Assistant General Counsel

Merlin Labs•Boston, MA

9d•$220,000 - $290,000•Onsite

About The Position

Merlin is seeking a business-minded government contracts attorney to join its legal department. This role will partner closely with various departments including Contracts Management, Program Management, Finance, Revenue, and Supply Chain to provide legal oversight on proposals and procurement, guide teams on existing agreements, and shape contracting strategies for business growth. The ideal candidate will have experience structuring and negotiating complex government contract vehicles, as well as commercial agreements like NDAs and technology licenses. This position is expected to be the primary area of expertise and the core of the role. The role requires an understanding of working within a small, growing legal department where a broad range of matters are handled and jumping into areas outside of core expertise is expected. The candidate should be energized by building new processes and infrastructure, and comfortable operating with autonomy in a fast-paced, regulated environment, serving as the primary point of contact for inbound legal requests.

Requirements

J.D. and active bar membership in at least one U.S. state.
8+ years of substantive legal experience, ideally including significant time in an in-house corporate legal department.
Real depth in U.S. government contracts law (FAR/DFARS), from the prime, subcontractor, or government/agency side.
Real depth in commercial contracting, particularly supply chain, procurement, or vendor agreements.
A resourceful, creative approach to legal problems, and genuine comfort with ambiguity and a fast pace.
An independent interest in the law and policy related to our technology, not just a willingness to work in the space.
A generalist mindset: you don't need prior experience in every area beyond your core strengths, but you should want it.
Eligibility for a U.S. government security clearance.
Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship now or in the future.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Foreign Military Sales (FMS), Direct Commercial Sales (DCS), or other international government contracting frameworks.
Experience negotiating strategic partnerships, joint ventures, or joint development agreements, including IP allocation between parties.
Experience with lobbying disclosure, PAC administration, or political law compliance.
Familiarity with ITAR/EAR export controls.
Background in IP licensing.

Responsibilities

Own the legal side of Merlin's government contracts lifecycle: proposal review, procurement strategy, negotiations, contract structuring, and FAR/DFARS compliance.
Own day-to-day commercial legal activities, serving as the primary point of contact for inbound contract requests from the business: independently draft and negotiate teaming agreements, technology licenses, NDAs, vendor and supply chain, and other commercial agreements.
Help build the contracting templates, playbooks, and process infrastructure Merlin needs to scale.
Grow into other legal matters across Merlin as the team's workload requires and as your experience develops, including foreign and allied government contracting (FMS/DCS), strategic partnership and joint development agreements, aviation regulatory questions, government ethics and lobbying compliance, employment-related questions, and litigation support.