Senior Commercial Counsel

Relativity Space; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 186,000 - 278,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary & equity

PTO & sick leave policy

Parental leave

Learning & development stipend

Job summary

Relativity Space seeks a Senior Commercial Counsel to serve as strategic legal counsel supporting buy-side commercial transactions and disputes. You will partner cross-functionally to structure and lead negotiations for technology development, manufacturing services, rocket parts, capex procurement, and leases.

The role requires JD with 5+ years post‑JD experience, including 2+ years at a law firm, and deep experience in commercial contracts and disputes within a fast-paced, innovative

Qualifications

• JD from an accredited law school and active bar in at least one U.S. state.
• 5+ years post-JD experience (including 2+ years at a law firm).
• Depth in commercial transactions: supplier contracts, tech agreements, equipment purchase/lease, manufacturing or service agreements.
• Strong commercial judgment and ability to lead high-stakes negotiations.
• Experience handling commercial disputes and pre-litigation, arbitration, and litigation.
• Systems thinker in a fast-paced, innovative environment.
• Motivated self-starter who can lead cross-functional projects independently.

Responsibilities

• Structure and negotiate transactions that enable maturity of technology and manufacturing, ensuring alignment with company objectives, financial plans, and legal positions.
• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of contracts and transaction documents, including agreements for technology development, rocket parts, manufacturing services, commodities, and capex purchase and lease arrangements.
• Provide strategic counsel that empowers leadership and cross-functional teams to make practical, well-informed decisions by translating legal complexity into clear business guidance.
• Develop, implement, and scale strategies, standards, and playbooks for negotiation, risk mitigation, and dispute resolution for buy-side commercial transactions.
• Manage post-contract execution risks and disputes in close partnership with business stakeholders.

Skills

Commercial transactions

Negotiation

Contract drafting

Dispute resolution

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

JD / Juris Doctor

Tools

Contract lifecycle management (CLM)

Job description

Long Beach, California, United States; Washington, District of Columbia, United States

At Relativity Space, we’re building rockets to serve today’s needs and tomorrow’s breakthroughs. Our Terran R vehicle will deliver customer payloads to orbit, meeting the growing demand for launch capacity. But that’s just the start. Achieving commercial success with Terran R will unlock new opportunities to advance science, exploration, and innovation, pioneering progress that reaches beyond the known.

Joining Relativity means becoming part of something where autonomy, ownership, and impact exist at every level. Here, you’re not just executing tasks; you’re solving problems that haven’t been solved before, helping develop a rocket, a factory, and a business from the ground up. Whether you’re in propulsion, manufacturing, software, avionics, or a corporate function, you’ll collaborate across teams, shape decisions, and see your work come to life in record time. Relativity is a place where creativity and technical rigor go hand in hand, and your voice will help define the stories we’re writing together. Now is a unique moment in time where it’s early enough to leave your mark on the product, the process, and the culture, but far enough along that Terran R is tangible and picking up momentum. The most meaningful work of your career is waiting. Join us.

About the Team:

Relativity Space’s Legal team is nimble, entrepreneurial, and deeply collaborative. Unique to Relativity’s fast‑paced, high‑growth environment, the team works across many departments to support Relativity's ambitious goals. The company is in a formative phase, with enough structure to build from and still plenty of room for you to define what’s next.

About the Role:

The Senior Commercial Counsel will serve as strategic legal counsel supporting Relativity’s buy‑side commercial transactions and disputes. You will partner cross‑functionally to structure and lead negotiation of agreements for technology development, scalable manufacturing, commodities, rocket parts and components, capex purchase and lease arrangements. The role will be responsible for creating a foundation of standards and practices that enable effective and sound scaling of the contract management function to support the company's rapid growth.

Key Responsibilities:

• Structure and negotiate transactions that enable maturity of technology and manufacturing, ensuring alignment with company objectives, financial plans, and legal positions. Lead high‑stakes negotiations for significant transactions, providing strategic counsel on commercial terms, risk allocation, financial implications, and executive alignment.
• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of contracts and transaction documents, including agreements for technology development, rocket parts, manufacturing services, commodities, and capex purchase and lease arrangements.
• Provide strategic counsel that empowers leadership and cross‑functional teams to make practical, well‑informed decisions by translating legal complexity into clear business guidance.
• Develop, implement, and scale strategies, standards, and playbooks for negotiation, risk mitigation, and dispute resolution for buy‑side commercial transactions.
• Manage post‑contract execution risks and disputes in close partnership with business stakeholders.

About You:

• JD from an accredited law school, active bar membership in at least one U.S. state, and 5+ years of post‑JD experience (including 2+ years at a law firm).
• Depth in commercial transactions, such as supplier contracts, technology agreements, equipment purchase and lease, manufacturing agreements, or service agreements.
• Strong commercial judgment, and the ability to develop strategic approaches and lead novel, high‑stakes negotiations. Not merely review routine contracts or apply standard playbooks.
• Experience handling commercial disputes and pre‑litigation matters, arbitration, and litigation, including developing resolution strategy and balancing legal risk against business objectives.
• Systems thinker who thrives in a fast‑paced, innovative environment and can design scalable processes.
• Motivated self‑starter who can lead cross‑functional projects independently and thrive in ambiguous, fast‑changing environments.

Nice to haves but not required:

• Experience with supply chain legal issues, tariffs, and international transactions.
• Knowledge of financial analysis and ability to evaluate commercial terms from a financial perspective.
• Experience implementing contract lifecycle management (CLM) systems and legal technology tools.

At Relativity Space, we are committed to transparency and fairness in our compensation practices. Actual compensation will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and other job‑related factors.
Compensation is only one part of our total rewards package. Relativity Space offers competitive salary and equity, a generous PTO and sick leave policy, parental leave, an annual learning and development stipend, and more!To see some of the benefits & perks we offer, please visit here.

Hiring Range:

$186,000 - $278,000 USD

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

Please note: Relativity Space does not accept unsolicited resumes, candidate profiles, or referrals from recruitment agencies or search firms. Any unsolicited submission - via email, our website, social media, or directly to an employee - will be deemed the property of Relativity Space, and no fee will be owed absent a current, fully executed agreement with Talent Acquisition that specifically authorizes submissions for the applicable role.