Associate General Counsel, Government Contracts

Hadrian; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 250,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans

401k

Flexible vacation policy

Relocation support if needed

Job summary

A leading autonomous manufacturing company in California is seeking an experienced Associate General Counsel to lead government contracts legal support. The role requires expertise in negotiating government agreements and compliance within the defense industry. Ideal candidates should possess a JD, active bar membership, and 10-15 years of related experience. This senior position offers competitive compensation ranging from $250,000 to $300,000, reflecting the importance of effective legal guidance in a rapidly growing firm.

Qualifications

• 10-15+ years of experience practicing government contracts law in a firm and/or in-house environment.
• Significant experience supporting defense, aerospace, or national security-related programs.
• Deep working knowledge of FAR/DFARS and government contracting principles.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a key legal advisor on U.S. government contracts and subcontracts.
• Advise on FAR, DFARS, and related agency regulations.
• Review, negotiate, and support government contracts and task orders.

Skills

Government contracts law

Negotiation

Compliance

Excellent communication skills

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, Government Contracts will report to the General Counsel and will serve as a key subject-matter expert on government contracting, providing strategic legal guidance across the lifecycle of U.S. government and defense-related programs.

This is a senior, high-impact role for an experienced government contracts attorney who is comfortable operating with autonomy, advising executive leadership, negotiating agreements, tracking and advising on compliance, and enabling a fast-growing business to succeed in a highly regulated environment. You will help shape how Hadrian engages with government customers and defense primes while balancing compliance, risk, and execution velocity.

What You’ll Do

• Serve as a key legal advisor on U.S. government contracts and subcontracts, including prime and subcontractor relationships
• Advise on FAR, DFARS, and related agency regulations, including clause applicability and flow-down requirements
• Partner with Business Development, Program Management, Finance, and Operations on government-related pursuits, contract negotiations, execution, and longterm compliance
• Review, negotiate, and support: government contracts and task orders; subcontracts with defense primes and government suppliers; teaming agreements, CRADAs, and other collaboration agreements
• Provide guidance on compliance topics including cost accounting, audits, data rights, cybersecurity obligations, and procurement integrity
• Support internal stakeholders on contract performance issues, modifications, claims, disputes, and terminations
• Develop scalable processes, templates, and training related to government contracting compliance
• Collaborate with Legal Operations and Compliance teams to ensure systems support regulatory requirements
• Retain and manage outside counsel and consultants (and associated budgets) as needed for specialized government contracting matters

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 government contracts law in a firm and/or in-house environment
• Significant experience supporting defense, aerospace, or national security-related programs
• Deep working knowledge of FAR/DFARS and government contracting principles
• Experience advising on both prime contracts and subcontracts
• Strong business judgment and ability to draft contract language, think creatively, tackle novel legal questions, and provide practical, risk-based guidance
• Excellent communication skills and confidence engaging with senior leaders
• Ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, high-growth environments

What Sets You Apart

• In-house government contracts experience at a defense, aerospace, or manufacturing company
• Prior experience at a defense prime, major subcontractor, or government-focused law firm
• Familiarity with classified or export-controlled programs
• Experience supporting scaled production or manufacturing programs for government customers
• Builder mindset who thinks from first principles and with interest in shaping processes and infrastructure, not just advising on individual contracts
• Ability to balance regulatory rigor with execution speed in a startup environment
• A security clearance

Compensation

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