Senior Counsel (Aerospace)

TL;DR

Senior Counsel (Aerospace/Defense): Serve as lead legal advisor for U.S. operations in lunar exploration, handling government contracting, commercial transactions, regulatory compliance, and corporate initiatives with an accent on FAR/DFARS, ITAR/EAR, and strategic partnerships. Focus on building scalable legal infrastructure, mitigating risks in high-growth environment, and advising executives on complex aerospace challenges.

Location: Hybrid in Englewood, Colorado; ideally located in Denver, CO or Washington D.C. area. Must be U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or ITAR-eligible. Exceptional candidates may work from anywhere in the US

Salary: $185,000 - $265,000 a year

Company

Lunar exploration company developing high-capacity payload landers, with U.S. operations in Englewood, Colorado, and global presence in Japan and Luxembourg.

What you will do

• Provide strategic legal advisory on government contracts, commercial deals, governance, compliance, and financing; partner with CEO and global GC.
• Handle U.S. government contracting including FAR/DFARS compliance, subcontracting, IP/data rights, and cost accounting.
• Lead end-to-end negotiations and drafting of complex commercial agreements like services, tech development, and partnerships.
• Oversee export controls and trade compliance (ITAR/EAR), mitigating regulatory risks with internal and global teams.
• Build legal operations, processes, and templates; manage external counsel and collaborate cross-functionally with executives and engineers.

Requirements

• U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, protected individual, or eligible for ITAR authorizations
• Juris Doctor from ABA-accredited school; active U.S. bar license (Colorado in-house registration if needed)
• 7+ years legal experience (law firm/in-house) in aerospace/defense/advanced tech
• Expertise in U.S. government contracting (FAR/DFARS), commercial agreements, export controls (ITAR/EAR)
• Strong corporate law, regulatory compliance knowledge; ability to manage complex matters independently
• Excellent communication to advise executives and collaborate with technical/business teams

Nice to have

• 10+ years experience; deep government subcontracting knowledge
• ITAR/EAR program support; CFIUS/FOCI familiarity
• Strategic partnerships/joint ventures/international transactions
• Scaling legal functions in growth organizations
• Engineering/computer science/physics background

Culture & Benefits

• Competitive health, vision, dental (100% company-paid options); 401(k) matching
• Hybrid flexibility; commuter perks (RTD EcoPass); monthly lunch stipend
• 18 vacation days, 6 sick days, 17 holidays; stock options
• Domestic/international travel opportunities; learning stipends and training
• Casual team culture with monthly events and gatherings