Senior Counsel, Government & Commercial Contracts

Zeno Power•Washington, DC

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

Zeno Power is seeking an experienced Senior Counsel, Government Contracts to serve as the company's lead attorney for U.S. government contracting matters. Reporting to the Chief Regulatory & Legal Officer (CRLO), this role will support Zeno's rapidly expanding portfolio of Department of Defense, Department of Energy, NASA, and other federal government programs as the company transitions from research and development into commercialization and deployment. This individual will be responsible for advising business leaders on government contracts, subcontracts, procurement regulations, compliance obligations, intellectual property protections, and federal acquisition strategy. The ideal candidate is a pragmatic business partner who can operate independently in a fast-paced startup environment and help build the legal infrastructure necessary to support a growing national security and energy technology company. The successful candidate will work cross-functionally with engineering, finance, business development, supply chain, program management, and executive leadership to structure, negotiate, and manage a broad range of government and commercial agreements.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
Active membership in at least one U.S. state bar.
8+ years of relevant legal experience drafting and negotiating U.S. government contracts and commercial contracts, including application of FAR and/or DFARS.
Strong understanding of government export control regimes, intellectual property and data rights frameworks, and programs for managing trade secrets and CUI.
Demonstrated ability to advise business leaders on legal risk while maintaining commercial objectives.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including ability to translate legal risks for technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Demonstrated success operating independently with limited supervision in a dynamic startup environment.
Strong judgment, attention to detail, and practical problem-solving abilities.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting defense technology, aerospace, energy, nuclear, space, maritime, or other highly technical and/or regulated industries.
Experience with Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Energy (DoE), National Aeronautic & Space Administration (NASA), National Nuclear Security Administration (NASA), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), or related federal agencies.
Familiarity with Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreements and non-traditional defense acquisition pathways.
Experience advising emerging technology companies transitioning from R&D into commercial deployment.
Experience supporting intellectual property strategy and technology commercialization, particularly trade secret management.
Active security clearance or ability to obtain one.
Experience implementing related contracting playbooks or processes within a corporate setting; and government contracts within a corporate setting.
Exposure to nuclear regulation at state or federal levels.
Science or engineering background or experience.

Responsibilities

Serve as lead counsel for federal government and commercial contracting matters across the company, including legal strategy development.
Draft, review, negotiate, and provide strategic counsel on a broad range of commercial and government agreements, including procurement contracts, prime government contracts, subcontracts, teaming agreements, NDAs, Cooperative Research & Development Agreements (CRADAs), memoranda of understanding, technology transfer agreements, Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreements, Small Business Innovation Research or Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) agreements, and other agreement types.
Develop processes and playbooks for all common contract types, working with outside counsel and paralegal support to implement.
Design and maintain scalable government contracting policies, procedures, and compliance frameworks.
Advise internal stakeholders on the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), and agency-specific procurement requirements.
Develop and maintain International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) & Export Administration Regulations (EAR) compliance policies, training, licensing, cybersecurity, and internal controls.
Manage trade secret management, Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) compliance, and related policies.
Assist the Chief Regulatory & Legal Officer on driving forward Zeno’s patent efforts, including managing counsel, reviewing materials, and assisting in creating disclosure processes.
Work across business lines, such as with Supply Chain, Engineering, Procurement, and Business Operations as part of your day-to-day work.
Partner with business development and program teams to evaluate new federal opportunities and acquisition pathways.
Support proposal development, contract negotiations, contract administration, and contract closeout activities.
Help manage outside counsel as needed on specialized contracts, regulatory, and intellectual property matters.
Additional responsibilities reasonably related to the position and business needs as assigned.