Senior Legal Counsel, Commercial

CesiumAstro, Inc.; Austin (TX); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

CesiumAstro is seeking a Senior Legal Counsel to lead and scale our commercial legal operations, partnering with business, finance, and operations to enable growth.

You will draft and negotiate a range of agreements, build scalable contracting processes, support product launches, and manage outside counsel while guiding cross-functional teams in a fast-paced, regulated aerospace environment.

Qualifications

• JD degree and active US law license required.
• 10+ years in commercial transactions within aerospace/defense or similarly regulated industries.
• Proven success leading contract negotiations on complex commercial transactions.

Responsibilities

• Lead drafting, negotiation, and execution of customer, vendor, and manufacturing agreements.
• Partner with product, business development, and procurement teams to enable deal execution.
• Develop scalable contracting processes, templates, and playbooks to accelerate deal velocity.
• Provide practical, risk-calibrated legal advice to cross-functional stakeholders.
• Translate complex legal concepts into clear business guidance for leaders and cross-functional teams.
• Support new product launches, pricing models, and go-to-market strategies.
• Build and implement contracting workflows, approval processes, and legal systems.
• Establish and maintain standard templates, clause libraries, and fallback positions.
• Improve legal operations to increase efficiency and reduce bottlenecks.
• Support corporate governance and entity management.
• Assist with employment matters, M&A, and other strategic transactions as needed.
• Manage outside counsel across specialty areas.
• Support IP portfolio strategy, filings, and coordination with outside counsel.
• Support legal matters related to international operations, cross-border compliance, and governance.

Skills

Contract negotiations

Cross-functional collaboration

Regulatory compliance

Risk management

M&A support

Global operations

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

US Bar License

Tools

Contract management systems

Outside counsel management

IP management software

Job description

Please Note: To conform with the United States Government Space Technology Export Regulations, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., conditional resident, asylee or refugee (protected individuals as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

At CesiumAstro, we are developers and pioneers of out-of-the-box communication systems for satellites, UAVs, launch vehicles, and other space and airborne platforms. We take pride in our dynamic and cross-functional work environment, which allows us to learn, develop, and engage across our organization. If you are looking for hands-on, interactive, and autonomous work, CesiumAstro is the place for you. We are actively seeking passionate, collaborative, energetic, and forward-thinking individuals to join our team.

We are seeking aSenior Legal Counsel to lead and scale our commercial legal operations and serve as a key partner to business, finance, and operations teams. This is a foundational role responsible for developing and enhancing our commercial legal capabilities, from contract frameworks to risk management, whileoperatingas a hands-on contributor.

You will report to the Vice President & General Counsel and play a critical role in enabling the company’s growth through pragmatic, business-oriented legal guidance.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead drafting, negotiation, and execution of a wide range of agreements, including customer and revenue-generating contracts, non-disclosure agreements, vendor, supplier, and manufacturing agreements, strategic partnerships, and joint development agreements.
• Partner closely with product, business development, and procurement teams to enable efficient deal execution.
• Develop scalable contracting processes, templates, and playbooks to accelerate deal velocity.
• Provide practical, risk-calibrated legal advice to cross-functional stakeholders.
• Translate complex legal concepts into clear business guidance for business leaders and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Support new product launches, pricing models, and go-to-market strategies.
• Build and implement contracting workflows, approval processes, and legal systems.
• Establishand maintain standard templates, clause libraries, and fallback positions.
• Improve legal operations to increase efficiency and reduce bottlenecks.
• Support corporate governance and entity management.
• Assistwith employment matters, M&A, and other strategic transactions as needed.
• Manage outside counsel effectively across specialty areas.
• Support management of the company’s intellectual property portfolio, including strategy, filings, and coordination with outside counsel.
• Support legal matters related to international operations, including cross-border compliance, corporate governance, employment matters, and coordination with local counsel.
• Identifyand proactively manage legal and commercial risks across the business.
• Support development of internal policies and compliance programs.
• Partner with finance and operations on risk allocation and mitigation strategies.

JOB REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree and active license to practice law in the United States.
• 10+ years of progressive legal experience supporting commercial transactions within aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing, or similarly regulated industries.
• Proven success leading contract negotiations on complex commercial transactions.
• Experience partnering with senior business leaders and cross-functional stakeholders to support commercialobjectivesand risk management.
• Experience supporting complex commercial deals and cross-functional teams.
• Highly pragmatic with strong business judgment.
• Ability to balance speed and risk in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Hands-on and execution-oriented approach.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

• Progressive law firm experience in in technology transactions and/or corporate securities.
• Exposure to government contracting.
• Experience scaling legal processes at an early-stage company.

CesiumAstro considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills. Full-time employment offers include company stock options and a generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life, disability and retirement plans.

CesiumAstro is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Please note: CesiumAstro does not accept unsolicited resumes from contract agencies or search firms. Any unsolicited resumes submitted to our website or to CesiumAstro team members will be considered property of CesiumAstro, and we will not be obligated to pay any referral fees.