate cross-functional integration.

Required qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.
• Active membership in the California State Bar or Registered In-House Counsel (RIHC).
• Minimum of 15 years of legal experience.
• Proven experience as in-house counsel or at a top-tier law firm.
• Experience in negotiating contracts, non-disclosure agreements and IP licenses.
• Ability to obtain a DoD Top Secret security clearance.

Nice to have

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience managing a team of professionals.
• Extensive knowledge of Government contracts and contract types, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation (DFAR).
• Experience supporting DoD and NASA prime contracts and/or subcontracts supporting DoD and NASA programs.
• Familiarity with the compliance requirements of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and the Export Administration Regulations.
• Demonstrate initiative and the ability to take on greater responsibilities with potential for leadership opportunities over time.
• Capable of adapting to fast-paced changes, shifting priorities, evolving directions, and addressing unique legal challenges.
• Domestic and International travel as necessary to support business needs.

Benefits

• Company stock
• Employee Stock Purchase Program with a 15% discount
• Medical plans (HMO, PPO, and zero cost HDHP)
• Significant HSA company contribution
• Dental and vision coverage
• Paid vacation and sick time
• 11 paid holidays
• Flexible spending and dependent care accounts
• Paid parental leave
• Disability and life insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan with company match
• Subsidized EV charging, onsite fitness centers, discounted gym memberships, complimentary snacks and beverages, 50% employee discount on merch store, and other employee discounts

Before you apply

• Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident, or be eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce.
• Ability to obtain a DoD Top Secret security clearance.

About the company

Rocket Lab is the end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems. They move fast to build real hardware for meaningful missions.