Associate General Counsel, Corporate

Hadrian Automation; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 250,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance

401k

Relocation support

Flexible vacation policy

Job summary

A leading manufacturer of aerospace technology is seeking an Associate General Counsel to shape corporate legal strategy and oversee M&A transactions. The role involves advising senior executives and managing complex corporate governance issues. Ideal candidates will have over a decade of experience in corporate law and M&A, alongside a strong commercial acumen. This position promises a competitive salary and is based in Washington, D.C., offering a unique opportunity to influence the future of advanced manufacturing.

Qualifications

• 10-15+ years of experience in legal roles, preferably in a law firm or corporate legal department.
• Experience in M&A, finance, and corporate governance.
• Ability to lead complex transactions independently.

Responsibilities

• Advise on corporate governance and Board-related matters.
• Structure and negotiate complex transactions.
• Build scalable internal processes for corporate transactions.

Skills

Corporate law expertise

M&A negotiation

Strong communication

Commercial judgment

Education

JD from an accredited law school

Active bar membership

Job description

Hadrian - Manufacturing the Future

Hadrian is building autonomous factories that help aerospace and defense companies manufacture rockets, satellites, jets, and ships up to 10x faster and up to 2x cheaper. By combining advanced software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing, we are reinventing how America produces its most critical parts.

Valued at $1.6B, we’re accelerating our mission with the launch of Factory 3 in Mesa, Arizona, a 290,000-square-foot facility creating 350 new jobs. We are expanding rapidly to support thousands of future hires, launching Hadrian Maritime to expand into naval production, and introducing a Factory-as-a-Service model that delivers complete systems instead of individual parts.

Hadrian is backed by leading investors including T. Rowe Price, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, and Andreessen Horowitz, our fast-growing team is united around reindustrializing American manufacturing for the 21st century and beyond.

The Role

The Associate General Counsel, Corporate is a critical leadership role in the legal org that will report directly to the General Counsel, serve as the principal legal partner to Hadrian's Finance and M&A teams, and advise on Board-related matters and corporate governance. This role will lead and drive legal strategy and execution across a broad array of corporate matters, including M&A, JVs, fundraising and venture capital transactions, Board engagement, and corporate governance for a rapidly scaling business.

This is a senior, deal-driven role designed for an experienced corporate lawyer with law firm and in‑house experience who wants to drive corporate legal strategy, manage and advise on transactions end‑to‑end, drive growth, and influence capital strategy. You will work directly with the General Counsel, CFO, executive leadership, and the Board on some of the company’s most critical and complex initiatives.

What You’ll Do

• Serve as a core thought partner to the General Counsel and CFO on M&A strategy, financing, risk allocation, and Board engagement

• Structure, negotiate, and close complex transactions, including conducting and managing the due diligence process and coordinating internal stakeholders and outside counsel

• Draft, review, and negotiate strategic agreements

• Support M&A, strategic investments, and other corporate transactions

• Build scalable internal processes, playbooks, and templates for transactional and governance matters

• Advise on corporate governance and Board matters, including fiduciary duties, approvals, resolutions, and governance frameworks tied to financing activity

• Prepare and manage Board and committee materials related to financings, capital structure, and major transactions

• Draft and negotiate strategic agreements and financing documentation, including M&A agreements, equity financing agreements, JV agreements, partnering agreements, credit agreements, guarantees, security documents, intercreditor arrangements, and related instruments

What We’re Looking For:

• JD from an accredited law school and active bar membership in at least one U.S. jurisdiction

• 10–15+ years of experience practicing in a top-tier law firm and/or in‑house with an emphasis on M&A, finance, capital markets, and corporate governance

• Deep experience leading complex corporate transactions

• Strong grounding in corporate law and governance, with experience advising Boards and senior executives

• Demonstrated ability to lead transactions independently and exercise sound commercial judgment

• Clear, confident communicator who can engage credibly with CFOs, investors, bankers, and Board members

• Interest in stepping into a highly strategic, business‑facing in‑house role with real ownership

What Sets You Apart:

• Experience as a senior lawyer or partner in a leading corporate practice or in the upper echelons of an in‑house corporate legal department

• Prior exposure to capital‑intensive businesses, asset‑backed financings, or non-traditional financing structures

• Experience working directly with CFOs and finance leadership on M&A and capital strategy

• Comfort and skill at keeping leadership informed but operating day to day without layers

• Builder mindset and desire to shape corporate strategy and internal infrastructure to support corporate activities, corporate governance, and Board engagement

Compensation

For this role, the target salary range is $250,000 - $300,000 (actual range may vary based on experience and performance).

This is the lowest to highest salary we reasonably and in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range, and the range may be modified in the future. An employee's pay position within the salary range will be based on several factors, including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, performance, and business or organizational needs.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans for employees

• 401k

• Relocation support may be provided for certain situations, based on business need.

• Flexible vacation policy

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

Hadrian Is An Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the Company’s policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. The Company does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race inclusive of traits historically associated with race (including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles, such as braids, locks and twists), color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, national origin (including, in California, possession of a drivers license), ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, height or weight, medical condition, family care status, military or veteran status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, exercise of reproductive rights, any other basis protected by local, state, or federal laws, or any combination of the above characteristics. When necessary, the Company also makes reasonable accommodations for disabled candidates and employees, including for candidates or employees who are disabled by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.