Senior Legal CounselActive$250K

Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company delivering responsive launch services, complete spacecraft design and manufacturing, payloads, satellite components, and more – all with the goal of opening access to space. The rockets and satellites we build and launch enable some of…

What you'll do

• Leadership & Strategic Advisory: Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership and business unit and operational leadership; translate business objectives into clear legal strategies and pragmatic risk mitigation.

• Lead contract and trade compliance teams; set goals, coach performance, and: foster a culture of accountability and inclusion.

• Manage external counsel relationships and budgets, focusing on reviewing: legal bills and keeping costs under control.

• Establish and continuously improve legal processes, policies, and templates: to scale support across the enterprise.

• Commercial and Government Contracts (Sales, Procurement, Operations): Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of agreements, including prime contracts with the US Government and subcontracts for work under US government prime contracts, Master Service Agreements, IP licensing, non-disclosure agreements, real property leases and strategic partnership agreements.

• Create and implement contract playbooks, fallback positions, templates, and: clause libraries to streamline cycles.

What they're looking for

• Collaborate with business teams to balance risk with speed-to-value; maintain: visibility into obligations and renewals.
• Compliance and Trade Compliance (Sanctions, Export Controls, Customs &: Ethics): Advise on global trade compliance frameworks (e.g., sanctions screening, EAR/ITAR classifications, licensing, technology transfers, restricted party screening, customs valuation/origin/marking).
• Develop and maintain policies, SOPs, and training; support audits and investigations; remediate findings.
• Monitor regulatory developments and industry trends; proactively update policies and training.