Senior Paralegal

Zeno Power•Washington, DC

16d•$110,000 - $135,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Zeno Power is seeking a detail-oriented, proactive Senior Paralegal to support its Legal team in the Washington, D.C. office. The role works closely with the Chief Regulatory and Legal Officer, counterparties, and inside and outside counsel on corporate and contract matters as the company grows as a commercial and national security supplier of radioisotope power systems. The Senior Paralegal will help build legal infrastructure, processes, and subject-matter fluency across corporate governance, contract operations (particularly NDAs and standard services agreements), commercial and government contracts, and other corporate needs. The position requires in-office presence in Washington, D.C. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, with remote work optional on Mondays and Fridays. Limited travel of up to 5% is required.

Requirements

At least 8 years of paralegal experience.
Experience managing corporate governance documentation and general corporate legal operations.
Experience with high-volume contract intake, including full lifecycle management and tracking.
Strong familiarity with developing and implementing contract lifecycle management systems, writing related guidance, and training staff.
Exceptional organizational skills and follow-through, with the ability to independently manage multiple priorities and deadlines with attention to detail.
Sound judgment and discretion when handling highly confidential and sensitive information, including personnel matters, intellectual property, and investor materials.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce clear, well-organized summaries and documentation and engage effectively with counterparties.
Comfort working directly with senior leadership and outside counsel in a lean, fast-paced startup environment.
Proficiency with standard legal and productivity tools, such as CLMs, Microsoft Office or Google Workspace, Confluence, and Jira.
Must be a U.S. person, as defined in the job posting.
Ability to safely lift up to 15 pounds; the role also involves extended sitting and/or standing, bending or stooping, grasping or gripping, fine motor control, prolonged repetitive work, and visually and audio-focused work.

Nice To Haves

A substantial portion of paralegal experience in-house supporting corporate and transactional work.
Experience with government contractors, aerospace/defense, or other regulated industries.
Exposure to government contracting compliance frameworks such as CMMC or FAR/DFARS, and/or export control regimes such as ITAR/EAR.

Responsibilities

Support corporate activities, including resolutions, consents, cap table documentation, entity minute books, and corporate formalities across company entities.
Provide first-line support for company-wide NDAs and standard services agreements, including managing requests, conducting first-level negotiations, and ensuring timely execution and filing.
Maintain and improve contract templates and negotiation playbooks for common agreements, and support negotiations and related legal research with counsel.
Assist with transaction documentation, including closing checklists and corporate regulatory filings.
Establish a contracts lifecycle management system and create and update contract management processes and guidance.
Prepare diligence materials and manage data rooms for fundraising, M&A, and other strategic corporate actions or transactions.
Support ITAR/EAR export control compliance workstreams, including recordkeeping and coordination with counsel and IT teams on classification and access-control matters.
Assist with intellectual property matters, including coordinating filing actions with outside counsel and maintaining patent trackers.
Support employment and litigation matters, including organizing personnel-related legal documentation, litigation holds, and investigation logistics.
Manage Legal function administration, including tracking and calendaring deadlines, maintaining trackers, and proactively flagging upcoming obligations.