We are seeking a Senior Director of Legal (Government) to lead our government-facing business and regulatory strategy. This is a foundational leadership role responsible for government contracting, regulatory compliance, and engagement with U.S. and international regulatory regimes.
You will serve as a legal partner to business development, program management, and executive leadership on all government-related matters. This role is both strategic and highly hands-on, requiring deep subject matter expertise and the ability to build systems from the ground up.
JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Lead legal support for all U.S. government contracts, including FAR / DFARS compliance and interpretation, proposal review (RFPs, RFIs, BAAs, OTAs), contract negotiation, administration, and dispute resolution.
- Partner with business development and program teams to structure, negotiate, and win government deals.
- Advise on contract clauses, performance, change orders, claims, and terminations.
- Support regulatory compliance across applicable agencies (e.g., FCC, NOAA, Commerce Department, State Department, etc.).
- Advise on licensing, approvals, and ongoing regulatory obligations.
- Monitor and interpret evolving regulatory requirements and assess business impact.
- Build and oversee export compliance programs (e.g., ITAR, EAR).
- Advise on international transactions, data sharing, and technology transfers.
- Partner with engineering and operations to ensure compliant product development and deployment.
- Develop and implement policies and procedures for government compliance.
- Conduct internal training and guidance on regulatory and contracting requirements.
- Identify and mitigate legal and regulatory risks across programs.
- Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on government strategy and risk.
- Collaborate with finance, operations, and supply chain on compliance and audit readiness.
- Support interactions with government stakeholders, auditors, and regulators.
- Establish scalable processes, templates, and playbooks for government legal work.
- Manage outside counsel and specialized advisors.
- Help build and mentor a growing legal and compliance team.
JOB REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Juris Doctor (JD) degree and active license to practice law in the United States.
- 11+ years of progressive legal experience in aerospace or defense, including significant focus on government contracting and regulatory matters.
- Deep expertise in FAR/DFARS and U.S. government procurement processes.
- Experience with export controls (ITAR/EAR) and regulatory compliance programs.
- Proven success leading contract negotiations on complex defense and government programs.
- Experience advising C-suite leaders and Boards of Directors.
- Experience supporting complex commercial deals and cross-functional teams.
- Highly pragmatic with strong business judgment.
- Ability to balance speed and risk in a fast-paced environment.
- Excellent negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
- Hands-on and execution-oriented approach.
- Highly detail-oriented with strong ownership mentality.
- Active security clearance or ability to obtain one.
PREFERRED EXPERIENCE
- Experience with classified programs and facility clearance environments.
- Experience scaling legal processes at an early-stage company.
Skills Required
- Juris Doctor degree
- Active license to practice law in the United States
- 11+ years of progressive legal experience in aerospace or defense
- Significant experience with government contracting and regulatory matters
- Deep expertise in FAR/DFARS and U.S. government procurement processes
- Experience with ITAR/EAR export controls and regulatory compliance programs
- Experience leading contract negotiations on complex defense and government programs
- Experience advising C-suite leaders and Boards of Directors
- Experience supporting complex commercial deals and cross-functional teams
- Excellent negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills
- Active security clearance or ability to obtain one
- Experience with classified programs and facility clearance environments
- Experience scaling legal processes at an early-stage company
CesiumAstro Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about CesiumAstro and has not been reviewed or approved by CesiumAstro.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage includes medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, plus FSAs and mental health benefits. Feedback suggests the health package is comprehensive for a growth-stage aerospace firm.
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Retirement Support — Offerings include a 401(k) with company matching and other retirement-plan elements. Feedback suggests core retirement mechanisms are in place alongside standard financial benefits.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Generous PTO, paid holidays, paid sick days, and bereavement leave are included. Feedback suggests time-off options are broad on paper across multiple leave types.
CesiumAstro Insights
What We Do
We build high-throughput, plug-and-play phased array communication payloads for space and airborne platforms. CesiumAstro’s full-stack, multi-mission hardware and software products enable a diverse range of commercial and defense objectives. Full-system engineering design is at the heart of every CesiumAstro product. We deliver high-performance solutions under rapid development timelines.
Why Work With Us
At CesiumAstro, we’re a team. We’re passionate, respectful, and determined colleagues ready to help at a moment’s notice. We’re mentors excited to enable our peers with the knowledge they need to succeed. Together, we’re visionaries committing to building memories that will last a lifetime.
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